Hello friends!
As we enter the fall season, there’s so much to look forward to. While this is exciting, it can be easy to become discouraged while waiting for certain things to come. As we begin to wrap up 2023 prepare and look forward to the future, we need to learn how to enjoy and embrace the waiting season as well.
While Waiting
By Rev Dr. Huntley Brown
Psalms 27:14 NIV
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Are you in a waiting season right now?
In the waiting season, what do you do?
When you have no control over the outcome what do you do?
When you are in the midst of uncertainty and all seems hopeless what do you do?
Even though waiting, life goes on and you need to know what to do in the waiting season.
While waiting we have to make disciples. We need to know what to tell others in a time of confusion while waiting for answers. The tension of the unknown is an ever present reality we all have to deal with.
So what do you do in this season?
You apply the vertigo factor. Pilots gets vertigo when they are flying in thick clouds and they can’t tell if they are right side up or upside down. The only way to survive is by looking at the instruments and following the instructions given.
It’s the same as waiting in an unknown season.
You must keep your eyes on Jesus and follow His every direction. He might say wait, move, or be silent. No matter what He says success is attached to your obedience.
While waiting, you must continue to wrestle in prayer.
Be honest with your struggle. Tell everyone you are praying and trying to figure it out too. Tell them not to give up on God. Always remember:
When you don’t understand, trust God.
When you don’t agree, trust God.
When you are at the end of your rope, trust God.
Make a decision that you are going to trust God no matter what happens. Hold on to this verse.
Habakkuk 2:3 NIV
“For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
Blessings,
Huntley
Healthy Work: Rest Balance
By Marion Boomer-Hauser, MS, RD, HBF Director
The story of Martha and Mary from Luke 10 is a common Bible story. Often you will hear people say “Don’t be a Martha” as the story of these two sisters shows two different types of “love languages” being expressed. Restful (waiting) vs busy.
Mary is seen as a quiet, contemplative, humble person who sits at Jesus’ feet, resting in His presence, while Martha is presented as someone who rushes around trying to get things accomplished.
I want to encourage you to look for the positive attributes of striving to possess attributes of both Mary and Martha.
Often lessons on this passage focus on encouraging people to not be a “Martha” and to take more time to be quiet. And yes, many of us can be more of a “Martha.”
Like Martha, it is easy to become focused on what we are doing and the busyness of life.
When we are focused on the busyness of life, we can even be proud of it! Herein lies the issue – attitude.
Task-oriented people accomplish a lot, which is awesome, however, if we are so proud of our accomplishments that it turns into judgment, then we have accomplished nothing.
In the story, Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet while Martha was bustling about, getting things done. Martha then complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her.
Martha thought Mary’s style of serving was inferior to hers, and that waiting was wasteful.
Jesus tells Martha that her sister did the one thing that is needed. She needed to be filled. And often, those who are very busy also need to be filled.
However, we need balance in life. For those who are very busy, take time to rest. It is needed. We need not feel guilty about it either. Great peace and strength come from resting in God’s presence. When we take time to rest, both physically and spiritually, our bodies can reset, heal, and regain the strength we need to function optimally.
At other times in the Bible, Martha is commended for her hospitality and service to others, so we know that both rest and service are needed in life. God wants us to serve others – as it reveals Jesus’ love for us through our love for other people, which comes from serving them.
This is why I want to encourage you to have balance – both Mary and Martha’s attributes – in your lives.
Blessings,
Marion
What Are We Working On?
Plans are underway for the Huntley Brown Foundation to conduct a Worship Seminar with Joy in the Harvest Ministry in Tanzania in 2024. We will keep you updated on the exciting details for this venture as it develops.
In partnership with Judson University and the Love Foundation, the Huntley Brown Foundation is working on developing a music education program at the Joseph Royal Education Center in Kingston, Jamaica with Aaron & Alan Franklin of Muzicnet in Chicago, IL. This will be a pilot program that we are hoping can be expanded into other areas in the future. This program is still in the embryonic stages, so we will keep you posted on developments, and how you may be able to assist in this venture.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support of the work that we are doing at the Huntley Brown Foundation. We are proud to partner with you all in spreading God’s love through music.
Blessings,
The Huntley Brown Foundation
Huntley Brown Foundation 