Na Imagem de Deus

This Is The Year?

2012-01-01T19:57:00.001-06:00

Great blog post I found from Tullian Tchividjian, grandson of Billy & Ruth Graham. Well worth the read this New Years...

"Today is the very first day of a brand new year. And for many that means a fresh start.

This is the year. It all starts now. We resolve to turn over a new leaf–and this time we’re serious. This time we’re really going to try, we’re not going to quit. We promise ourselves that we’re going to quit bad habits and start good ones. We’re going to get in shape, eat better, lust less, waste less time, be more content, more disciplined, more intentional. We’re going to be better husbands, wives, fathers, mothers. We’re going to pray more, serve more, plan more, give more, read more, and memorize more Bible verses. We’re going to finally be all that we can be. No more messing around.

Well…I say try. Seriously, try. You might make some great strides this year. I’m hoping to. There are a lot of improvements I’m hoping to make over the next 12 months. But don’t be surprised a year from now when you realize that you’ve fallen short…again.

For those who try and try, year after year, again and again, to get better and better, with seemingly less and less success…I have good news for you: you’re in good company!

My friend Jean Larroux sent me this powerful illustration that he got from Jack Miller.

Miller recounts the valiant efforts of Samuel Johnson (a literary giant of the 18th century) to fight sloth and to get up early in the morning to pray. Taken from Johnson’s diary and prayer journal, Jack gives us a record–through the years–of Johnson’s life-long resolutions, failures, and frustrations:

1738: He wrote, “Oh Lord, enable me to redeem the time which I have spent in sloth.”
1757: (19 years later) “Oh mighty God, enable me to shake off sloth and redeem the time misspent in idleness and sin by diligent application of the days yet remaining.”
1759: (2 years later) “Enable me to shake off idleness and sloth.”
1761: “I have resolved until I have resolved that I am afraid to resolve again.”
1764: “My indolence since my last reception of the sacrament has sunk into grossest sluggishness. My purpose is from this time to avoid idleness and to rise early.”
1764: (5 months later) He resolves to rise early, “not later than 6 if I can.”
1765: “I purpose to rise at 8 because, though, I shall not rise early it will be much earlier than I now rise for I often lie until 2.”
1769: “I am not yet in a state to form any resolutions. I purpose and hope to rise early in the morning, by 8, and by degrees, at 6.”
1775: “When I look back upon resolution of improvement and amendments which have, year after year, been made and broken, why do I yet try to resolve again? I try because reformation is necessary and despair is criminal.” He resolves again to rise at 8.
1781: (3 years before his death) “I will not despair, help me, help me, oh my God.” He resolves to rise at 8 or sooner to avoid idleness.

I love the never-quit effort of Johnson. What he chronicles sounds so much like me over the years. Try and fail. Fail then try. Try and succeed. Succeed then fail. Two steps forward. One step back. One step forward. Three steps back.

What I’m most deeply grateful for (as was Johnson) is that God’s love for me, approval of me, and commitment to me is not dependent on my success and resolve, but on Christ’s success and resolve for me. The gospel is the good news announcing Christ’s infallible devotion to us in spite of our lack of devotion to him. The gospel is not a command to hang onto Jesus. Rather, it’s a promise that no matter how weak and unsuccessful your faith and efforts may be, God is always holding on to you.

It’s ironically comforting to me as this new year gets under way that I am weak and He is strong–that while my love for Jesus will continue to fall short, Jesus’ love for me will never fall short. For, as Mark Twain said, “Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, your dog would get in and you would stay out.”

Thank God!

Happy New Year!"

Oásis - The Beach

2011-11-26T20:14:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures from a recent trip I took to the beach. It's still technically spring here so the beaches are still pretty empty. But soon they will be full every weekend! Click on the picture below to see the entire album!

This is the Cost

2011-07-22T19:45:00.001-05:00

Today I read the following article. (Thanks Rachel!) It captures, very well, the heart of those of us doing full-time missions away from home. Lately I've watched this being played out in the life of a dear missionary friend here in Brazil. And I've been reminded, through her, that the cost of doing what we're doing is great. But...I've also been reminded that the value of what we receive for paying the cost is far greater than the cost. In fact, that's what keeps me going. The unfailing love of my God and His blessings far outweigh any cost...

by a Pioneer in Europe

“This is the cost,” she says to me with tears brimming. Sitting on my couch, with legs curled under her...coffee in hand, she says confidently, “...and this is part of the cost, isn't it?”

The cost-benefit ratio of following God's lead and moving overseas is complex and varied. Are there benefits? Absolutely! We can count abundant benefits to our family, our marriage, our kids and our spiritual lives. There are many, many benefits to living a life of service overseas.

But, are there costs? Of course. Yes, absolutely. There are painful, daily, humiliating and difficult costs on our lives.

I think, that said, there is a cost to any God-following obedience. ...taking up our cross, He calls it in Scripture. There is always a cost to following Christ.

The cross...although it brings innumerable benefits...is painful and heavy.

The costs of moving out of your home culture to serve alongside the Good Shepherd, though, are unique. And, these costs are heavy.

“This is the cost,” she says half smiling—half ready to cry.

My heart knows exactly what she is saying...I get it. And, I say, Yes! ...Yes, I say as my eyes now brim with tears, too.

...missing your sister's wedding.

...missing your niece’s birth.

...receiving an email (not a call) about your mother's health.

...having your young child ask you again, "Now, who is that person?... What is his name?" And, he is referring to your brother, his uncle.

...missing those in-between years when nephews grow from babies to boys...boys to men.

...missing that graduation, that 40th birthday party and the Thanksgiving dinner.

...being forgotten. Or instead, being so deeply missed that you are the source of someone's pain. Which is better?

...raising kids that are not “normal.” And, they know it.

...not having that youth group, that Grandma's mentoring, or that Christian soul friend for a young budding daughter.

...not having that booming, beautiful, vibrant worship service each week.

...having to choose which state-side family crisis is worth the price of an international flight...and having to go on your own, because tickets for the others are too expensive.

...not having a primary care doctor that knows you, has known your medical history or even your name.

...not helping with your dear friends wedding shower, or attending her dad's funeral.

... missing it. ...not being there. ...not having.

“This is the cost,” she says to me. And, I hear her heart. And, I can only agree. I nod. And, I smile with small tears brimming. “Yes, this is the cost.”

Is it worth it? ...What a crazy, silly question, we both know. Even with brimming tears we know—of course it is worth it! We hardly have to ask each other the question. We know what He has asked of us. And, we know His will is for His glory and our best. We know the benefits. We know our Good Father and His blessings. So, of course it is worth it!

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

The benefits most definitely outweigh the cost. Always. Where else are we to go?!

But, there is a cost. And, there is a cross.

And, we must carry it. And, yes, this is the cost.

Homesick

2011-07-08T13:57:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week I had my first bout of homesickness. But it's not homesickness like I've ever had before.

I remember when I was young and I got homesick at Brownie day camp...I just wanted to go home.

I remember going to my grandparents one weekend and when my parents left I sat on the couch and cried because I just wanted to go home. Not even my grandma's cookies could rid me of that sadness. That's the "homesick" I'm familiar with.

This homesick was different. I didn't have the "I just want to go home feeling"... I had the "I just want something to be familiar" feeling. I am "homesick" for the ability to communicate well. I am "homesick" for the ability to understand and be understood. I am "homesick" for the ability to know how to get places. I am "homesick" for the ability to know how things work. I am even "homesick" for the ability to know what products to buy to clean my house! (even though I don't have one yet...)

Everything is different here. Not just the language and the culture. How they cook is different. What they cook is different. How they wash dishes is different. How they live life is different.

The simple, everyday things that used to be so normal are not at all normal anymore. That is what I was "homesick" for. Everything that used to be familiar to me...

But in the midst of my "longing for the familiar," I was reminded by that still small voice that the only "familiar" thing I need in my life is Him. And He was still there. I was reminded that even though I live in South Brazil, this is not my home. My home is in heaven.....and THAT is what I should truly be "homesick" for.

