Category: - Deeper Still Missions | Missionary Training | Ministry Mentoring

Peace

10/15/2020

The Swiss Alps
Tranquil, serene and beautiful!

Cathy and I sat on the grass to soak in this beautiful location. It reminded us of the Sound of Music. Rich green grass with the snow covered mountains as the backdrop of Allmannsried.

The view alone brings a measure of splendor, calm and peace. The crisp air and beauty causes us to take a deep breath and feel relaxed from the cares of life. Boy do we love those moments!

Christ gives us a deeper and more vivid peace that is hard to describe. As Jesus prepares to leave earth he talks of that peace. A special peace that the world cannot give to you.

John 14:27 (ESV)
27 ePeace I leave with you; fmy peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. gLet not your hearts be troubled, neither hlet them be afraid.

Cathy is holding a lamb which is the picture of Jesus as described by John the Baptist. The lamb of God! May you experience His peace today.

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
_________________________
e ch. 20:19, 21, 26; Luke 24:36
f ch. 16:33; Col. 3:15; [Eph. 2:17; Phil. 4:7]
g ver. 1
h 2 Tim. 1:7
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 14:27). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

Stunning!

4/16/2020

Be Still...
and know that I am God!

In the midst of a whirlwind of activity many of us have sought a time where we could stop and see the work of God. This amazing worldwide shutdown has been unsettling and uncertain!

In the first few weeks,God sent a robin that began building a nest at our home. It was only feet away under the edge of our roof and the downspout of the gutter. Cathy would sit in her rocker and watch the male bring straw, mud and sticks to build a stable home on our patio. Cathy loved it!

Next thing we see is a female who comes and sits on the nest. On occasion she would fly off for a short time and get food. Then she would come right back. Cathy slipped her camera above the nest and the snapshot revealed four beautiful eggs. New baby robins that had one of the most beautiful teal colored eggs we have seen.

Today we are watching the parents take turns feeding four wide open mouths. Our world seems chaotic until you look closer at the provision of God for the birds. Jesus said it best.

Matthew 6:26–34 (ESV)
26 gLook at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. hAre you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his ispan of life?7 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, jeven Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, kO you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For lthe Gentiles seek after all these things, and myour heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But nseek first othe kingdom of God and his righteousness, pand all these things will be added to you.
34 q“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We need the words of Jesus today. Be blessed as you seek Him.

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeeprstillmissions.com
________________________
g [Job 38:41; Ps. 147:9]
h ch. 10:31
i Luke 2:52
7 Or a single cubit to his stature; a cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
j 1 Kgs. 10:4–7
k ch. 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; [ch. 17:20]
l ver. 7
m ver. 8
n [ch. 5:6, 20]
o ver. 10
p [1 Kgs. 3:11–14; Mark 10:29, 30; 1 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:9]
q [James 4:13, 14]
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 6:26–34). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

January 29th, 2020

1/29/2020

The Celebration of New Life

Cathy struggles to pass by a new flower. She always wants to stop and "smell the roses". She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes as she inhales the rich fragrance of a new creation from God.

Pictured above is a snapshot of a beautiful rose we saw in Holland several years ago. God had brought us there at the right time to see the blossoms of tulips, roses and hundreds of other flowers in the spring.

We have been traveling with Deeper Still Missions for the last twelve years. No matter where we go Cathy sees God's beauty and majesty. Whether it is in Kruger National Park, the Robertson Valley of the Cape, Victoria Falls, Germany or driving on the interstate, Cathy notices the work of God!

Just like the flowers in Holland she would stop and say, look at how God painted the exquisite touch on those plants! Look at that tree! Look at that beautiful Wild Dog and the pattern on its coat! God never disappoints! Look around you and see his creation. It will take your breath away.

There are so many distractions in our busy daily lives that we often become blind to the beauty of what God is doing around us and in us. Have you noticed the beauty of flowers coming from weeds? Cathy does. She has taught me so much and opened my eyes to see more of the influence of God in our world, our minds and our hearts.

Celebrate the fresh smell of God's work. It is all around us. Thankfully Cathy has opened my eyes!

Danny and Cathy Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
________________________

Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

To Share This!

9/19/2019

Sharing our own Lives
Having so fond an affection for you!

Deeper Still Missions is about "pitching our tent" in the world of missionaries. Living our lives among them and learning how they live. It is not only the Gospel but also sharing our own lives.

