Category Archives: Love your Neighbor

Mister Rogers Neighborhood

“Knowing that we can be loved exactly as we are gives us all the best opportunity for growing into the healthiest of people.” Mr Rogers

Recently we saw a movie called “Won’t you be my neighbor”. It is about the life of Mister Steve Rogers and about his children show that played from 1968 till 2001 called Mister Rogers Neighborhood. It was a simple show that helped children to grow up with the knowledge that they are special and loved and also to encourage them to love others. But not just the children, cast members heard from Mister Rogers, some for the first time in their lives, that they are loved. Mister Rogers studied to become a minister but then felt called to the TV world. He felt that he could use that medium to really speak into the lives of the children that watch it on how unique and special they are made by father God. During his life he helped many through his true love, through hard times and tragedies. He didn’t just talk about easy topics; no he talked about everything kids could experience. But he talked about it in a way that they could go through it hopeful. His show was very simple, but he didn’t need much since he showed people how loved they are. He was a very special and unique person. He used his gifting to live the gospel and make the words love your neighbor real. Many lives are changed because of him following his calling.

Mr Rogers was not in a traditional setting what we think of when we think of ministry, but instead he used the gifting God gave him in a unique and new way and ministered through that to many. The quote at the beginning of the blog shows really well what happens when we love people well. That is true for each one of us. Each one of us can be a light in there environment like Mr Rogers was in his. Each one of us can love the people well that we are connected to. I believe that if we live our lives that way, the words from Jesus to love our neighbor become reality and it starts to change all the places we get in touch with. So lets start today lets tell someone that they are loved.

Make sure to watch the movie while its still in theaters! I promise you will leave inspired!! Here is a link to it and I also attached the trailer.

Hey our friend

We hope that you are doing really well and enjoy the summer. Our DTS Students graduated last week. It’s always sad to see them go, but then, in the same way, it’s exciting to see where God is leading them. Please pray for them in this transition season from DTS to whatever is next. We also had our encouragement group and a few other things going on which was a blessing. We both just love that God created such a wonderful community in our area through loving our neighbors. Its wonderful!

Remember this week through Mister Rogers that God can use your giftings in a new and unconventional way!

God bless you

Markus and Jen

 

 

You will only run towards good if you know good

You will only run towards good if you know goodWe just started into 2018 that’s why we start off with a video blog with the topic You will only run towards good if you know good! Be inspired!

 Hey our friend

We had a great start into the new year in San Francisco. Jen celebrated her birthday with a birthday party with neighbors, ywamers and church friends from the city. It was a blast and it was so great seeing everyone connecting. We also started to get ready for our teaching time in Jamaica. We are partnering with many churches there to teach people on budgeting. When we talked to our friend there and asked him how we could help to make a difference on the island he asked us to teach on finances, one thing I helped many different people with here in SF. We are leaving Tuesday the 9th and get back the 23rd. Our goal is to bring a team of financial people from our neighborhood in the future to teach and help. Please keep us in your prayers!

So remember this week to love a person towards Jesus!

Markus and Jen

Love your Neighbor one last one

Love your neighbor One last oneSo this is the last blog of the year and on our series Love your Neighbor. But that doesn’t mean its done. No now it starts for some of us and for some of us it keeps going. When Jesus gave the command to love our neighbor He did not put a time limit on it. No this is something we are called to for the rest of our lives. Just think if the disciples would have stopped loving their neighbor what would have happened. The world would probably look different today.

God wants to partner with each one of us in transforming this world. Yes he could do it himself, no problem, but in relationship you want to partner with the other person. So we have to do our part. And we often ask God the question what should I do when we already received the answer Love your neighbor! SO what about if we make this all our theme for the year 2018. The world will start to look different. Our communities start to look more hopeful and we start having a stronger bound which holds us together. The crime rates will go down because we watch out for our neighbor, but not just that by loving our neighbor we can help prevent crime by helping people make better choices.

