Moments with Your Mission Strategist

 Dr. Dennis Love

“God’s Purpose is a Project”
 
 
 

The Bible says in Genesis 37:18-20 that when Joseph’s brothers saw him coming that they recognized him in the distance.   Then as he made his way closer, they made plans to kill him as they said to one another here comes the dreamer.  Their plan was to throw him in one of the cisterns and then tell their father that a wild animal had eaten him.  They then said, then we will see what becomes of his dreams. 

Other than his coat of many colors, there was nothing particularly special about Joseph.  Among his brothers, he was not the oldest, or the smartest or the strongest.  But before his life would end, Joseph came to be second in command in Egypt, which at that time was the mightiest nation in the world.

However, he wasn’t an overnight success.  God had to take Joseph through a process to get him to his main purpose in life.  My guess is that most of you reading this want to know God’s main purpose for your life.  Some of you want to know what it is, and when you feel like you know, you want to jump right into it.  I know I did. 

But really, our true purpose is usually revealed through a process.  Think about those in the kingdom who have done mighty things for the Lord.  Moses had to go through the back side of the desert before he could deliver Israel.  David had to make it through Goliath before he could make it to his throne.  Jonah had to see the belly of the fish before he would go to Ninevah to call for their repentance.  Even Jesus had to go through the cross before He could fulfill His purpose to seek and save the lost. 

Though you may think that what you are going through only serves to hold you back at best, and destroy you at worst, just think about Joseph.  Before he could get to his main purpose in Egypt, and in a position to be able to save his family and all of Israel from a famine, he first had to be mocked by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into jail.  So, let Joseph and his testimony be a reminder to you that you must go through a process to really understand God’s purpose in your life.

But while you’re going through the process, allow God to use it to make you better and not bitter.  Let God use it to get you ready and not make you petty.  I can’t recall reading of one single “Why, God?” or “Woe is me” from Joseph.  And when he was finally reunited with the same brothers who plotted to kill him and sold him into slavery, Joseph forgave them, embraced them and took care of them. 

So, let’s not grumble and complain when life throws us a lot of curve balls.  Let’s trust God that it’s all for our good.  And when we do, we will grow closer to God and be better prepared for our true purpose in life.  It could be that you are going through the fire’s now so that God can reveal His true purpose for you at some point and time in 2025.      

 

 

God is Good
Dennis
Eph. 3:20-21
 
LEAH R. KELLEY MA LCMHC
 
Leah is the counselor at Hope In Christ Counseling.                       

Her office is located at 130 Logan Street, Marion. 

Phone number is 828-559-7710.

Loving Others Includes Everyone

   It’s hard to believe that we are at the end of 2024! At the time of writing this article, Christmas is only a few days away! Christmas is a time of year that can be full of joy and happiness for some people while bringing feelings of loneliness, grief, or sadness for others.

     My senior year in high school, my drama class put on the play, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”. I played Glady’s Herdman. If you have never seen the play or movie or read the book, the premise is that a family of dysfunctional children take over the church Christmas play. Throughout the story, numerous church members (assumed to be Christians) are distraught that these children are allowed to be part of the play or attend church functions.

     This year, the movie, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” was released. My husband and I took our kids and grandkids to see the movie. Despite knowing the story so well, I found myself in tears at the end. When I was younger, I don’t think it struck me how accurate the book is to how Christians often respond to those who are the “least of these”. However, as an adult, I found the story convicting of how the church sometimes responds to hurting people in a negative way.

     The Christmas season can bring out both the best and worst in people. Specifically, during this time of year, we often find ourselves so wrapped up in our own Christmas parties, church functions, and family needs that we neglect those around us who are hurting. Sometimes, it’s because we are so busy we don’t notice. Sometimes it is because we notice but don’t feel like exerting the energy it takes to really care for someone else’s needs.

     The National alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports 64% of people report being impacted by depression during the holidays. In my practice, I find that this time of year brings up so much for people; anxiety related to family relationships and scheduling, pressure to spend more money, reminders of past trauma, grief over a death or loss of relationship and especially loneliness.