June Newsletter

2011-06-30T16:15:00.002-05:00

My June Newsletter went out today. You can read it here.

Getting Started

2011-06-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

(First of all let me start by saying that I wish I could transport smells through this blog b/c there is some oatmeal cake baking here and it smells heavenly!! I can't wait for Cafe da Tarde (afternoon coffee)!)

I've gotten several emails from people asking how things are going and asking some questions so I thought it was time to do a blog update!

My first week of so here has been full of relaxing and getting used to the fact that this is my new home. That fact still has not fully sunk in yet....and I'm not sure it will for a while. I'm currently living with Lucas and Teresa Bair, missionaries from Iowa and my ministry partners, until my apartment is ready for me to move in to. I'm not sure how long I will be here with them but it's been a great place of transition for me and I'm so grateful for their sacrifice and desire to do whatever they can to make me feel so at home here. It feels a bit weird to say that as I've had such a great love for the people of this country for a long time now and couldn't wait to make this my home. But it's been a harder transition than I imagined it would be. It's a very different feeling and /or mindset moving here versus all the times I've come to visit. And, to be honest, it continues to bring moments of panic and doubt. BUT! I cling to the overwhelming peace I have that this is where God has called me to be. This morning as I was reading my Bible I was reminded of Psalm 138:8 which says, "The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands." I have seen the Lord at work in my life throughout this journey. And I have no doubt that this verse will hold true in my moments of panic and doubt.

This week we traveled to the Federal Police in the neighboring city of Porto Alegre. I had 30 days to register with them after my arrival in Brazil and I can say that I am now "official" in this country! And I have the documents to prove it! I now have to carry these documents with me at all times as I will be asked to see them whenever I purchase certain things. I'm still not totally sure how it all works but I'm sure I'll soon find out!

On Wednesday of next week we have a meeting with my Portuguese grammar teacher and when my classes are set up I'll let you know so you can start praying for those! I'm able to use some of my Portuguese now but it's so very difficult to follow conversations or to understand what people say to me. So I'm a bit anxious to begin official language learning.

Yesterday I craved a hot dog. A hot dog! Of all things. I'm convinced that I crave some things I didn't eat very much in the states simply b/c they are not readily available here. Like chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter. I didn't eat much of either of these in the states but now that I can't readily have them I want them. It's a good thing that hot dogs ARE readily available here and there is a hot dog restaurant just down the street!

Meals here are a bit different. Breakfast usually consists of coffee and breads, jellies, maybe ham and cheese. Lunch is the big meal here. Some kind of chicken or beef type dish, rice, beans, salad. Then around late afternoon (our normal dinner time) they have Cafe da Tarde (afternoon coffee) which is similar to breakfast but instead of bread you might have pastries or a cake of some sort. If they eat "dinner" it's later in the evening. For a bread lover like me it's a great set up! Not so much for my jeans...

I've gotten to go to the ladies bible study the last two Wednesday nights. I really enjoy that and getting to spend that time with the women. Tonight we are having a joint service at a nearby soccer field with a visiting speaker from Jamaica and tomorrow I will spend the afternoon and evening with a Brazilian friend. Church here is on Sunday night and this week I might play the bass. I still haven't decided if I want to jump right into that yet.

All in all it's been a great start! And every day I feel more at home here. I still miss home - especially now as my dad is having some health issues that will require some kind of procedure/surgery next week. I'd appreciate your prayers for that...

Thanks for all the emails and Skype dates and chats! I love feeling connected to what's going on at home through all of you! Those connections really do melt away the miles.

Beginnings...

2011-06-07T21:36:00.000-05:00

I want to write a quick note to let you know that I arrived safe and sound in Brazil this afternoon with all my luggage! And what a God thing that was!! I arrived in Atlanta early (which is what I prayed for!) but our plane sat on the runway waiting for an open gate for 30 minutes! By the time we were re-routed to another gate I had 20 minutes to catch my international flight. I must admit that I had tremendous doubt (which I've already confessed and asked forgiveness for). I ran to the train...and then I ran to my gate...thankful that it was only a few gates away from the train. And I made it! Still I doubted that my luggage would be able to follow....until we sat on that plane for an hour due to the fact that they were searching for a missing bag on our airplane. I arrived in Rio de Janeiro to find that ALL my luggage had arrived with me! That should not have happened!! Silently I built an altar in my heart thanking God for, once again, reminding me that it is HE who is in control on this journey.

I was fine emotionally the entire trip until we landed in Porto Alegre and the magnitude of what I was doing hit me like a ton of bricks. But it was good to be met by a very happy group of Brazilians and Americans. The whole process continues to be a bit overwhelming but it is so good to be here!

For the time being, I'll be staying with Lucas and Teresa Bair, my American missionary friends and partners for a couple reasons. 1) Because my apartment is not quite ready yet; and, 2) we both agree that it is a better way for me to transition than to be dropped off alone at my new apartment. I'm grateful for their sacrifice and hospitality and friendship!

Tonight we hit the ground running! After arriving we headed back to their house and showered, had some coffee and left for a birthday party. We are just now home. It's been a full day....and emotional day....but a good day. I continue to marvel at God's faithfulness and provision. And His desire to use someone like me in this place. As we landed in Porto Alegre my heart was burdened in a deeper way for this city and this country. I pray that through me He can show His love to these people and together we can see Revelation 7:9 become a reality.

Thank you for your prayers...please keep them coming!!

Quotes

2011-04-06T16:08:00.001-05:00

I recently came across this list of quotes in my organizing/purging/packing for Brazil. Thought I'd share them with you...

"Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God." - William Carey

"I have but one passion and it is He." - Count Ludwig von Zinzindorf

"If I had a thousand lives I would give them all to China." - Hudson Taylor

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him." - CT Studd

"I am willing to go anywhere, at any time, to do anything for Jesus. Oh God, where water once flowed, let it flow again." - Luther Wishard

"How many there are...who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting
that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God." - Lottie Moon

"There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things." - D. L. Moody

"You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving." - Amy Carmichael

"Lord, the task is impossible for me but not for thee. Lead the way and I'll follow." - Mary Slessor

Visa Application

2011-03-30T22:01:00.000-05:00

This week I went to Chicago to apply for my visa at the Brazilian Consulate. The application process went very smoothly and now I wait. The consulate will send my application to Brazil and I will get a call when my visa is ready to be picked up.

There was some confusion regarding my trip to Chicago. Some people thought I would be getting my visa while I was there. And others thought that if I didn't get this missionary visa that I wouldn't be able to go to Brazil. Neither is true. :-)

I went to Chicago to apply for my visa...much like you would turn in an application for a job or a credit card. Now it goes to the "powers that be" and I wait until they grant me a visa. It's true that I did apply for a missionary visa - and this is the type of visa I am praying to be granted. However, I've been told that if the Brazilian government doesn't think my documents meet the "missionary visa" guidelines, I will be issued a work visa. Both would allow me to go to Brazil but a missionary visa will eventually allow me to apply for a permanent visa. From what I understand a work visa will not.

And so I wait...and pray...and trust.

Getting Close!!

2011-03-10T22:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a graph to visually show how close I am to Brazil! 7% = $218/month. Who wants to help me get to 100%? Now is the time to join my team!

Friends

2011-01-28T17:31:00.001-06:00

Click picture to enter album

When I was in high school, I saw a group called The Continental Singers perform at a church and I was hooked! Their mix of music, choreography and camaraderie was addicting for me. Much like Buddy the Elf, singing was my favorite...and it quickly became a dream of mine to one day be a part of this singing group. Several years later I went through the audition process and was soon told that I had been accepted. I was so excited! If I could describe the level of excitement I felt it would be the equivalent of today hearing, "You're going to Hollywood!" :-) My first tour was the Summer of 1994. After heading to Denver for an intense week or two of rehearsals we boarded our bus and were off! We toured the Midwest, Southeastern US and Jamaica and I had the time of my life. I made many wonderful friends and I was hooked! When the Summer of 1995 rolled around I signed up for another tour. This time our rehearsal was in the Los Angeles area and my group toured the Western US, Alaska and Western Canada. Little did I know just how much this tour would impact the rest of my life. I met a ton of very talented and amazing people, some of which I'm still in touch with to this day. But no one relationship is more precious to me than the one I have with the girl who was from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan...who fast became my best friend.

