Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team MissionAccess!
As we Fall into Winter 2018 I am *THANKFUL* for Faithful Followers like You who āLikeā what we do and support us Exceeding Abundantly throughout the year.
JUST CLICK BELOW TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP! š Ā
MA FALL 2018 LEAVING A LEGACY FINAL 112718Ā Ā
Blessed To Have You On Board! Ā Thanks For The Opportunity!
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda Thacker
Executive Director
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access!
This Fall marks 15 years since I began my first semester at Dallas Theological Seminary.Ā Taking quite literally a Leap Of Faith out of my “If It’s To Be It’s Up To Me” Comfort Zone, I embarked on my pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Christian Education (MACE).Ā Amidst the chaos I took great comfort in the daily requirement to attend Chapel.Ā
But of the countless Chapels I would attend over the next four years this one in particular I shall never forget:
“Bring Back The Butter” by Dr. Richard Allen Farmer
I share it with you now precious Peeps in the sincere hope that these timeless truths bring you a renewed sense of Peace & Purpose as we continue to press forward together for His Glory.
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
IMAGE SOURCE:Ā https://american-school-search.com/images/logo/dallas-theological-seminary.png
Greetings Fam & Friends of TEAM MissionAccess! WOW ātwas Fab indeed to celebrate our church Bartimaeus Baptist Templeās 60 Year Diamond Jubilee Homecoming 2018!Ā We truly honor all the faithfulĀ men and women whose decades of selfless service & sacrifice allow us to eagerly press forwards towards 60 more yearsā¦and beyond.
Speaking of whichā¦
As we enter boldly into the future I want us to be able to see what an incredible opportunity we have to see others as well as ourselves as God sees us regardless of our challenges.
So letās begin with our Focus Scripture:
” I can do all thingsĀ through Him whoĀ strengthens me.” (PHIL 4:133 NASB)
OK so letās talk context:Ā this simple verse is the powerful āpunchlineā of one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible (IMHO of course).Ā Paul takes us gently from anxiety in verse 8 to Authority in just five verses! How?Ā DWELL!Ā Turn OFF the News & Turn ON The Good News of Jesus Christ!Ā Amen & AMEN! Ā Ā
OK Peeps!Ā Repeat after me:Ā Pray. Ā Petition.Ā Praise! & Repeat.
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
IMAGE SOURCE:Ā BBT ARCHIVE
Greetings Fam & Friends of Team Mission Access!
In 1952 the late great Ethel Waters first recorded her iconic hymn āHis Eye Is On The Sparrow.ā Based on Matthew 10: 29-31, this classic has since been covered extensively by both Christian and secular artists from Mahalia Jackson to Whitney Houston.
āAre not two sparrows sold for aĀ cent? AndĀ yetĀ not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.Ā ButĀ the very hairs of your head are all numbered.Ā Ā So do not fear;Ā you are more valuable than many sparrows.ā (MT 10: 29-31 NASB)
So I did a little digging and am delighted to share my āDisability Connectionā Discovery about this song here from Wikipedia:
āCivilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, said about her inspiration to write the song based on the scriptures:
Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning inĀ Elmira, NY.Ā We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittleātrue saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair.
Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience.ā1
What an awesome testimony of how Our Awesome Lord can use People & Families Affected by Disability to expand His Legacy Of Love for ALL People Worldwide!
So take heart, Peeps!Ā His Eye Is On The Sparrow & I KNOW He WatchesĀ *WE*! š
In His Accessible Grace,
LindaĀ Ā
IMAGE SOURCE: http://apprising.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sparrow.jpg
[1]Ā Ā āHis Eye Is On The Sparrow,ā Wikipedia, last modified August 27, 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Eye_Is_on_the_Sparrow
Greetings Fam & Friends of Team MissionAccess! Come letās fly in the face of good olā tried ān true marketing wisdom that we should āunderpromise & overdeliverā with Rick Berreraās book entitled simply āOverpromise and Overdeliver.
Suffice to say that as we conclude our Summer Sanctification VBS that in fact OVERPROMISES & UNDERDELIVERY just about perfectly describes our Summer Renovation Project to help make our bathroom more accessible! However, by far the more important Renovation is the one that our Awesome Lord is doing in us. Amen?
Our scripture verse is: Colossians 3:23Ā (NASB) Ā āWhatever you do, do your workĀ heartily,Ā as for the LordĀ rather than for men,ā
Verses on working abound in the Bible but this one is perhaps my favorite because it answers my (2) Most Vexing Life Questions: #1 WHAT are you doing? & #2 WHY are you doing it?
Notice it says *WHATEVER*: THIS HAS *HUGE* IMPLICATIONS! So many of us struggle with disabilities & simply cannot physically or mentally do what we used to do. Gee I canāt seem to do things I did just a year or even just months ago!
BUT THATāS NO EXCUSE! Working for God is an Honor which we ALL need to do to the best of our abilities regardless of our circumstances.
So letās make a minor adjustment to make this verse even more powerful:
āWhatever *I* do, *I* will workĀ heartily,Ā as for the Lord rather than for men,ā
In His Accessible Grace,
Ā
Linda
IMAGE SOURCE: http://cdn03.summary.com/_resources/_global/media/resized/00011/ihwx.6d0d6aff-8f3f-48cb-bc34-9fee802c110d.200.175.jpg
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Greetings & Blessings Fam & Friends of #TeamMissionAccess!