Cathy is pictured with Lizzie Weichardt and Rhianna Roux in her Afrikaans kitchen near Robertson, South Africa. She is learning how to make puff pastry used in pies and other baked goods. Rhianna makes dozens of pies each week to sell at the town outdoor market on Saturdays. She also sells dozens of eggs they gather from their farm.

The three musketeers made some of the most delicious pies. "Melk Tarts" cooked in a flaky crust that will melt in your mouth. We must admit that we are hooked! We love them.

The Roux and Weichardt families have become very dear to us. Living on the farm is a special gift that we will always treasure. Living on a working vineyard takes us back to our childhood and relatives we loved who had farms in Mississippi.

Opening the Word of God has become very dear to them. Opening their hearts and sharing stresses, difficulties and concerns have become very dear to us. Sharing life is what the Lord did with us.

Who are you sharing life with this week? Don't miss the profound opportunity to love and be loved as the Lord says.

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
_________________________
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

With A Twist!

4/18/2019

Torture Rack
Twisting the Word of God

Cathy and I walked into a reformation prison in Italy and were captured by the things we saw. Pictured to the left is a small portion of the prison walls that were full of pictures and scripture written by the inmates. They used their own blood to write on the plaster. You see a picture of the cross of Jesus. They were being tortured for heresy that was outside the teaching of the church.

In one of the rooms was a torture rack used to gain confessions from the prisoners. I had seen many pictures of those tools but never saw one in person. I took a picture but it came out blurry.

I was transported back to the jail cell for Peter in Rome. I feel certain he had seen it many times during his time in prison. He used that image to warn us of people who will distort the Bible.

Peter ends his writing to the church with a powerful analogy. He talks of a torture rack that was commonly used in Roman prisons. The Greek word used is the name of the torture rack. The word is translated "twist" to leave a clear picture of what people will do to the Word of God.

2 Peter 3:16 (ESV)
16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. oThere are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, pas they do the other Scriptures.

Has it ever occurred to you that people would distort the Bible to make it say what they desired? Today has been very confusing as people take Bible verses and attempt to prove their view of a difficult issue. They twist the Word out of its natural position to get the result they want.

When we open the Bible together we are always reminded about the torture rack. We need to let the Bible say what it says without twisting the words to fit our personal desires. That means we have many scriptures to wrestle with and clarify. We are glad that the Bible is here and is able to speak clearly when we listen carefully.

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
___________________________
o [Heb. 5:11]
p [Isa. 28:13]
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (2 Pe 3:16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.

Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

Provisions

1/17/2019

God's Fertilizer!

Lightning hits with a flash that is very unsettling. It is followed by a thunder clap that rumbles in our hearts and minds. It helps create fear and apprehension. Then comes the relief that it did not hit your location.

Objects who are in the path of a lightning strike experience an electrostatic discharge that carries blistering heat and destructive properties. It can cause your heart to skip a beat as it strikes with great speed and unpredictability.

God has a special use for lighting. It is essential in the nitrogen cycle for the air. Nitrates are formed in the atmosphere and fall to the earth with the rain. That fertilizes the earth and enhances the growth of plants and other organisms. God is so amazing!

But he also visualizes the return of Jesus in comparison with lighting. It will be so unpredictable but highly visual around the world. His coming will be a true celestial event. It will be in a flash.

27 lFor as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be mthe coming of the Son of Man.

30 Then rwill appear in heaven sthe sign of the Son of Man, and then tall the tribes of the earth will mourn, and uthey will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven vwith power and great glory.

We continue to be in awe of the design of God. There is very little activity in our life and world that is not given a purpose by the Lord. We are thankful for His provision.

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
_________________________
l Luke 17:24
m ver. 3, 37, 39
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 24:27). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
r Dan. 7:13
s [ver. 3]
t Rev. 1:7; [Zech. 12:12]
u See ch. 16:27
v ch. 26:64; Mark 9:1; [ch. 25:31]
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 24:30). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

For attending...

11/15/2018

Pruning your life!

Remove the dead wood. It was very instructive for us to live in a vineyard this past June and July. The farm workers pruned the vines in preparation for next years crop. You notice in the picture that the vines seem almost naked. They have been cleaned of all the dead wood. You can see on the ground branches that have been removed to make room for new growth in the spring.

This pruning process goes on each year. There is also a time when the vines become unproductive and have to be removed and replaced by new vines. The whole procedure was fascinating. It breathes new life into the comments by Jesus Christ about vines, branches and abiding in Him in John chapter 15..