I know the term "best friend" seems a bit high school but I don't know how else to best describe our friendship. As Anne of Green Gables would say, she is my kindred spirit. She is more like a sister to me than anything. Despite the fact that we've lived 1500 miles apart our entire friendship and we only see each other about once a year, she knows me almost better than I know myself. We've laughed so much together. We've cried together. I was there that fateful night when she first met her husband and I was in her wedding. We've encouraged each other and spurred each other on and just been plain silly together. We've baked bread together and she's shared with me her secret family bread recipe. (Thanks jokester Edna!) I have grown to love her husband and the friendship that we share. And she likes that I watch sports with him when I visit so she doesn't have to. :-) I've watched her kids grow up and been a small part of their lives across the miles. There is nothing I love more when I visit than simply "doing life" with her. Grocery shopping, picking the kids up from school, sitting on the couch together watching "Say Yes to the Dress" marathons and, of course, "American Idol" and occasionally having the privilege of singing on her church's worship team with her. Stuff we don't ever get to do physically together.

She now lives in Abbotsford, BC and recently I traveled there to spend 10 days with her and her family. Each of us knowing that this would be our last visit before I move to Brazil. And our next one would not be for 3-4 years. But that was not the focus of our visit. God blessed us with such a sweet time together and I'm so very thankful for this person who is so very excited for me to get to Brazil. No matter how painful it is for her/us. Definitely the hardest part of being a missionary are the good-byes...and this was one of the hardest for me. Her kids cried which made me cry. But it just makes me so thankful for the blessing of this family in my life. It hurt to leave them because we have so much love for each other. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

So, enjoy these pictures of my trip to Canada. And let me introduce you to Angie - my best friend, kindred spirit, sister. Thanks Love, for the past 16 years! I look forward to the next...

always,
ames

Christmas 2010 in Pictures

2010-12-28T14:59:00.002-06:00

Click on picture to view album

Tis the Season...

2010-12-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

During December, several people from my church are writing posts entitled, "Tis the Season..." I thought I'd share my contribution......

Tis the season...to give.

Christmas seems to brings about the "giver" in people more than any other time of year. It's when we open our eyes to the need of those around us whether it's through our local schools, the Angel Tree at our church, Operation Christmas Child, or a local homeless or battered women's shelter. And this year, more than ever, it's made me think,"Why do I only notice these needs once a year?" I certainly know people have needs all throughout the year. This year I have been challenged to live like I'm poor but give like I'm rich. What about you? How is your "giving" all throughout the year? I pray we all remember, "You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving then getting." (Acts 20:35 MSG) Let's see if we can "out happy" each other this Christmas! And make this spirit of giving, that comes so easy at Christmas, a part of our lives all throughout the year.

On the Lighter Side

2010-12-03T13:58:00.001-06:00

I read this today while getting my oil changed. Made me chuckle....

If you wait to long to marry your dreamboat, you may find, by the time you have made up your mind, your cargo has shifted.

A rubber band pistol was confiscated in algebra class because it was seen as a weapon of math disruption.

Climate: What you do with a ladder.

One cow to another talking under the shade of a tree: "I hear the budget will not be balanced until we come home."

Do those poker-playing dogs own paintings of humans playing Fetch?

Mushrooms always grow in damp places, and so they look like umbrellas.

Did you hear about the new baby camel that didn't have a hump? His parents named him Humphrey.

A policeman spots a women driving and knitting at the same time. Pulling up beside her, he shouts out the window: "Pull over!" "No," she shouts back, "it's a scarf!"

Campaign

2010-12-01T12:35:00.000-06:00

It's no surprise that I'm raising support to be a full-time missionary in Brazil. What may be a surprise is how close I am! (You can keep updated on my progress by checking my progress on the right.)

In my November "news from Amy" that I just sent out I shared my new "Be One of My 20" campaign. (see picture above) And shared how I was only 20 people away from the field and that I was asking God to raise up 20 people who would commit to support me at $75/month. That's all I needed. Well, I'm happy to report today that now I only need 17.5 people! God is on the move!

I want you to know that, although I'm the one actually going to live and work in Brazil, it takes more than just "the missionary” to touch a country with the saving Gospel of Christ...it takes a team. It takes you. Don't let Satan deceive you. He wants you to think that you can't make a difference. But you can! Would you consider joining my team?

You can read more about my vision on the "About Me" tab. Or for support info, contact me or go to the "Support" tab above. Together we CAN reach the nation of Brazil with the Truth that Jesus is the Way!

Thankful

2010-11-24T11:24:00.002-06:00

I'm thankful for a Father who forgives and gently nudges me to follow His example.
I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who challenges me to dig deeper and truly discover what it means to live as an authentic follower of Jesus.
I'm thankful for a redeeming Savior who reminds me that of all the earth and sky above I'm the one He madly loves.

I'm thankful for my family and the fact that we truly like each other.
I'm thankful that my brother and his family have allowed me to live in their basement so I can save money as I prepare for Brazil.

I'm thankful for old, seasoned friends who know me so well and have the freedom to speak Truth into my life.
I'm thankful for new friends and the fun of discovering things about them.
I'm thankful for my precious Brazilian friends who are so eagerly awaiting the day when I finally arrive to minister alongside them.
I'm thankful for my supporters who, because of their sacrifice, will have an eternal influence in South Brazil.

I'm thankful for games, coffee, Macaroni & Cheese, my mom's chili and homemade stuffing, my slippers, and my favorite Nike hoodie.

October 2010 Newsletter

2010-11-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

My October 2010 Newsletter is out! You'll be able to read about:

"Together Again"
"805 River Cabin"
""Be One Of My 20" Campaign"

If you're not receiving it and would to receive monthly updates from me just sign up on the right!

805 River Cabin

2010-10-21T23:17:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I spent the weekend camping with three friends. We were at this cabin down in a valley...alongside a river...in the middle of nowhere near Coon Rapids, Iowa. The cabin had no electricity or heat or indoor plumbing. But, oh my word....it was absolutely beautiful there!! And absolutely dark when the sun went down! Each night we had a perfectly framed view of the Big Dipper...centered in the clearing of trees just above the horizon...and on Saturday night we saw two shooting stars! We had a great time sitting around the campfire and exploring the woods around the cabin on our 5-mile hike on Saturday. On our hike we saw horses, frogs, caterpillars, a snake and what we thought was a hawk...turned out to be dead part of a tree. It was a great weekend to relax with good friends and make some amazing memories! Click below for some pics....

805 River Cabin

Listening

2010-07-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

Today I read a story of a woman on a mission trip in the slums of Kenya. She shared the love of Jesus with a group of people living on the streets and noticed one of the young ladies was moved to tears. As she drew close to her she also saw she had no shoes. This woman proceeded to remove her shoes and place them on the feet of this tear-stained lady while she prayed a blessing over her and the others there. This woman then proceeded to walk the 3 miles back to the mission center through sewage, rocks and trash heaps. The story was later relayed by those who witnessed it to another lady who, when she heard it, exclaimed under her breath, "She Listened".

As I read this I was struck by how few times I truly listen in a way that leads me to obedient action. Maybe because I don't expect to hear or because I'm preoccupied or just plain selfish. Whatever the reason, I fail to listen for the command. The command that follows the sympathy and broken heart. The command that takes me from my comfort and presses me into action. Oh, to live in such a way that every movement of my heart is followed by a quiet spirit that listens for how or if I should respond. Then regardless of what I hear, I obey. To live in such a way that at the end of my life it is simply said, "She listened." Such a challenge for me today.

7 Languages

2010-06-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a hilarious video we watched in one of our cross-cultural sessions today. We were discussing cross-cultural stereotyping...