     What Jesus experienced on the cross and through the betrayal of his closest friends was very traumatic. The Bible says, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”(Isaiah 53:3, KJV). In the NLT, it words the second part of that verse like this: “We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”

     Therefore, ignoring those who are hurting is nothing new. However, that is not what God wants from us. In an article from Focus on the Family, Wendy Kittlitz suggests we should recognize that “trauma is a result of sin (https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/content/understanding-gods-heart-for-the-traumatized). She goes on to state, “A traumatized person has been sinned against and we must grieve that and never minimize it. Acknowledge it, take it seriously, validate their painful feelings about it.” She also suggests offering comfort and compassion.

     It doesn’t always take hours to make a difference for someone. Sometimes all they need is someone who is willing to listen and show interest in them. Sometimes, it’s sitting with the single person, widow, or widower at a church dinner and helping them to feel included. As Christians we are called to love others and this includes everyone!

In Christian Sympathy

Our hearts and prayers go out to Sharon Blanton and her family over the recent loss of her brother Danny who lived in Ohio.  He went to Heaven on Saturday, November 23rd and a celebration of his life took place on Thursday, December 12th, at 3:00 pm at Grace Church in Norton, Ohio.  Remember Sharon when you pray!  

 

A very special thanks to Dr. Jonathan Tipper and Greelee Baptist Church for hosting our pastor/spouse Christmas get-together on Monday, December 9th.  We had a delicious meal, wonderful fellowship and gifts were given to those attending.  I was so excited about the great turnout, I totally forgot to get a picture.  Trust me when I say it was very well attended by the majority of our pastors.  

I was blessed to attend the Christmas Cantata at Glenwood on Sunday morning, December 15th.  They did an amazing job with the music and engaging people to worship our Lord. 

I was blessed to be able to worship with the good folks at West Marion Baptist Church on Sunday, November 3rd.   Pastor Heath preached from 2 Timothy 2:20-22 a message titled, “How To Be A Person God Can Use.”  They ordained a new Deacon that morning and I was able to participate in praying over him.  It was a challenging word for the new Deacon and the entire church.  Thanks for the good word from the Lord Pastor Heath.
 
 

                                                                                      JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

Mrs. Mary Gouge (Vein Mountain)                           12

Mrs. Michelle Gentry (Macedonia)                            18

Mrs. Kayla Arrowood (Bethlehem)                            20

                                                                                    FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

Mrs. Lillie White (Hankins)                                        08

Mrs. .Shelley Chambers (Cross Memorial)               11

Ms. Kelly Bennett (Glenwood)                                    26  

                     Empowering Change: Join the Loving Hearts Bear Closet Mission

                       

When Philista Gossett founded the Loving Hearts Bear Closet in 2018, she envisioned a community where no family would have to choose between buying diapers or putting food on the table. Today, this vital organization annually touches the lives of over 10,000 McDowell County (and the surrounding Region) families – but the need continues to grow, and your help can make a difference.
 
The Face of Need in Our Community
 
Every Tuesday and Wednesday, families arrive at the Bear Closet seeking essential items that many of us take for granted. A single mother needs winter clothes for her growing toddler. A grandfather raising his grandchildren requires baby equipment he never expected to need again. A family struggling with medical bills hopes to find basic hygiene supplies and food to tide them over until the end of the month. These aren’t just statistics – they’re our neighbors, and they need our help.
 
When Disaster Strikes
 
When Hurricane Helene devastated McDowell County and the surrounding region, the Loving Hearts Bear Closet emerged as a crucial lifeline for affected families. Through the dedicated efforts of volunteers and donors from across multiple states—including South Carolina, Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Florida, to name a few—the organization demonstrated how a community resource center can transform into a vital emergency response hub. The outpouring of support was remarkable. Organizations like the Iredell County Fraternal Order of Police (Lodge #10), Open Door Baptist Church, West Marion Baptist Church, and Mercy Chefs joined forces with businesses and individuals to provide essential aid. From Hot Diggity Dawg and Blue Collar Cycles to specialized assistance from Christopher Hein’s stump grinding service, the community rallied together under the Bear Closet’s coordination to help families recover. After Helene, the Bear Closet Food Nest program helped to provide hot meals to more than 1,000 people each day, served over 600 traditional holiday meals on Thanksgiving Day, and continues to provide ready to heat To Go Box meals every Wednesday afternoon to families in need.
 
