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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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Spoiled for the Ordinary: A Testimony, A Prayer
By Paula Mickley Ireland
This poem by Paula Mickley Ireland was written at the time she sensed God calling her from her life in the medical profession to being a full-time missionary.
I just want you to know
working with HealthCare Ministries
has ruined my life.Seeing a devastated world
has ruined my personal agenda.
Seeing desperate brothers and sisters
has exposed and broken a selfish heart.
Seeing Jesus
has robbed me of my rights, my interests,
my ambitions.
I am left …
spoiled for the ordinary.Ruined for an average and comfortable life.
Deprived of the right to complain,
to indulge, to live independently.
Desperate for His lordship and glory.To truly see, and hear, and feel
the heart of Jesus
must leave one radically altered.
My heart is permanently damaged —
it is spoiled for the ordinary!My heart bursts with gratitude, O God!
You free me from my shallow, selfish world,
stretch the smallness of my heart
swallow me up in Your Life,
Your fullness, Your purpose.Guard this work, O Lord.
May I be forever spoiled
for anything less
than Your great heart
and Your glorious kingdom!
Paula Ireland is a veteran missionary to Zambia, Southern Africa, where she has been involved with community health evangelism. She and her husband, Jerry, are returning there as missionaries to partner with the Zambian national church in training pastors and church leaders, and helping churches respond to the nationwide HIV/AIDS crisis.