New Design

2010-06-15T13:47:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a new design and look for my blog. I welcome any comments or suggestions! What would YOU like to see here?

Take Goliath Down

2010-06-02T19:47:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law sent me this a while ago but I never took time to put it here. I guess when you have time to kill at airports you get things like this done! It's by Max Lucado

Goliaths still roam our world. Debt. Disaster. Dialysis. Danger. Deceit. Disease. Depression. Super-size challenges still swagger and strut, still pilfer sleep and embezzle peace and liposuction joy. But they can't dominate you. You know how to deal with them. You face giants by facing God first.

Focus on giants—you stumble.

Focus on God—your giants tumble.

You know what David knew, and you do what David did. You pick up five stones, and you make five decisions. Ever wonder why David took five stones into battle? Why not two or twenty? Rereading his story reveals five answers. Use your five fingers to remind you of the five stones you need to face down your Goliath. Let your thumb remind you of …

1. THE STONE OF THE PAST
Goliath jogged David's memory. Elah was a déjà vu. While everyone else quivered, David remembered. God had given him strength to wrestle a lion and strong-arm a bear. Wouldn't he do the same with the giant? A good memory makes heroes.

"Remember His marvelous works which He has done" (1 Chron. 16:12). Catalog God's successes. Keep a list of his world records. Has he not walked you through high waters? Proven to be faithful? Have you not known his provision? How many nights have you gone to bed hungry? Mornings awakened in the cold? He has made roadkill out of your enemies. Write today's worries in sand. Chisel yesterday's victories in stone. Pick up the stone of the past. Then select...

2. THE STONE OF PRAYER
Note the valley between your thumb and finger. To pass from one to the next you must go through it. Let it remind you of David's descent. Before going high, David went low; before ascending to fight, David descended to prepare. Don't face your giant without first doing the same. Dedicate time to prayer. Paul, the apostle, wrote, "Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long" (Eph. 6:18 MSG).

Prayer spawned David's successes. His Brook Besor wisdom grew out of the moment he "strengthened himself in the Lord his God" (1 Sam. 30:6). When Saul's soldiers tried to capture him, David turned toward God: "You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble" (Ps. 59:16).

Invite God's help. Pick up the stone of prayer. And don't neglect...

3. THE STONE OF PRIORITY
Let your tallest finger remind you of your highest priority: God's reputation. David jealously guarded it. No one was going to defame his Lord. David fought so that "all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's" (1 Sam. 17:46-47).

David saw Goliath as a chance for God to show off! Did David know he would exit the battle alive? No. But he was willing to give his life for the reputation of God.

What if you saw your giant in the same manner? Rather than begrudge him, welcome him. Your cancer is God's chance to flex his healing muscles. Your sin is God's opportunity to showcase grace. Your struggling marriage can billboard God's power. See your struggle as God's canvas. On it he will paint his multicolored supremacy. Announce God's name and then reach for...

4. THE STONE OF PASSION
David ran, not away from, but toward his giant. On one side of the battlefield, Saul and his cowardly army gulped. On the other, Goliath and his skull-splitters scoffed. In the middle, the shepherd boy ran on his spindly legs. Who bet on David? Who put money on the kid from Bethlehem? Not the Philistines. Not the Hebrews. Not David's siblings or David's king. But God did.

And since God did, and since David knew God did, the skinny runt became a blur of pumping knees and a swirling sling. He ran toward his giant.

Do the same!

Let your ring finger remind you to take up the stone of passion.

One more stone, and finger, remains:

5. THE STONE OF PERSISTENCE
David didn't think one rock would do. He knew Goliath had four behemoth relatives. For all David knew, they'd come running over the hill to defend their kin. David was ready to empty the chamber if that's what it took.

Imitate him. Never give up. One prayer might not be enough. One apology might not do it. One day or month of resolve might not suffice. You may get knocked down a time or two … but don't quit. Keep loading the rocks. Keep swinging the sling.

David took five stones. He made five decisions. Do likewise. Past. Prayer. Priority. Passion. And persistence.

Next time Goliath wakes you up, reach for a stone. Odds are, he'll be out of the room before you can load your sling.

The Desert Road

2010-04-13T19:47:00.002-05:00

While on this journey to Brazil…and believe me it IS a journey…there’s a big part of me that keeps saying, “How come I only get to spend such a fraction of my day on getting to Brazil? How come I feel like I’m bursting to go but I keep running up against roadblocks one way or the other? How come I can't be in Brazil at this very moment?”

In the midst of those questions, in the midst of being wildly impatient and selfish and arrogant and a million other words that mean “whack,” I feel like God reminded me of a simple question...

“Why do you keep refusing the gift of the desert road?”

That’s kind of a weird question, but it comes out of Exodus 13: 17-18. As the Israelites are leaving Egypt, the Bible says:

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle."

I love the simplicity of that. God knew that if the Israelites took the short way, if they took what probably seemed like the logical route, they’d face a war they weren’t ready for and would probably willingly return to slavery. So out of love, out a deep, big love for His people, he took them on the desert road.

As an Israelite, having spent decades doing hardcore physical labor and leading the kind of manual labor lifestyle that puts the P90X exercise program to shame, you’d have to be thinking, “What? I’m armed for battle! The desert road? Seriously? Look at this sword, I’ve got skillz! Let’s take the short way and give the Philistines two tickets to the gun show.”

OK, maybe they wouldn’t have thought that last sentence, but I promise that they probably felt a little confused at why they were on the desert road. And maybe at some point in your own life you’ve felt that way too. Maybe you’ve felt ready for something and for some reason instead found yourself taking the long way around.

I don’t know what your “thing” is.

Maybe you want to fall in love and get married.

Maybe you’re at a job that doesn’t use your God-given talents and you feel desperate to get out.

Maybe you want to start a ministry.

Maybe you don’t know what your thing is, but you know it’s not what you’re doing right now.

Maybe you want to have kids.

Maybe you want to head out to the mission field overseas.

Your thing, your dream or goal or vision could be a million different things, and when it doesn’t happen, when it takes longer than we want, it’s so easy to get frustrated. To get disappointed. To think that the time delay is because maybe you’re not doing something right. Maybe God is mad at you. Maybe if you were a better Christian things would be happening faster and you wouldn’t be on a desert road.

But what if that’s not right?

What if God loves you too much to send you to war? What if He loves you too much to throw you into situations you’re not ready for?

What if that desert road is a gift?

- Adapted from www.stuffchristianslike.net

Who Told You?

2010-04-12T15:30:00.006-05:00

Jonathan Acuff of "Stuff Christians Like" fame, talks of Genesis 3:11 being one of the saddest and most profoundly beautiful verses in the entire bible. Adam and Eve have fallen, the apple is a core, the snake has spoken, the dream appears crushed and into that moment God steps. And He asks them, "What are you doing? Why are you hiding? And them tell Him, "We hiding because we're naked." And into that moment He leans down and He asks, "Who told you that you were naked?" There's hurt in God's voice as He asks that question…there's also a deep sadness. The sense of a father holding a daughter that has for the first time ever wrapped herself in shame. And in this moment, in this day God still asks us that question. And do you know why? Because we still tell ourselves that we're naked. And we still have other people tell us that. So God steps in and He says, "Who told you that you were naked? Who told you that you were not enough? Who told you that I didn't love you? Who told that there was something outside of Me that you needed? Who told you that you were ugly? Who told you that your dream was foolish? Who told you that you would never have a child? Who told you that you would never be a good father or a good mother? Who told you that 'divorced' would always be your first name for the rest of your life? Who told you that without a job you weren't worth anything? Who told you that you'll never know love again? Who told you that this was all there is? Who told you that you were naked?"

I don't know when you discovered shame. I don't know when you discovered that there are people who might think you are silly or dumb or not a good writer or a husband or a wife or a friend. I don't know what lies you've been told by other people. Or maybe even by yourself. But in response to what you're hearing from other people God is still asking the same question. "Who told you that you were naked?" And He's asking us that question because we are not! In Christ we are not worthless. In Christ we are not hopeless. In Christ we are not dumb or ugly or forgotten. In Christ we are not naked. In Isaiah 61:10 it says, "For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness." The world may try to tell you a thousand different things today. You might go through your day hearing a million declarations of what you are or who you'll always be. But know this…. You are not naked!