Now anyone who has been around church or raised in church is all too familiar with āVBSā (i.e. code word for Vacation Bible School). Suffice to say Our Awesome Lord is allowing me to experience the Joy of My Own Personal VBS that can only be described as Extreme Summer Sanctification.
First letās look at our Scripture Focus found in 2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB:
9Ā And He has said to me,Ā āMy grace is sufficient for you, forĀ power is perfected in weakness.āĀ Most gladly, therefore, I will ratherĀ boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.ā
Languishing in prison, the Apostle Paul penned some of the most mind-blowing truths about Grace that all but elude our instant-feedback society today. Rather than a rant about his āthorn in the fleshā Paul calmly soothes our troubled souls with his God-breathed peace about the sufficiency of Grace that comforts like none other.
Speaking of languishingā¦
What began on April Foolās Day (my first clue) as what I perceived to be a no-brainer bath remodel to make our shower accessible has morphed into anything but. Being highly hygiene-motivated after a showerless season, I pounced at the first opportunity to clean up with an experience that frankly hearkened back to Nazi death camp accommodations. Yet still hanging on to hope, I text our vanishing contractor on Monday as to his ETA? To which he replies: *Thursday*?!!
He nonchalantly adds: āIs everything OK?
Of all the initial responses swirling about in my seething skull (including spray-painting “Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Hereā on the bathroom door ala Danteās Inferno), I respond simply; āIT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL.ā Yeah verily for that response God gets ALL the glory!Ā Perhaps there is hopeĀ for me–for us–yet!Ā
In His Accessible Grace,
Linda
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access. With a heavy heart we wave a final Farewell to Our Beloved Pastor David Ross Whitmore, Senior Pastor at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple (www.bbtemple.org) who went Home to be with Our Lord last week.
Truly Pastor David was Compassion Incarnate for so many People & Families affected by disability for so many years here in Dallas! Speaking of Legacy, he selflessly picked up the heavy Cross of Caring from his parents Don & Anna Ruth Whitmore who founded the church in 1958. My Beloved husband Larry Thacker Jr. and I are truly blessed to serve there since 2008 when we discovered this hidden gem celebrating their Diamond Jubilee this year.
Oh how Pastor David Loved his Lord! & His Family! & Our Church. Yeah verily though no words suffice we simply say:
Well Done Thou Good & Faithful Servant! Godspeed To Your Richly-Deserved Reward.
In His Accessible Grace,
Ā
Linda
IMAGE SOURCE: BBTEMPLE.ORG ARCHIVES
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access!Ā This month we honor the Life & Legacy of former First (& Second!) Lady Barbara Bush who went Home to be with Our Lord earlier this year.
Rarely do we have the joy to witness someone who so graciously embodied The Wife of Noble Character found in Proverbs 31:10-31!Ā
Yeah verily was Barbara Bush that & so much more for our generation!Ā And in Washington DC no less!
Enjoy my podcast to celebrate her Good & Godly legacy.
Well Done Thou Good & Faithful Servant!Ā Godspeed To Your Richly-Deserved Reward.
In His Accessible Grace,Ā
Linda
IMAGE SOURCE:Ā http://www.newsweek.com/who-are-barbara-bushs-children-former-first-lady-leaves-behind-daughter-four-891400
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team Mission Access!
What better way to continue our Legacy Series than to ask a very personal question:Ā So Whatās YOUR Legacy?
Our focus is on a book by Charles Spurgeon entitled The Power Of Prayer.Ā How during my time studying at DTS did I miss this book?Ā Suffice to say I share this special podcast so YOU donāt miss an incredible opportunity to build YOUR Relationship with Him through focused & fervent prayer in 2018 and beyond.
Hey Look!Ā There are thousands of books on prayer!Ā Jesus even gave us His Lordās Prayer.Ā But I simply do not believe that it was ever meant to be The Prayer To End All Prayers.Ā Far from it!Ā Rather it was designed as a firm foundation on which to help us build our own Personal Legacy of Prayer.
Happy Prayer Power Legacy Building, Team! š
In His Accessible Grace,
Ā
Linda
Greetings & Blessings Faithful Followers of Team MissionAccess!Ā As we boldly forge ahead towards a Happy New Year 2018 I am blessed to share this vision of a Happy New Legacy born right here in Texas for People & Families Affected by Disability worldwide.Ā
In his book āWelcome Homeless: One Man’s Journey of Discovering The Meaning Of Homeā successful businessman turned philanthropist Alan Graham shares his plan for creating a sustainable solution for People experiencing homelessness, many of whom are also challenged with disability.Ā
Rather than simply building houses he begins by building Relationships to fill our deepest yearning for Home thatās hard-wired into our hearts by God.Ā
Check out his video: Ā Ā Community First! Village – A New MovementĀ
And stay tuned as we build together towards a Happy New Legacy in 2018 & beyond!
In His Accessible Grace,
Ā
Ā Linda
IMAGE SOURCE:Ā http://faithandlifebookstore.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/welcome-homeless.jpg
