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Today is Good Friday. I’m thinking about the death of Jesus Christ. I’m also thinking about the death of Charla Pereau. They both have had a great impact on my life. Jesus was God in the flesh. Charla was made in God’s image and was conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). Because of the death of Jesus my sins are forgiven, my guilt is washed away and I am redeemed. Because of the life of Charla, I found my place in the Kingdom of God; I also found my wife and have a precious family.
Before I met Charla, I met Foundation For His Ministry (FFHM). Charla started FFHM over 60 years ago. The ministry began as a home for needy children in Vicente Guererro, Baja, Mexico. I first visited in 1987 as a recent graduate of Bible college with a degree in Missions. I was disappointed and disillusioned with how the mission program of my denomination worked. Too many hoops to jump through before a person would get to be on the mission field. I had kind of given up on ever being a missionary. FFHM renewed my dream of serving God in another country. At this children’s home I saw a lot of normal, everyday type of ordinary people who just wanted to make a difference in the lives of poor Mexicans, especially Mexican children who had been abandoned, abused, neglected and were suffering the emotional, mental, physical and spiritual effects that come from not being wanted. The staff was made up of Americans, Canadians and Mexicans who simply wanted to be the hands and feet of Jesus and bring healing to hurting people.
I had come for a week to volunteer and left with a hope and a lifetime ambition to one day be a permanent part of this incredible organization. Unfortunately I had to wait 18 years for my dream to become a reality. In the meantime I went to Vicente Guererro almost every year to help out for a week at a time, as thousands of volunteers have done since the founding of the Mission. I met Charla and talked to her a little bit over those years. Looking at her and chatting with her, I would never have guessed that she was the visionary who, full of faith, determination and grit, was making such a big difference in the Kingdom of God in Mexico. On the surface she just seemed another volunteer who cared. I knew better, because I had read her book, Charla’s Children where she described her vision from God and how she began to think God’s thoughts after Him with regards to loving the poorest of the poor in Mexico.
Fast forward to 2005 and I was finally at a place in my life where I could live full time doing the work of God in Mexico. But instead of Baja, Mexico, I went to Oaxaca, Mexico, where FFHM was putting the finishing touches on a new home for needy children. Oaxaca is one of the poorest states in Mexico and the need was great and still is great, to bring help and healing to suffering children. And not only to rescue children, but also to reach the lost in remote mountain areas and restore the broken lives of those in prison and rehabilitation centers.
I jumped in with both feet in March of 2005 and have been here ever since. These have been the happiest years of my life. I feel like a puzzle piece that never quite fit just right for most of my life and then the Lord put me here and it has been a perfect fit. Not only have I loved working in various aspects of ministry here, but I also met my wife here and we have two super daughters. I couldn’t be happier, and it’s mostly because of Charla.
Charla, and her husband Chuck, would come to Oaxaca every couple of years which was a joy for us all. She would tell stories to the kids and share with the staff how the Lord had spoken to her, used her, directed her, and sometimes rescued her through the years of her life. I never failed to laugh and cry when she spoke and was always inspired to trust God more, give more freely and love more deeply. Charla said one time that her daily prayer in the morning was “God, lay some soul upon my heart, and love that soul through me.” I wonder if some days I was that soul. I also remember her saying one time that God doesn’t want our ability so much as he wants our availability. That encouraged me as I don’t have all that much ability to give the Lord, but I have plenty of availability.
When different partners of this ministry would die over the years, Charla liked to say that they “graduated to heaven”. Charla “graduated to heaven” February 28. I imagine there was a heap of treasure waiting for her. She laid up a lifetime of loving others well and no doubt filled up many celestial coffers with her acts of compassion, her works of kindness and her obedience to the Lord in meeting the felt needs and more importantly, the spiritual needs of thousands of people. In Matthew 6:20 Jesus tells his followers to store up treasures in heaven. In Luke 12:21 Jesus encourages people to be “rich toward God” and in verse 33 to “Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail”.
Charla was a great example to us all of storing up treasures in heaven by being rich toward God. Thank you God for Charla!
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“As Chuck and I face our few remaining days, we sense God would still have us focus on what matters the most – His commission to reach the lost with the message of Christ and His charge to believers in Matthew 25: feed the hungry, provide drink for the thirsty, give shelter to the homeless, clothe the naked, care for those who are sick, and visit the prisoners. This is the foundation on which we built His Ministry.”
Charla Pereau – Charla: An Ordinary Woman with Faith in an Extraordinary God
God Is Good, Beautiful, and True
In my life I have found that I am most happy, fulfilled and content when I am making something beautiful, doing something good for others, embracing truth and sharing the truth of the Gospel. Maybe that’s because I am made in the image of God and God created me in Christ Jesus for good works (Ephesians 2:10). God is good, beautiful and true and all his creatures were made to do good, make beauty and live in the truth.