Which Are You?

2010-04-09T12:49:00.002-05:00

Matthew 16: 24 & 27 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me…….For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

The streets of Cairo were hot and dusty as we drove into a graveyard for American missionaries. The person we were with pointed to a sun scorched tombstone that read: William Borden 1887-1913.

Borden, a Yale graduate and heir to great wealth, rejected a life of ease in order to bring the gospel to Muslims. Refusing even to buy himself a car, Borden gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars to missions. After only four months of zealous ministry in Egypt, he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five. I dusted off the epitaph on Borden’s grave. After describing his love and sacrifices for the kingdom of God and for Muslim people, the inscription ended with a phrase I’ve never forgotten: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.”

From Borden’s grave we went straight to the Egyptian National Museum. The King Tut exhibit was mind boggling. Tutankhamen, the boy king, was only seventeen when he died. He was buried with solid gold chariots and thousands of golden artifacts, his gold coffin was found within gold tombs. The burial site was filled with tons of gold.

The Egyptians believed in an afterlife— where one could take earthly treasures. But all the treasure intended for King Tut’s eternal enjoyment stayed right where they were.

I was struck by the contrast between these two graves. Borden’s was obscure, dusty, and hidden off the back alley, streets littered with garbage. Tut’s tomb glittered with unimaginable wealth. Yet where are these two young men now? One who lived in great wealth and was king himself is in the misery of a Christ-less eternity. The other, who lived a modest life on earth in service of the one true King, is enjoying his everlasting reward in the presence of His Lord.

By Randy Alcorn

Inheritance

2010-04-07T20:44:00.002-05:00

Haiti - "A Call to Fasting & Prayer"

2010-03-02T20:53:00.002-06:00

Haiti has a special place in my heart b/c that is where I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 12 years old. I was heartbroken when I heard of the recent earthquake but I prayed as I had many times before that one day Haiti would be known, not for their voodoo, but for their love for Jesus. I cried when I saw this video...please keep praying for Haiti.

Haiti - "A Call To Fasting & Prayer" from anthony gehin on Vimeo.

God Is...

2010-02-28T16:34:00.006-06:00

Times Square Church, an interdenominational church located on 51st & Broadway in Manhattan, New York City, has launched an ad campaign in subway cars and subway station platforms throughout the city to proclaim that God is. How cool is that?!

The ads describe God in just a few of the infinite ways He will prove His presence to you every day.

God is...

* With you
* Willing to help
* Able to protect
* A father
* A husband to the widow
* Your friend
* For you
* Aware of your struggle
* Powerful
* Merciful
* Good
* Provider
* A good listener
* The one with your answer
* The one who loved you
* And always will be
* There when no one else is
* Power to change
* Incredible
* Alive
* Ready to forgive
* Looking at you
* Here, now
* Jesus

Do you believe it?

New Heart

2010-02-22T11:50:00.002-06:00

We started a new series at my church yesterday. It's called "New Heart" and it's a study of The Sermon on the Matthew from Matthew 5-7. Westwind studied through Matthew last year but we skipped over The Sermon on the Mount in order to do this more in-depth study now. And let me tell you…it was worth the wait! The "New Heart" theme comes from Ezekiel 36:26 where God says, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

Here's a brief overview from my notes on Matthew 5 yesterday. I am continuing to chew on what was taught yesterday and God is using it to transform some areas of my life. And we just got through first 6 verses! I can't wait for the rest! If you want in on this transforming study come on over to Westwind!! Sunday's at 10:00am. Or you can listen to the podcast here. You won't regret it...

Verse 1-2: There were two kinds of people present. 1) The crowd (who followed Jesus), and; 2) The disciples (to whom He was speaking/teaching). It says, "His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying…" The disciples were already committed followers - and they were to whom Jesus was teaching. The crowd was "listening in". So which am I? Which are you?

Then we camped on the word "Blessed" for a bit...and what exactly that means. It does not mean happy. Or even "blessed" as we tend to think of the word. You can listen to the podcast for more of the explanation but basically what it means is to be completed. But a completeness that grows. What? Podcast...

Vs 3- Poor in spirit: No poor physically...but spiritually bankrupt. It's the acknowledgment that without the heart of God beating in me I am nothing...and I have nothing to offer.

Vs 4 - Those who mourn: Understanding the heinousness, the weight, the horror of my sin and being broken over it. Not simply sadness…or even anger over my sin...but brokeness before God. Like David in Psalm 51 when he said, "Create in me a pure (new) heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." Have I gotten used to living in "the dark"? Does my sin horrify me?

Vs 5 - The meek: Have you ever heard the saying, "The meek horse wins the derby?" The meek horse is the one with the most spirit and passion. But that spirit and passion is under the control of the jockey. The idea is not being timid. It's power under control. My passion, my spirit, my gifts...under the control of the Master. Who's control do I live under? Mine? Or my Savior?

Vs 6 - Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: This is the first Beatitude with action. What do I hunger and thirst for? The more I thought about this I thought about all that the world advertizes to satisfy our hunger and thirst. "Snickers really satisfies", "White Castle - what you crave", McDonalds - "What you want is what you get", Wendys - "Do what tastes right"…and that's just food slogans! The one thing they never advertize to satisfy my hunger and thirst is God and His righteousness. Does my life advertize to the world that God truly satisfies?

Geoff taught us a prayer that the church in the early centuries used to pray as part of their liturgy. (He actually taught it to the worship team a couple weeks ago). Now I'm not big on liturgical stuff….but God has really used this little prayer in my life the last couple weeks. My whole focus changes when I stop and pray, "Lord Jesus Christ...Son of God...have mercy on me...a sinner."

Why do I need a "New Heart"? Because this morning in my quiet time I read the context of Ezekiel 36:26. And in verses 22-23 God says, "...'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes."

'Nuff said...

Ah-Choo!

2010-02-12T14:43:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year…..colds and sneezing. Do you ever feel like Calvin?

Brazil Video Recap

2010-02-11T13:57:00.001-06:00

Here's a video recap of my recent trip to Brazil. Created by CrossWay Church…my traveling companions. The song used is "You Are Good" and was written by Kari Jobe (Gateway Worship).

Baseball in Brazil?

2010-01-07T11:41:00.000-06:00

On January 18th, I will be traveling to Brazil for two weeks with one of my supporting churches. We will be going to the very city where I will eventually live and minister and I couldn't be more excited!! Last night I became aware of a need they have in their baseball outreach. I wanted to make you aware of it and give you the opportunity to help out.

First a little background……

A couple years ago I had the privilege of helping to introduce baseball to South Brazil while on a mission trip. Our team took baseball equipment and since then we've seen them establish the first baseball league in South Brazil. This league is more than just fun and teaching Brazilians how to play baseball. It's a platform for sharing Christ and scoping out new areas for church plants. Baseball is very new to South Brazil but already the ministry is expanding! I found out last night that the group has grown so much that they are pretty max'd out on baseball gloves at some practices/games. That's where you come in! If you have a glove (new or used) that you would like to give to this ministry please let me know ASAP! Our team is gathering as many gloves as we can to take with us on January 18th. Please let me know by phone, email, or a comment here as soon as possible as we leave in 11 days!!

Thanks!

amymiller12@gmail.com
515-371-0215

A New Resolution

2010-01-01T01:11:00.000-06:00

Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Psalm 39:4

According to the USA.gov (“Government Made Easy”) website, the dozen most popular New Year’s Resolutions are: lose weight, manage debt, save more, change jobs, get in shape, go back to school, drink less, stop smoking, reduce stress in general, reduce stress at work, travel, and volunteer. Any of those look familiar? Since they’re the “most popular,” they probably do.

