Not long ago, I featured this popular review of Morning Moments with God by Grace Fox along with a contest to win my review copy. Today, I’m interviewing the author as part of my Words with Friends blog feature. So far, Grace is a virtual friend in that we’re both members of both AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and CAN (Christian Authors Network) but have yet to meet in person. I enjoyed getting to know her better and hope you will, too. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom for the BONUS below! Welcome, Grace! How did your writing career begin? My husband and I served as missionaries in Nepal for three years in the 80s, and our sending agency asked us to write monthly newsletters to our supporters. I enjoyed finding creative ways to write these letters, and our readers made comments such as, “Your descriptions make us feel as though we’re right there with you.” Their enthusiasm lit a spark within me to seriously consider writing something other than missionary newsletters when we returned to North America. In 1998, I decided to try publishing a line of greeting cards. I attended the Florida Christian Writers Conference and showed my cards to a Dayspring editor. She politely rejected them, but that only pointed me in a different direction on my writing journey. I attended several workshops about writing for magazines, and several months later mustered the courage to put into practice what I’d learned. That’s so interesting, especially since I’ll serve on faculty at that same conference next week. But I know you speak as well as write. Can you tell us about your speaking ministry? I speak regularly at women’s retreats and conferences in North America and mostly Eastern Europe. My passion is to connect the dots between faith and real life for my audiences – to help them understand how Scripture is relevant to everyday life. My audiences are ages 19-80 – singles and marrieds alike. I address universal issues such as how to overcome fear and how to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus amidst a busy life. Your readers can learn more here: http://www.gracefox.com/speaking-events/ Because of my own interest in missions, my blog often has an international focus. Please share with our readers a little about the global aspect of your work. My husband and I co-direct International Messengers Canada, a non-profit mission that offers creative short-term and career ministry opportunities. We have 180 career missionaries now, working in 14 countries. The bulk happens in Eastern Europe because that’s the work began more than 30 years ago. Our philosophy is, “How has God hard-wired you? What are your passions? How can...

You’ve made the commitment. You’ve obeyed God’s calling and signed up for a mission trip. Maybe you even paid a deposit. And now, the work begins. You have what looks like a ton of money to raise. Maybe you have a schedule with challenging goals to meet. So what to do? First, you pray (you’ve been doing that already, right?). And then, you get to work! Tuesday’s blog listed some real-life fundraising ideas from Never the Same Peru 2013 missionaries, and I’m including a few more below. I hope some of these will work for you or that you’ll adapt them for your own use. Remember: God owns it all and can move His resources to send you where He wants. Just make sure to stay faithful with your part. He’s more than capable of taking care of His (which also includes empowering you for yours). Photo Bomb: Shelagh, 22, combined her love of photography with missions-trip fundraising. She offered photo shoots to friends and family on a donation basis and put all the funds toward her missions trip. But Shelagh also had the most unusual fundraising story I heard this past year. A woman who bumped Shelagh’s car in a parking lot insisted on sending her a $500 check (although Shelagh told her she owed nothing since she drives an older car). That $500 was the same as Shelagh’s final payment toward the Peru trip. [Note: Neither Shelagh nor I advocate putting your car in harm’s path as a means of fundraising. But God often works in unusual ways!] Group Effort: Sisters Hannah (17), Emily (16), and Ella (14); along with friends Lauren (16) and Molly (14) conquered their fundraising by working together. Calling themselves “Passion for Peru,” the five girls made a fundraising Facebook page, did group babysitting at their church, did housecleaning, waxed boats, and held two benefit concerts at which they gave presentations about their upcoming missions trip. All in all, their passion brought in more than $25,000 and sent them all to Peru, in awe at God’s provision. Sales Team: Garage sales or rummage sales can often help raise large amounts of money in short amount of time. One group of Never the Same missionaries from San Antonio led by a wonderful leader named Jill (read more about her here) hosts a huge garage sale every year. As part of their sales promotion, they post pictures and descriptions of large or unusual items n social media and even offer to ship some items. This group also has monthly Bible studies and spends time praying for and encouraging one another as they move toward the field. No wonder Jill brings more missionaries to the Never the...