It causes us to ask what items in our life are fruitful and useful? What needs to be cut out of our life so we are valuable for the Kingdom of Christ? Notice that some branches become so productive that they become a part of the vine. I think that would be a goal for all of us who follow Christ!

Maybe the season has come for you to prune and cleanse the many activities that consume your life. The vines almost feel scalped. Maybe we need to seek the simple life that lets us abide in Christ more of the time. Pray for guidance from the Lord!

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
________________________
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this email in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

New Life

10/18/2018

I recently had the pleasure of loving on these two pups and watching them grow until they were ready for their new homes. Newborn and innocent, they were such a delight each day at my missionary friends’ home. I watched them grow and follow me everywhere I walked.

It was hard not to hold these two new lives every time I was with them. They would run and play, joyfully until they just dropped from exhaustion and immediately fall asleep.

They especially liked to chew on my shoe laces and try to growl. One of them, the brown and white one, was born with a hernia that made one side push outwards. It didn’t bother him, though. He would run a little clumsily, but nothing stopped him. He would fall off the steps and keep on running. I just had to hold him after those times which he loved.

Both pups loved chewing on the plants, herbs and flowers in the garden and trying to dig holes. These tiny little puppies climbed all over their big “brother”, Malachi, the giant great Dane. There were five dogs around in all, including a poodle, so there were lots of laughs.

As the pups grew, it was funny watching them chase their mother to drink milk. She let them know she would feed them when she wanted to feed them.

When the day came for them to go to new homes, I was sad for me but glad for them. They had brought joy and fun for all of us on the farm and made the hardest days a lot easier and comforting.

We get the same joy from watching new spiritual births in the village churches of Mpumalanga. What a joy!

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
_________________________
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

Charge!

4/19/2018

This elephant was grazing beside the road in Kruger National Park and seemed content. Then he turned and looked at us and everything changed. He became annoyed and charged at our vehicle. He was not happy with our car being so close to his space. The loud trumpeting, flapping ears and running gate stuck fear into our hearts! Our heart sank and become flustered. We could not crank the car fast enough and put it in gear!

The twenty-first century has become an interesting place. We have all become complacent about the elephant in the room of life. We ignore the issues, problems, risk and conditions that few want to talk about. People who are zealous for their opinion to be accepted charge the issue like a wild elephant. It has created a situation where no one wants to discuss the issues or make a challenge.

Jesus faced the same elephants in the first century. It seems that his opinion stirred the issues everywhere he went. He caused so much controversy that radical religious leaders sought ways to kill him. It seems that it takes infinite patience, discipline and a gracious tongue to address the elephants in our lives.

Be willing to sit and listen to those who have a difference of opinion. But learn to ask good questions that help sort the issues being discussed.

When necessary, ask hard questions that highlight faulty thinking and unstable hearts. Many dissidents do not have a loving person who will discuss the issues in a rational way. Love them with your attentive ears, tender heart and gracious lips!

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
________________________

Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.

Adopted

1/25/2018

Accepted?

By the one who matters most! Pictured to the left is "Bambi". He was a lone Grey Rhebok who lived on the game farm of Amathunzi in South Africa. He was adopted by the Wiechardt family and given a free reign at their home. He would run and play with the family dogs.

One of the rituals for this young antelope was to walk into the home. Bambi would walk cautiously to seek the bag of dog food always open in the kitchen. I took this picture while he was at the base of the stairs about to embark on his daily hunt for food. He would even allow you to reach out and touch his coat. But that was not for long.

Grey Rhebok have an interesting family and social structure. Male offspring disperse as yearlings and remain peripheral until they can gain a territory. One day Bambi disappeared from the house and the missionaries were not sure of his location. Then one day Bambi showed up with a small family. Thankfully he had not been killed by some of the Wild Cats that roam the mountains around the area.

His adoption into the family only lasted for a season but it was all he needed to grow and prepare for life in a family group. You can still see Bambi on rare occasions but it is always at a distance.

I am so glad that Jesus has adopted us into his family. It is so nice to have a safe place to grow and be accepted. Because He is the one who cares and matters the most!

Cathy and Danny Sartin
www.deeperstillmissions.com
________________________
Copyright © Danny Sartin and Deeper Still Missions. All Rights Reserved.
Life Nuggets are written for those who support Deeper Still Missions and its goal of missionary retention.
Re-Prints: Deeper Still Missions devotionals are protected by international copyright laws. To request reprint permission contact the offices of DSM. Permission is granted and encouraged to forward this post in its entirety to others without making any changes or deletions.