Here’s a different approach for 2010: Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with yourself or your circumstances, resolve this year to focus on God. Instead of making resolutions, resolve to do one main thing: Make your life the subject of gentle conversation between you and God on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean in the sense of, “God, I want...I need...I wish.” Rather, “God, I want to reflect Your glory in my life more in 2010 than in 2009. I want to live today in light of the end of my life. Speak to me and empower me to be conformed, gently but surely, more into the image of Christ this year.”

That’s a prayer God will answer by replacing the weakness of our resolve with the strength of His; a resolution that will not fail.

If our lives and ministry are to count for anything today we must solemnly resolve to make time for God.

Vance Havner

Sobering New Years News

2009-12-31T11:24:00.001-06:00

Found this on Mike Potter's blog...

Susan Jacoby, the author of The Age of American Unreason and a writer for the Washington Post, is celebrating the top developments in American secularism in 2009. They are as follows:

#1: In April, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reported that those with no religious affiliation—the unchurched–were the fastest-growing group in the American religious landscape. More than 16 percent said they belonged to no church and identified with no religious group. Jacoby responded to this development by saying, "I consider this an extremely positive development, because those who identify with no religion—whatever their beliefs or non-beliefs about the existence of a supreme being—are least likely to support religious intrusion on government and are least vulnerable to appeals from right-wing religion.”

#2: In his inaugural address, President Obama mentioned nonbelievers as a group of Americans worthy of respect. This is the first time a president, in a major address, has gone beyond the usual litany of respect for Americans of various religious faith and included Americans who reject religion.

#3: One of the first actions of the Obama administration was to overturn the Bush administration’s policies banning research on new embryonic stem cell lines.

#4: Predictions that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 would bring about a “return to religion” proved unfounded. Church attendance spiked briefly in the first month after 9/11, after which the drop-off in churchgoing, and the rise of the unaffiliated, has continued until today.

If you’re a Christian, then these developments ought to concern you. But more than that, these developments ought to motivate you to live out your faith in 2010 with renewed vigor. There is great spiritual need right where you live. May God grant you the faith and strength to live missionally in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Snow-toons

2009-12-17T09:41:00.006-06:00

I think these are fitting based on the fact that we are just now coming out from under 15 inches of snow and temps hovering at, or below, zero! Thanks, Kevin Graham, for giving me this laugh! Welcome to winter!!

The Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-23T16:42:00.003-06:00

This was drafted on October 20, 2009 in New York and released on November 20, 2009. Have you seen it? Have you signed it? Have you informed others about it?

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-20T07:56:00.003-06:00

Since my family is having our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow I can officially say "Happy Thanksgiving"!!

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

How He Loves - Jesus Culture

2009-11-07T12:52:00.001-06:00

I love Crowder but I really love this version of "How He Loves"...

How He Loves

2009-11-05T10:08:00.001-06:00

Awesome song.........

Awesome video...........

Watch it!

What do you treasure?

2009-10-31T13:43:00.000-05:00

Sonda-me, Senhor (Search me, Lord)

2009-10-07T19:56:00.002-05:00

I thought I would share with you my favorite Brazilian worship song. The translation is below. It's called "Sonda-Me" by Aline Barros.

Search me, Lord
And know me
Break my heart
Transform me, conform me to Your word
And fill me until in me
You are all they see
Then use me, Lord
Use me

Like a lighthouse light in the dark,
Like a bridge over the waters,
Like a shelter in the desert,
Like an arrow that hits the target
I want to be used in any way that pleases you at any time at any place,
Here is my life,
Use me Lord,
Use me

Search me
Break me
Transform me
Fill me
And use me

Remembering

2009-09-11T10:29:00.001-05:00

Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Today marks the 8th anniversary of the September 11th tragedy. We all remember where we were that day and the feelings we felt as we saw the horrible events transpire. I recall the outpouring of love, faith, and prayers that occurred throughout the country in the days and weeks afterward. It seemed that in our darkest moment as a country, we stood together as never before and jointly lifted our prayers, asking God for His divine comfort and help.

Unfortunately, human nature sets in over time and most of us, at least those not directly affected by the events on 9/11, get back to our normal lives. We pray a little less, we rely on ourselves more and more, and we neglect to love others well with each passing day. I encourage you to spend a few minutes thinking about how this is true in your life, and identify what actions you should take to change the trend.

There are thousands of people, however, who have not gotten back to “normal” life pre-9/11. Nor will they ever. These people lost a mom, a dad, their spouse, a friend, a son or daughter, an employee, a beloved church member.

Today, as the Body of Christ, let’s call to God on behalf of those who endured loss and must bear the pain of 9/11. Let’s pray as Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19

Grace International School

2009-09-01T08:58:00.000-05:00

I received this letter from some friends who are serving in Chiang Mai, Thailand at this school. They are asking us to get the word out and to join them in prayer for Grace International School. Thanks!

Grace International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand offers affordable, high quality education to the children of Christian workers in Southeast Asia. Grace has served more than 1,500 students from more than 20 countries in its ten years of existence. The ministry of Grace enables hundreds of missionaries to minister in SE Asia. . But now, the future of the school is at a crossroads and we need your help.

A recent lawsuit brought against Grace International School has jeopardized the future use of the current school facilities. This suit was filed by a neighborhood association legally recognized by the government, charging that GIS had purchased the current property and facilities illegally. When Grace purchased the property, all papers were properly filed in government offices and the title deeds were legally transferred to the school. All proper due diligence was taken to ensure the legality of the purchase. But, under a recent consumer protection law, the association claimed the property should be given to them.

In August, 2009, the court ruled against Grace International School, requiring the school to:

1. Abandon the facility and turn the land deeds over to the association,
2. Return the facilities to their original condition, and;
3. Pay a fine in excess of $140,000.

Grace will appeal this decision and is working to pursue a just resolution in this case. Should the appeals courts not rule in our favor, GIS will be forced to vacate the facilities in the next year. It is therefore vitally urgent that the school get a new facility. Grace prayerfully asks that you consider how you might contribute financially, and also help to spread the word to others who might support the ministry of the school. GIS must raise on the order of 10 million dollars to purchase property and build a new campus.

Please pray for Grace International School as they are in the appeals process. Pray for a just resolution and for God to raise up many people to partner with Grace to raise the funds for new property. May God’s will for this very strategic school prevail.

If you sense God prompting you to help Grace International School, you may visit their Education Foundation website where you can find ways to help them raise money and/or to personally donate funds.

Grace International Education Foundation
www.gracefndn.com
6009W. Parker Rd., Suite 149 PMB 153
Plano, TX 75093-8121 USA

Memorizing

2009-08-14T11:26:00.003-05:00

So I think I bit off more than I could chew in my desire to memorize an entire book of the Bible. At least right now. I still want to work on memorizing Ephesians...but maybe a chapter a month was a bit lofty for me. And that's ok. I still want to memorize because Martin Luther said, "He who loses sight of the Word of God, falls into despair." Recently I have committed Psalm 138:8 and Psalm 57:2 to memory. They have become, as my friend says, my "anchor" verses. And today I am memorizing Proverbs 4:23, " Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." NLT

What have you memorized lately?

What Is Your Life Worth To You?

2009-08-10T09:25:00.003-05:00

“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." - Acts 20:24

If TV cameras had existed in the first century AD, they would have swarmed all over the mob scene described in Acts 19. An angry crowd had gathered in Ephesus to clamor for the head of Paul. For he had “persuaded many people that handmade gods [weren’t] really gods at all” (v.26).

The metal workers of Ephesus made a good living by selling images of Artemis, who was also known as Diana. And the whole city took Paul’s “irreverent” theology rather personally. But the bold apostle didn’t see the crazed crowd as menacing; he saw it as a mission field. In verses 30 and 31 we read that Paul actually tried to appear before the people. He was stopped by friends who cared for him.

Why would Paul want to speak to that senseless horde? Look ahead to Acts 20. Once again, we see Paul plunging into a dangerous situation (vv.22-23). He said, “Jail and suffering lie ahead.” But he added triumphantly, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” (v.24).