Why Your Support Matters
 
The Bear Closet operates entirely on donations, transforming community generosity into real-world impact. Every donation, whether it’s gently used baby equipment, children’s clothing, or financial support, directly helps families in crisis. Consider this: your unused infant car seat could help a mother complete crucial errands and keep important appointments. Those outgrown children’s clothes could help a family redirect their limited funds toward rent or utilities. Thanks to generous donations from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, much needed disaster recovery supplies, including propane gas for home heating, are now being distributed to the most vulnerable within the greater community.
 
How You Can Make a Difference
Donate Items: – Baby equipment and clothing (ages 0-5) – Baby furniture – Children’s clothing – Formula and diapers – Nonperishable food – School supplies – Hygiene products (toothpaste, shampoo, feminine products)
Donate Funds: – All donations over $250 are tax-deductible – Financial contributions help purchase essential items when donated supplies run low – Monetary gifts support operational costs and special programs like medical visit assistance – Thanks to generous monthly donations made by Clinchfield and Greenlee Baptist Churches, the Bear Closet has enjoyed air conditioning, heat, water, internet and phone communications.
 
Volunteer Your Time: Join the dedicated volunteer team that makes the Bear Closet’s mission possible. Whether during regular Wednesday distribution days or emergency response periods, your time and effort make a crucial difference.
 
Take Action Today
 
The needs in McDowell County are real, but so is our ability to meet them together. Whether you can give time, items, or financial support, your contribution matters. Contact the Bear Closet to learn about current donation needs and volunteer opportunities. Remember to call ahead about equipment donations, as storage space is limited and needs vary throughout the year. Your support does more than fill shelves – it fills hearts with hope and shows families they’re not alone. Join us in making McDowell County a place where every family has access to the essentials they need to thrive. Together, we can ensure that the Loving Hearts Bear Closet continues to be a beacon of hope for thousands more families in the years to come. Will you help us write the next chapter of this inspiring story?
 
January Open House Event Stop by and visit on January 23rd anytime between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00 PM. Take a tour of the Bear Closet Operations Center. Meet the staff and volunteers. Light Horderves and beverages will be provided. For more information about the Loving Hearts Bear Closet, our partners, the people we serve, and our distribution numbers, please visit our website www.bearclosetofmarion.com. “Like” and follow us on Facebook at “Loving Hearts Bear Closet”, or contact Phillista Gossett at 828-803-8790.
 
Heartache and pain have become the norm for far too many boys and girls throughout our NC mission field and beyond. Abuse and neglect run rampant as the darkness closes in, threatening to consume theHowever, God promises that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot win.

At Baptist Children’s Homes, through your year-end gift, hundreds of boys and girls coming to us in the next year will discover a place where heartache and pain are replaced with joy and love. When you give, you make it possible for the light of Jesus to be shone into their lives.

DOUBLE your gift through the $300,000 matching gift challenge until January 31. Your gift is vital to not only helping children now but for those who will need us in 2025.

 

Thank you for being difference makers through your faithful generosity.

Our associational distribution day on Saturday, December 14th, was a huge success.  Thanks to those who came out and helped.  We gave away lots and lots of new toys, clothing, pillows, backpacks filled for all age groups of boys and girls, and we did it in a short period of time.  Thanks again for those who came out and helped!!

A special thanks to all of our churches who served and ministered to people within and without your communities after Hurricane Helene.  It was a blessing to see our churches in action and helping people in so many ways after the storm.  Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.” 

 

Moldova Vision Trip——I’m looking for two pastors who would like to go together to Moldova on a Vision Trip, May 14-21, 2025.  Mark Abernathy is leading the team for pastors to go with him to see the need in Moldova.  Currently, there’s over 750 villages in Moldova with no evangelical presence.  The association will cover the majority of your cost.  Two churches could work together to support a Moldovan church planter.  This would not put a financial burden on just one church.  You would also preach in a Moldovan church while there, and visit villages.   Let me know if you’re interested no later than mid-January.