 “I’d love to go on a mission trip, but it costs so much.” “How can I ever raise that much money?” “I hate asking for anything, especially money.” Does that sound like something you’ve heard, or maybe something you’ve said? If so, stay tuned. This week, I’ll share a few fundraising tips from the 2013 Never the Same Peru missionaries. Thanks to all those who shared their ideas with me! Before the ideas, a personal note about fundraising: God owns it all. And He’s perfectly capable of moving resources around to meet needs. Believe it or not, a mission trip is not only about you getting to go somewhere and do something. It’s also about the needs of the people you’ll serve. How much does each of them matter? A lot. So if they matter to Him, He is willing and able to provide. And if they matter to you, and if He has called you to go, you should be willing to work as hard as you can to add to your funds. In our years of fundraising (my family members and I have taken close to 50 short-term mission trips), I’ve noticed that the more we work, the more God surprises us with special gifts. Two years ago, a student told me she sent out letters offering to work for people to help raise money for her trip—not an unusual idea in itself. But because she was willing to work, many people donated money. In fact, her letters alone brought in almost the exact amount of money she needed. God doesn’t work the same way in every situation, so don’t expect a few letters to bring in all the funds for your trip. Pray about these ideas, and ask God to give you some of your own. Most of all, be willing to do whatever it takes to go—even if that means scrubbing bathrooms, selling something you hold dear (NOTE: auctioning off your little brother is not an option), or asking for help from others who believe in the importance of missions. Chili Today: Rebekah, 16, held a missions chili lunch at her mother’s workplace, charging $5 a plate. The generous employees tipped well enough that the luncheon raised more than either Rebekah or her mother anticipated! Not-So-Small Change: Joy, 18, took advantage of a church barbecue to raise money for her trip. She labeled a container “Pocket Change for Peru” and gave people who attended the barbecue the opportunity to share their change or other donations. This simple method brought in more than $300 for her trip. Wrap It Up: Alicia, 18, used her mad Christmas-wrapping skills to raise money for her mission trip. She offered lots of options...

“And the tongue is a fire” (James 3:6a). When a teen commits suicide after many months of bullying, the news reminds us: Words matter. When we overhear a parent’s harsh scolding of a child, our hearts remind us: Words matter. But when we realize our own words have inflicted pain, the Holy Spirit convicts us: Words matter. Father, today I pray on behalf of those who need to watch their words. So that means, once again, that I’m praying for everyone. Words have power and life. Words have meaning beyond the moment. Words can hurt. Words can heal. Lord, my own words have often been used in anger. They bubbled up and boiled over from an inner reserve of resentment and insecurity. They scalded and scorched those I love. And the ugly blisters they left behind caused scarring only Your touch can remove. So here’s what I’m asking, God. Help me, and others like me, to measure my words. Help me to think before I speak, but more than that, to be so full of You that nothing bubbles from my heart but Your grace and truth. Instead of lashing out in rage or striking out in hatred, let me share my struggles, my trials, my woundedness and weakness. Let me cry for help, not cause pain. Help me to see those around me as You see them, God. Let me have Your eyes, Your ears, Your heart of compassion. Guide my lips as You guide my life. And God? What I don’t say has the power to wound as much as what I do. Make my words fitly spoken, my silences golden, and my conversations filled with the knowledge of You. Forgive me where I have failed you, my Father. Touch my lips with Your fire of purity and burn away anything that would best remain unsaid. In Your Holy name I pray, AMEN.   Are you one of those who have been wounded by words? We often practice what we most despise. Ask God to show you if your words are hurting others and keep asking that His words flow from your lips. If you prayed this prayer with me, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or via email (see the “contact” link on my home page. Thank you for watching your words, because they matter. Just like...

Young men are often in short supply on mission trips. Because some of the publicity for the Never the Same trips comes from a teen girls’ magazine (Sisterhood), teen guys may not think they belong. And (sad but true) adult men have often given the idea that missions and mission trips are for girls. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because of this, I’m always grateful for the young men who do come along on our trips. We need them for the different parts of the drama, for carrying some of our heavier items, for protection, and especially to serve as role models for younger students. We need them because our trip and our teams provide a picture of the body of Christ, which is made up of all different sorts of members—male and female included. Ian was probably the young man I was most looking forward to meeting before our 2013 trip to Peru. I knew his older sister, Leah, from previous mission trips. And I was so excited when I heard he was joining us this time around. Leah is petite and beautiful with a tender, caring heart (since the Peru trip, she’s traveled again with Never the Same on a Christmas break trip to Panama). Ian is tall, with the broad shoulders and chest of a grown man. But his tender heart reminds me of his sister’s—and of another Man whose strength and gentleness changed the world. I hugged Ian when I first met him during training. I watched him interact with his fellow students, noticing his quiet, observant attitude along with his broad smile. But it was on our first day of ministry that I got to see him in action. He served on the same team as Grace (read her story here) and also taught me a lesson. Ian’s approach was more quiet and gentle than Grace’s. But, like her, he engaged with nationals and with his teammates in a way that showed the love of Christ. I watched as he spoke to teammate after teammate to encourage them in their first day of real ministry. I smiled as he lowered his bulk to the ground to speak to the small children clustered around him. I marveled as he lifted first one, then another, with care. He made the little boys feel like men and the little girls like princesses. But like all of us, there is more to Ian’s story than what shows on the outside. In 2012, Ian’s father, Maj. Robert Marchanti, was one of two National Guardsmen killed in a shooting inside the Afghan Interior Ministry in Kabul. Beyond the pain of the tragic loss, his family had to wait...