Paul’s disregard for his own life was tied securely to his knowledge that he would continue running his race until it was over. Whether he crossed the finish line that day in Ephesus, or finished the race in Jerusalem, it mattered little to him. The mob was an audience to whom he could give the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ.

Paul wasn’t afraid of the rule of the mob, because Jesus reigned in his heart. Are you willing to give the gospel of the grace of God to even one individual today?

Simplified Missional Living

2009-08-06T16:09:00.001-05:00

Jonathan Dodson from "The Resurgence" has offered some helpful words on what he calls "Simplified Missional Living." Maybe living with purpose is just as simple as doing things on purpose. See what you think...

Eat with Non-Christians
We all eat three meals a day. Why not make a habit of sharing one of those meals with a non-Christian or with a family of non-Christians? Go to lunch with a co-worker, not by yourself. Invite the neighbors over for family dinner. If it’s too much work to cook a big dinner, just order pizza and put the focus on conversation. When you go out for a meal, invite a non-Christian friend. Or take your family to family-style restaurants where you can sit at the table with strangers and strike up conversations. Have cookouts and invite Christians and non-Christians. Flee the Christian subculture.

Walk, Don’t Drive
If you live in a walkable area, make a practice of getting out and walking around your neighborhood, apartment complex, or campus. Instead of driving to the mailbox or convenience store, walk to get mail or groceries. Be deliberate in your walk. Say hello to people you don’t know. Strike up conversations. Attract attention by walking the dog, carrying along a 6-pack to share, bringing the kids. Make friends. Get out of your house! Last night I spent an hour outside gardening with my family. We had good conversations with about four of our neighbors. Take interest in your neighbors. Ask questions. Engage. Pray as you go. Save some gas, the planet, and some people.

Be a Regular
Instead of hopping all over the city for gas, groceries, haircuts, eating out, and coffee, go to the same places at the same times. Get to know the staff. Smile. Ask questions. Be a regular. I have friends at coffee shops all over the city. My friends at Starbucks donate a ton of leftover pastries to our church 2-3 times a week. We use them for church gatherings and occasionally give them to the homeless. Build relationships. Be a regular.

Hobby with Non-Christians
Pick a hobby that you can share. Get out and do something you enjoy with others. Try city league sports or local rowing and cycling teams. Share your hobby by teaching lessons, such as sewing, piano, knitting, or tennis lessons. Be prayerful. Be intentional. Be winsome. Have fun. Be yourself.

Talk to Your Co-workers
How hard is that? Take your breaks with intentionality. Go out with your team or task force after work. Show interest in your co-workers. Pick four and pray for them. Form moms’ groups in your neighborhood and don’t make them exclusively non-Christian. Schedule play dates with the neighbors’ kids. Work on mission.

Volunteer with Non-Profits
Find a non-profit in your part of the city and take a Saturday a month to serve your city. Bring your neighbors, your friends, or your small group. Spend time with your church serving your city. Once a month. You can do it!

Participate in City Events
Instead of playing XBox, watching TV, or surfing the net, participate in city events. Go to fundraisers, festivals, cleanups, summer shows, and concerts. Participate missionally. Strike up conversation. Study the culture. Reflect on what you see and hear. Pray for the city. Love the city. Participate with the city.

Serve Your Neighbors
Help a neighbor by weeding, mowing, building a cabinet, or fixing a car. Stop by the neighborhood association or apartment office and ask if there is anything you can do to help improve things. Ask your local Police and Fire Stations if there is anything you can do to help them. Get creative. Just serve!

How's Your Heart?

2009-07-28T18:18:00.002-05:00

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

My dad recently had a heart attack and had to have open heart surgery. So I've been thinking a lot about the heart and learning a lot about how it works and how Dad's heart was blocked and what actually was going to happen during this surgery and how do they actually repair the heart when it's blocked. More than I ever thought I'd know about the heart! What I learned recently was that when CPR was taught 25 or so years ago the focus was on both chest compressions and rescue breathing.

But today, the focus is primarily on the heart. When you approach someone who has collapsed in cardiac distress, new research suggests that you should focus on chest compressions. Supposedly, there is a sufficient amount of oxygen in the blood to keep vital organs working for a time. What the body lacks more immediately is a pumping heart to circulate the blood.

When you think about it, all of life comes down to the condition of one’s heart. Over and over again the Bible stresses that a spiritually healthy heart is vital. Throughout its pages we are told to search for, serve, and love God and others with all our heart (Deuteronomy 4:29; Matthew 18:35). It tells us to hide God’s Word in our heart so we won’t sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). It warns us that a “deluded heart” is what misleads us into worshiping false gods (Isaiah 44:20). And it urges us to “guard” our heart “above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs 4:23).

While people focus on outward appearance, God “looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows that the real story of our lives springs from what is inside of us. It’s not so much what we see on the surface. It’s what we can’t see below the surface that is the most important part. My problem is to not get caught up in focusing on the externals of life.

So, how's your heart?

Shout Outs

2009-07-13T09:38:00.004-05:00

Shout out today to my sweet friend, Abi, for her encouragement and for making me laugh at absolutely anything!

We’ve not known each other for too long but it feels like we’ve been friends forever. I love that. We met in Florida while at orientation for PIONEERS – God, in His Sovereignty, made us roommates! And He has cemented her in my heart forever as my sister. So much more than friendship…I love you, Sporty! Thanks for giving me Micah last night...

And special recognition today to our other roommate…and dear friend…Lisa.

It’s her birthday!! HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I wish that I could spend today with you celebrating YOU... But know you’re being thought of and prayed for. You ARE my favorite superhero...

Beloved

2009-07-02T17:05:00.013-05:00

****Disclaimer – I did not write the following post. I got it directly off the website for Tenth Avenue North. I just thought it was too good not to share.****

The disciples must have thought Jesus was crazy. Seriously. I can only imagine their faces. So confused, so perplexed, uncomfortably glancing back and forth between each other, wondering if they had misheard, wondering if someone could help them understand. Meanwhile, you got Jesus, unnerved, unfazed, just sitting there cooly, looking them dead in the eyes, asking them to marry Him. Yes, you heard me right… marry Him. With nothing more than a cup of wine, no less, the Lamb of God was proposing. So you can imagine their confusion right? “Wait. What? Come again? Jesus, you feeling alright brotha? I mean, I don’t think that I’m exactly what you’re looking for! You want to think about what you’re saying for a minute?”

Of course, we don’t see it that way, because we’re not Jewish. But they were, and they did. See it that way, I mean. “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” We hear these words and we think Communion, Eucharist, Last Supper. The disciples heard this and they’re thinking wedding bells.

Apparently, “In those days,” when a Hebrew man decided to take for Himself a Hebrew woman, he’d go to his father and say, “Her, Dad. I want to make little rabbis with her.” So then the dad would go to her dad and they’d talk camels, or sheep, or whatever the payment was going to be, and after they’d settled on a figure, the groom would call in all his friends and family, set a table in the middle of a room, set the aforementioned girl down in front of said table, break out a cup, fill it with wine, and set it in front of her saying, “This is my covenant with you, take and drink it.” And if she did, that was her answer. With a simple gulp and swig, she was saying, “I do,” and that was it. No rings, no fancy songs or dinners, just a cup and an invitation.And oh yeah, all their relatives sitting in the room watching. I mean, talk about pressure. But yeah, that was it. Her lips to the glass was the same as saying, “I accept your life, and I give you mine in return.”

Now, If the girl said yes, “in those days,” she would then go immediately back to her home, where she would be known as, “one who was bought with a price.” It’s true. That was her name. Kind of long and tedious, and extremely hard to shout out in a game of soccer, but that was it. And with her new identity, she would go back to her town, and start preparing for the wedding. And really, she’d just start waiting for future husband to finish what he had to do and come and get her. What was he doing? Well, during the engagement, the groom’s primary responsibility was to build a mansion for him and his bride to be.