From the beginning, Scripture reveals that God is good, beautiful, and true. The psalmist declares, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8). His goodness is seen in creation, in His provision, and ultimately in the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. God is also the source of all beauty. The heavens declare His glory (Psalm 19:1), and His handiwork is displayed in the world around us. Even more, God is truth itself. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). There is no falsehood in Him—His words, His character, and His promises are always trustworthy.
Made in God’s Image to Reflect Him
As beings created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), we are most complete and fulfilled when we reflect His nature. We are called to practice goodness, create beauty, and embrace truth. When we do good—when we act with love, justice, and mercy—we reflect God’s goodness. When we create beauty—whether through art, music, words, gardening, acts of kindness, or simply the way we live—we mirror His creative power. And when we embrace truth—seeking it, living by it, and sharing it—we align ourselves with God’s eternal nature. It is in these actions that we find our true purpose and joy.
The Path to True Happiness
God loves us and wants us to experience true happiness. His commands are not burdens but the pathway to joy. Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and when we do good, create beauty for His glory, and share the truth of the gospel, we find deeper happiness than the fleeting pleasures of this world. Furthermore, Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:19-20 to store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. When we invest our lives in what is eternal—goodness, beauty, and truth for His sake—we are securing a reward that will never fade.
Let us, therefore, seek to live as God intended, knowing that in Him, we find all that is good, beautiful, and true. And in reflecting Him, we find our greatest joy. And, we can take it with us.
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Truth, goodness and beauty are the three things we all need, and need absolutely, and know we need. C.S. Lewis
For almost 20 years I have been a missionary in Oaxaca, Mexico, with Foundation For His Ministry, an organization whose mission is to rescue, reach and restore. It started out over 60 years ago as a home for needy children who lived in situations of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Children were rescued from these situations and provided with relationships, opportunities and resources that have changed the course of their lives.
Children were in these situations because of parents and other adults in their lives who were lost spiritually. FFHM expanded its ministry to reach lost people with the hope of the gospel. People who have a relationship with Jesus encounter power that is able to change their lives, giving them the hope of eternity as well as flourishing lives on earth.
As FFHM grew it realized that it could come alongside broken people and help restore them. We desire to bring healing, hope and wholeness to vulnerable people who struggle with addictions or who are in prison. They have experienced challenges, difficulties and trauma in their lives and we are able to help restore them to be productive members of society and to thrive in the Kingdom of God.
I love being a part of this ministry for many reasons. One of those reasons is Rescuing, Reaching, and Restoring. I can take those things with me! I wrote in my last post about things we can take with us to the grave. About storing up treasures in heaven. Rescuing children, reaching the lost and restoring broken people is like money in the bank of heaven; like gold, silver and jewels in the celestial treasure chest.
Of course you don’t need to be a missionary in a foreign country to be involved in rescuing, reaching and restoring. In your local community there are children in the foster care system that need to be rescued. There are the spiritually dead that need to be reached with the life giving message of the Gospel. There are people broken by addictions and bad decisions who need to be restored. God wants all of us, wherever we live, to be his hands and feet in the divine process of rescuing children, reaching the lost and restoring the broken. The lives we touch with the message of hope will be filled with peace and joy and we will be making an investment in the kingdom of God that will last for eternity.
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God uses broken people like you and me to rescue broken people like you and me.
In August my wife and daughters went to visit my dad in Colorado. He is advanced in age and wasn’t feeling well. He has a gravel front yard and weeds were growing profusely throughout. He doesn’t like gardening and I do, so I decided, with the help of my wife, to pull all the weeds. It wasn’t fun. It was hot and the weeds had deep roots. Not exactly what I had in mind for our summer vacation.
We were listening to Christian music and a song came on that one of my daughters had recently turned me onto. It was “The Prodigal” by Josiah Queen. One part of the song says, “I don’t need the money. I don’t want the fame. I don’t want what I can’t take with me in the grave. I don’t want to lose my soul, chasing after things that don’t lead me straight to you.”
I heard those words, and I looked at the weed in my grimy hand, and I said to that weed, “I’m taking you with me!”
I shouted to my wife, “I’m taking this one with me.” I gestured toward a nearby pile and told her, “I’m taking all these with me!” She looked at me like I was crazy and continued on, but I was a changed man.
That one phrase from the song, “I don’t want what I can’t take with me” stuck with me that day and has been on my mind ever since.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t take it with you” when it comes to death and dying, but Josiah Queen radically reminded me that there are some things we can take with us, at least according to Jesus.
