About His Smiling Face Ministries
His Smiling Face Ministries is dedicated to resourcing individuals to live intrinsically-motivated by the joy found in a relationship with Jesus Christ and friendships with His people. Our vision is resourcing maturity & intrinsic-motivation in joy-filled disciple-makers who are ever-increasingly more confident in mirroring His smiling face. Over time, we will add more resources to aid you in this pursuit.
The name of His Smiling Face Ministries is inspired by the old hymn, "There's Within My Heart a Melody", which Miriam remembers singing to Jesus while swinging in the backyard on warm spring and summer evenings--hence the header image for this page, as well. It's always been one of her favorites because of how the words represent God as a relational Friend. The lyrics read:
"Feasting on the riches of His grace,
Resting 'neath His sheltering wing,
Always look on His smiling face,
That is why I shout and sing:
Jesus! Jesus! Jesus--
Sweetest name I know--
Fills my ev'ry longing,
Keeps me singing as I go."
Luther B. Bridgers, 1910, Public Domain
May Jesus be the sweetest name you know, fill every longing, and keep you singing as you go. Truly, every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!
About Miriam Rainwater
Miriam is a follower of Jesus who serves as a campus missionary and regional strategist for Northwest Collegiate Ministries in the Portland, Oregon Metro. When not with students, she is most alive hiking next to waterfalls, identifying wildflowers at Mt. Rainier National Park, spending sunny days on her kayak, or delighting in the creativity and humor of God in creating blue herons and marmots. She is known for her "Friends!!" greeting and her love of how God created the brain. Miriam first started asking "How do we disciple students toward intrinsic motivation?" in 2017. Since then, she has been exploring the intersection between brain science and faith (often called neurotheology) and theories of motivation. She has implemented what she is learning while discipling her college students. In 2024, she also turned this burning question into her why for pursing a Doctorate of Ministry from Wheaton College. She looks forward to continuing to share what she learns from ministry experience and academic research!