SO instead of putting our trust in politics, money or whatever we look for to bring change, let’s love our neighbor and bring the love of Jesus and with that change. With that we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

 Hey our friend

Christmas is here and might be already gone by the time you read this blog. We probably already ate our wonderful Christmas dinner with neighbors and had a wonderful time. Our last week before Christmas was busy like usual, but we had time to spend time with friends from the community for a lunch or have a potluck with our church small group. What a blessing it is. Now we are starting to plan for the new year and all things ahead. Jen and I have a tradition to pray at the end of the year for words for the new year. We also look back at the ones we got for the last year and see how God moved through them and how they came to pass. We want to encourage you to pray for your new year and let God give you words for your new year.

Merry Christmas!

Markus and Jen

Love your Neighbor Time to look back

Love your neighbor Time to look backNow its almost been a year since God put it on our heart to write for a full year on the topic love your neighbor. We really hope you got encouraged, challenged and empowered through reading through the different ones.

Starting with your motives and why you want to love your neighbor to prayer and also dealing with things that might hold you back in loving your neighbor. We talked about the importance of your giftings and how you can help others. Encouragment and community also were a big thing especially in being interdependent with your neighbors. We talked about how small things can make a difference and different ways on how you can have people over through hospitality. One week reminded us of the most important thing, love! We also touched challenges with time and how to fix that. And then of course we talked about the importance of showing the love you have for Jesus  through the way you live your life.

This was just touching a few of the points we talked about. If you didn’t get a chance to read them all they are all saved under the category Love your neighbor. But more important than reading them is to let them become a part of your life. Let the things they talk about inspire you to bring hope and change to the place you live. Be one of the lights that Jesus talks about in Matthew 5.14-16 to your neighbors. Make that area shine and stick out so people can see the love of God in a new way. Its so simple that each one of us can do it. So if you haven’t started, today is a perfect day for it!! And one thing that really helps is if you surround yourself with a group of people that want to join you in their own areas so you can encourage each other! It really helps!

 Hey our friend

Wow Christmas is only 1 week away. That is crazy to believe but in some way its easy to believe since we had so many Christmas parties we attended. As more you are connected with your community as more you are a part of things that are going on. We also had a day of baking to bless neighbors with a card and a home baked specialty. It was something so simple, but it brought so much joy to so many. I also had my last mentoring meetup for this year. Its amazing to see how a young person can grow if you invest some of your time and love. Also through that he became part of our family! Maybe there is someone in your neighborhood that needs a mentor or an encourager. You should find them and do it!

Remember that loving your neighbor is easy, you just have to do it!

We wish you a early merry Christmas!

Markus and Jen

Love your Neighbor the answer

Love your neighbor The AnswerSometimes you can be in a huge crowd of people and still feel alone. This is the reality for many people in our cities and some in the countryside. But now with this Christmas season many experience it even stronger. The feeling of being isolated can make people question themselves if there is something wrong with them. As longer those lies are lingering in their lives as more it isolates them and as less likely they will connect on their own. So isolation becomes stronger and stronger. And as more isolated we are as more lies the enemy can throw at us and the more we believe it because no one tells us the truth.

But there is hope!! Jesus never left us without a solution to any problem. He has the answer to all of them. I believe the solution he would give us to that problem would be to look into the mirror. Each one of us can be the answer. All of us can reach out to a neighbor and be a friend. Just think about it this way: If every person in the world reaches out to their neighbor and becomes true friends with them, there is no more isolation. But not just that, if all Christ Lovers do that almost all people on this planet can see His love through one of us. He can use us to change this world and bring hope through true friendships and family.

We want to encourage you to join the movement. Start today to love your neighbor. If you need tips on how to start read all the old blogs from this year. They will help you with ideas.

Let this Christmas season be a season of family and community for everyone!

 Hey our friend

How is your Christmas season going? Hopefully you have a chance to spend some time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Our time here in SF is going well. We had meetings, a brunch and at the end of the week a Christmas celebration with our ywam bay area family. It was wonderful. But with all the activity we are trying to find those times of reflection. It can be hard to find the time, but it can be done. As we find them join us and find them too!! That way we all will be blessed!

So remember this week that you are the answer to loneliness and isolation in our world!

Have a blessed week and be a blessing!

Markus and Jen