In the sermon on the mount, in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What are those treasures that we can store up in heaven; that we can take with us? I think it is anything we do for others that comes from a heart of love that wants to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The context of these verses is one of practicing righteousness and rewards in heaven (6:1) Giving to the needy, praying and fasting. Jesus told his disciples that some people do these things from a heart of vain glory. They give to the needy, pray and fast to be seen and admired by humans. Jesus encourages his followers to be motivated by love for our Heavenly Father, knowing that when we do righteousness, we will be rewarded by Him, sometimes while we are alive on planet earth, and sometimes as a treasure in heaven.
Ever since that day, pulling weeds at Dad’s place, I do almost everything in light of the question, “Can I take it with me?” Material possessions have lost their luster for me. I can’t take them with me. They aren’t eternal. They are temporal and after awhile they rust or break and end up in the dump. But when I help, give, forgive, share, go the extra mile, bend over backward, love my enemies, pray for those who mistreat me, for the sake of Jesus and the glory of God, I know that I am taking that with me, in one way or another. It is in some sense eternal; in some way not only is the person I’m helping blessed, but I am blessed, now and forever.
Join me this new year on focusing on things we can do, ways we can help others, being generous with our time, talents and treasures, knowing that yes, we can take it with us.
I recently heard on a podcast that 1/3 of the Psalms are Psalms of lament. That is people pouring out their hearts to God. Crying out to God from their pain and suffering. Their disappointments, hurt, anger and loss. God already knew what they were going through, but wanted them to come before Him honestly and to realize that it is safe to bear all to Him. God knows what we are going through and invites us to open up in His presence. And, as Paul says in Philippians 4:7, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
For all of us who feel afflicted and weak; neglected or abandoned, Psalm 102 is for us.
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the LORD.
Hear my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones. I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof. All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside. My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come. For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory. For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory. He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD: “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.
In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”
The roots of anger are many. Frustration and a feeling of powerlessness. Threats to self-esteem or identity. Unmet needs. Stress and feeling overwhelmed. Past trauma and unresolved issues. Sometimes it is a result of biological factors or is a learned behavior from childhood. Whatever its cause, it does harm to physical health and important relationships. For that, we lament.
Lament for the Angry
O Lord, hear my cry,
for the world is ablaze with anger.
From the streets filled with shouts of rage,
to homes where bitterness takes root,
anger spreads like a wildfire,
consuming hearts and minds.
Why, O Lord, is fury our companion?
Why do tempers flare and words wound?
Injustice and pain ignite the soul,
filling us with wrath and resentment.
We lash out, hurt others,
and in turn, hurt ourselves.
Merciful Father, we are trapped in this cycle,
our spirits darkened by unforgiveness.
We seek peace but are driven by conflict,
we yearn for love but are caught in hate.
Our anger isolates us,
estranges us from Your grace.
Jesus, You walked among us,
bringing peace to the troubled,
healing the wounds of the broken-hearted.
In Your presence, storms were calmed,
demons were cast out,
and forgiveness flowed like a river.
Teach us, O Gentle Shepherd,
to find solace in Your embrace.
Turn our hearts from anger to compassion,
from rage to understanding.
Help us to forgive those who wrong us,
as You forgave from the cross.
Fill us with Your Spirit,
that we may bear the fruits of peace.
Grant us patience in adversity,
kindness in response to cruelty,
and love that overcomes all hatred.
May Your light dispel the shadows within,
guiding us to walk in Your ways.
Transform our anger into a force for good,
a drive to pursue justice with mercy,
to seek reconciliation over revenge.
O Lord, we surrender our anger to You,
knowing You alone can heal our hearts.
May Your peace, which surpasses all understanding,
guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
Today is Memorial day. It is a federal holiday that honors and mourns the U.S. Military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a day to celebrate America’s fallen heroes and to lament their loss.
Memorial Day Lament
O, valiant souls who stood to defend our land,
With hearts of courage, you took your stand.
From fields of verdant green to deserts bare,
You marched into battles, facing deaths stare.
Silent now are the drums that beat your path,
Echoes of valor swallowed by war’s wrath.
Your laughter, your dreams, now memories past,
In the annals of time, your legacy will last.
Gone are the days you looked upon the dawn,
The mornings of promise where hopes were drawn.
Your sacrifice, a testament to love so grand,
For the country, for freedom, you made your last stand.
We grieve for the moments stolen away,
The future you forfeited for our today.
Families weep, hearts heavy with sorrow,
In the void of your absence, seeking a brighter morrow.
O, brave defenders, rest now in peace,
From your mortal struggles, you find release.
In the quiet of the night, under the stars’ gaze,
We remember your courage, going into the fray.
May your spirits soar where pain cannot reach,
In fields of eternity, where God’s love does preach.
We honor your name, with tears and with pride,
For you are the heroes, forever our guide.
In the silence of our hearts, we whisper your name,
With gratitude profound, never to wane.
Though wars may cease and battles may end,
Your sacrifice and bravery, we will forever commend.
