Being Missional

One of the upsides of being 'on holiday' these last few weeks has been having a little extra reading time! I LOVE to read and since having munchkin No 2, have not had as much of a chance as I would like (as so many mummy friends can sympathise!) In Florida I managed a book and a half plus a few magazines and other bits and bobs ... definitely my best effort in a long time!

Although I would definitely advocate the real thing when it comes to books (flicking through the pages!) rather than an electronic version, I am slowly becoming a convert to the Kindle. After all, when you're travelling lots and moving all over the world and can take your whole library of books on one little handheld device, I would be stupid not to love it really. So this is what I took with me to Florida with a choice of reads!

I had wanted to read The Missional Mom by Helen Lee for a while. It was recommended in a few places, including by an ex-MMS apprentice wife in her blog, Missional Mama, who is serving in Bolivia with her husband and family. She was even able to interview the author in a blogpost. It was a captivating and really interesting read about how to live a missional life wherever you find that God has placed you. Although she writes it from a mum's perspective, any women or in fact anyone would be able to learn lots from what she has to say. (I'm definitely going to get the hubby to have a read at some point!)

I am privileged to have good friends of all different nationalities serving in missions all over the world. England, France, Spain, Albania, Morocco, Turkey, Kenya, Tanzania, Togo, India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Australia to name just a few. I also have good friends and family who are missional in their home settings, whether it be through their churches, Street Pastors, within their communities, raising support for missions overseas (like RUSH) or in many other ways.

In 'The Missional Mom', Helen Lee writes ...

'Missionaries are not just specially selected people who spread the gospel in distant lands. You are a missionary, in whatever context God has placed you, with whatever gifts He has given you. Your mission is to be His witness and disciple-maker wherever you live and move and have your being. This mission does not change when you become a mother.'

This book really inspired me ... even as a 'missionary' in the traditional sense of the word as I have felt a bit out of the loop since Naomi came along ... babies are a little bit time consuming! It has challenged me once again to find even more opportunities to live a missional life, one in which the whole family can be involved. I totally recommend this book and loved actually having the opportunity to read it at last!