I have lived in Oaxaca, Mexico, for 19 years. Starting in February of this year, there has been bigger wildfires destroying forests and bringing suffering and death to many small mountain communities than I can remember. In February a huge fire burned the mountains in front of the home for needy children where I serve, and this last week a tremendous blaze burned for over a week in the hills behind the mission. Never seen anything on the size and scale of these infernos before. This seems to be a world wide trend according to recent headlines. This is lamentable.
Lament for the Destruction of Wildfires
O raging flames that devour the earth,
You who turn lush forests into barren wastelands,
Hear the cry of a wounded world,
Where beauty once flourished, now reduced to ash and ruin.
In the heart of the inferno, life perishes,
Wild creatures flee in terror, their homes engulfed.
Ancient trees, tall and proud, now stand no more,
Their whispers silenced by the roar of merciless fire.
O relentless blaze, why do you consume with such fury?
Why do you spread sorrow across the land?
Families weep for their lost homes,
Memories and treasures turned to dust.
The sky, once clear and blue, now chokes with smoke,
The air heavy with the scent of despair.
Communities are torn apart, neighbors scatter,
Seeking refuge from the relentless march of destruction.
We mourn the death of the innocent,
Lives taken too soon by your unyielding grip.
We grieve for the landscape, once vibrant and green,
Now a charred remnant of its former self.
O God, where is the solace in this fiery trial?
Where is the comfort in the face of such loss?
We lift our voices in lamentation,
Crying out for mercy, for healing, for peace.
Let the rains come to quench the flames,
To restore the land and renew the earth.
May new life spring forth from the ashes,
And hope rise from the devastation.
Hear our lament, O God of all creation,
Bring us strength to rebuild, to restore.
In the wake of fire, let your light shine,
Guiding us through the darkness, toward a brighter dawn.
Today is Mother’s day in many parts of the world. May 10th is when Mexico honors mothers. It’s a day when mothers are celebrated for their devotion, dedication, sacrifice and love for their children. Lamentably, many children in the world don’t have mothers like that. Here at the Home For Needy Children in Oaxaca, Mexico, we care for about 50 children who have mothers who are in prison, battle addictions, have mental challenges or who have simply abandoned their kids. There are children suffering the absence of a mother all over the world, and for them we lament.
Lament for Children Without a Mother in Their Life
Oh, tender souls with hearts so frail,
Whose mothers’ absence leaves a sad tale,
In shadows cast by addiction’s cruel chains,
Or prisons cold where hope hardly remains.
Mental storms that rage, unseen but deep,
Steal moments of love and in silence they creep,
For children left adrift, lost and alone,
Their cries echo in sad rooms, to most unknown.
Lament, oh lament, for the motherless ones,
Whose paths are marred by sorrows unsung,
In the void of care, in the ache of night,
May God’s true love bring healing light.
Abandoned by the ones they long to hold,
In tender arms, where warmth unfolds,
Their dreams entwined with longing’s thread,
Seeking solace in words that are left unsaid.
Oh, society, heed this cry so profound,
For every child lost, a world’s heart does pound,
Let compassion reign, let empathy guide,
In Christ’s nurturing arms, let these souls abide.
May futures bright emerge from shadows drear,
With love’s embrace, dispel every fear,
For every child suffering without a mother’s embrace,
May the Spirit’s kindness lead them to a brighter place.
May is AAPI month. AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islanders. It is a month to celebrate their achievements and culture. It’s also a time to remember some of the injustices they have suffered for over 200 years and to lament the way many of them were mistreated, especially during World War 2 when over 120,000 of them were interred in concentration camps throughout the United States. When I was younger I lived in California and remember talking to an older Japanese gardener who told me that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he and his family had been forced to leave their home and live in a concentration camp in the Nevada desert. Years later I visited one such camp in Wendover, Nevada. It was a sad time in the history of our country. It is something to lament.
Lament for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
In the hush of twilight’s lingering sigh,
Echoes a tale of anguish, a bitter cry.
Asian sons and daughters, marginalized, oppressed,
Their voices drowned in a world obsessed.
Racism’s venom, a poison deep,
Steals dreams, erases hope’s gentle sweep.
From exclusion’s door to slurs unkind,
Humanity’s dignity left behind.
Oh, Japanese internment’s haunting wail,
A chapter of history we cannot veil.
In barbed wire’s embrace, innocence confined,
Freedom’s light dimmed, justice maligned.
Yet, in the face of bigotry’s cruel thrust,
Courage rises, resilient and just.
For in the heart’s depth, a fire burns bright,
To fight for justice with unwavering might.
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The podcast No Small Endeavor currently has interviews with two Asian Americans who share unique stories of grief and hope, for those who would like to learn more.
To Enjoy God 