Now girls, before you get too excited, let me explain. “Mansion” in Hebrew means "apartment". And what’s even better is that this apartment was actually more like an addition, because the groom would build it onto his parents pre-existing house. Yes. You heard me correctly. Their first home would be with the in-laws. And right now, I can just imagine how many girls are thinking, “oh please don’t let me marry a Jewish boy.” It’s true though. He would build his “mansion” onto the family “insula,” which is what they would call the family dwelling.

You see, the entire family would just keep building on and building on until you had what was basically a city block, all comprised of one big bustling Jewish family. (And you thought My Big Fat Greek Wedding was bad) Crazy, but also true.

Well, as you can imagine, this process could take quite a while. I mean, it’s a house for crying out loud. Some scholars say it was six months, or even a year before the poor guy was finished. And get this, the only one who could decide if it was finished was the father. So he’d be working and working and working, and every day looking to his dad, saying, “Are we done yet?” And I can just imagine the father messing with him. Taking his time, looking it over, and then just saying, “Almost.” Could you imagine? Oh, the agony! And to top it all off, the groom and the bride weren’t even allowed to talk to each other. Nothing. Nada. Zip. They couldn’t see or speak to one another during the entire engagement, except for one outlet. The best man. He’d be the instant messenger if you will. Taking notes back and forth between the doting couple. And those moments were probably pretty funny. “Here’s your note, ‘one who was bought with a price.’ Check yes, no, or maybe.” Unbelievable.

But you know, how much more beautiful would that day be when the father finally approved? That day when the groom was finally finished, and he could gather up his homeboys, or ‘groomsmen’ as we westerners would say, and imperiously march into his fiance’s town? Oh it was sweet. And that’s just what he’d do. He’d get his bridal party together and they’d come to her house, and without any prior announcement or advanced warning, they would blow a shofar, which was a ram’s horn that served as a trumpet, and upon hearing it, the pining bride would come bustling out her front door and practically straight down the aisle, and into her beloved’s arms. The period of waiting and wanting would be over, and the two would be united at last to consummate their long-awaited union. Joy. Happiness. Little Rabbis… You know, all the good stuff.

So then, back to the dinner table with the 12. Can you sense where this is going? Jesus breaks into this marriage proposal, cup out, wine-filled, offering his covenant with them. They accept. “I do” to Jesus. Gulp, gulp. “I accept your life, and I give you mine in return.” So then, what does Jesus do? He explains how they have to spend some time apart. Naturally. Only this is going to be longer than a year. However, the best man was coming. His name? The Holy Spirit. So when Jesus leaves, off to get busy preparing a “mansion” for them, (”in my Father’s house there are many rooms”) He doesn’t leave them alone, but instead sends His own mediator, the Holy Spirit, to keep the messages going between Himself and his Beloved. Meanwhile, the bride is left behind in her town, keeping watch, day and night, not knowing the day, time or hour that the bridegroom will appear. Until finally, after a long-awaited return, and we’re talking seriously, long awaited; centuries and milleniums waited people, after this much awaited consummation, the Father alone will announce that the time has come, and Jesus will be coming back for all His faithful, all who are His bride. With a posse of angels and loud trumpet call of their own, He will take us home, to the marriage supper of the Lamb! And we will share in ever-increasing joy and intimacy with Him forever and ever. As C.S. Lewis so brilliantly articulated, “Further up and further in!”

And people still want to insist that Christianity is no more than a religion.

I don’t know about you but in light of this information, it puts Jesus in an entirely different light. He’s no longer an ideal, or a belief system. He’s a person. And to put it more precisely, He is a groom in love with his bride. And not just any bride, but a wayward, adulterous bride. A bride who is half-hearted at best, chasing other lovers and other interests more than Him. And still, He keeps on loving. He keeps on being faithful, He keeps his promises.

In the Old Testament, He tells his prophet Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman, to show everyone the way He loves his people. (see Hosea 3) In the New, He tells us that divorce will never be an option for Him. (Phil 1:6) Over and over and over again, From Isaiah, to Ezekiel, to Ephesians, He tells us that we are not just his children, but we are his bride.Faithless though we might be, we are His, and He is ours.

And like I said before, this changes everything. It changes the way I view prayer. It changes the way I view marriage. It even changes the reasons that I obey. As Donald Miller once said, “it’s a far different thing to break a rule, than it is to cheat on a lover.” I only pray that it changes things for you.

The Art of Abiding

2009-07-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

God has been showing me what it means to truly abide in Him lately. That is going to be my lesson this year…and I’m ok with that.

Today I did some "abiding in Christ" at lunch at a small lake near where I work. Something about being near water.....I just love it. I can just feel peace settle over me.......good times. Anyway, it was a great lesson in abiding in the Word. The verse for this chapter is Job 23:12, "I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." Wow.........I had to stop right there. I was immediately convicted b/c I don't very often treasure His word. And I can't treasure His word apart from reading it. Which is the key to abiding. My desire is to so saturate my life with the word of God. John 8:31 says, “If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine.” Someone once said that “The Word of God will stand a thousand readings and he who has gone over it most frequently is the surest of finding new wonders there.” I want to find new wonders!! I want to love simply to read the Bible – without the pressure of answering questions, just to relax and enjoy the content of the Scriptures. Then I can say with Jeremiah, “When I discovered your words I devoured them, they became for me a joy and the delight of my heart….” (Jeremiah 15:16) The devotional ended with this quote from R. A. Torrey, “We must study His words, fairly devour His words, let them sink into our thought and into our heart, keep them in our memory, obey them constantly in our life, let them shape and mold our daily life and our every act. This is really the method of abiding in Christ. It is through His words that Jesus imparts Himself to us.” Wow……..that is the cry of my heart……

Fun Facts

2009-06-26T11:13:00.001-05:00

Here are some fun facts that I came across. Happy Friday!!

You will drink about 20,000 gallons of water in your lifetime. (I’m way behind…..)

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 20 inch tongue. (Ewww….)

About 50% of Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace. (Oh, how sweet…….)

People view 15 billion videos online every month. (Couch potatoes…….)

Summer on Uranus lasts for 21 years - but so does winter. (Which is why I never travel to Uranus in the winter…..)

A crocodile's tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth and cannot move. (They why have one? God is a funny guy…….)

Masterpiece

2009-06-11T17:26:00.002-05:00

Anticipation

2009-06-03T19:16:00.002-05:00

Our week has been pretty busy so far but we've also had ample amount of free time until today. Today no one had any more individual meetings so we had class all day. For dinner we were divided up and went home with some of the Pioneers staff members. Abi and I were in the same group and we had some fun with our people. We got back to our room around 7:30 and we going to get in the hot tub but the pool was closed when we got over there. So we stopped and picked up a movie that we're going to watch in a bit. "The Princess Bride". We kind of waiting for Lisa to get back from her dinner so she can watch it with us.

The best news that we all got this morning was that out of the 25 candidates that are here, they are going to be offering all 25 of us appointment as Pioneers missionaries! So we don't have to "fret" going into out last Candidate Committee meeting tomorrow morning! I'm so glad they told us today! Abi has been trying all day to get me to go to Asia with her. Don't worry...it's not been working! Although it would be a hoot to do ministry with her!

Tomorrow is another full day and then tomorrow night we are having ice cream sundaes! It's really weird to think that I won't see these people every day after Friday. And most of them I will never see again unless I end up working in the same part of the world that they do. Because Pioneers has such a decentralized structure of leadership and they are never in the same place at the same time. But God knows and we'll all be together one day...

Now off to "The Princess Bride" and chips and salsa!

Boa Noite, gente...(good night everyone)

Some stats and a Haiku

2009-06-01T16:18:00.002-05:00

Today has been a full day. We started the morning off by giving our testimonies one by one. Each person has 3 minutes and each couple has 6 minutes. It's so great to hear everyone's stories and how they got involved in missions and where they want to serve God. When we finished our facilitator said this is the first candidate class where's he's heard so many people say in their testimonies that they used to hate missionaries! Now they are one! It's cool how God works....

We finished the morning and early afternoon starting to get a tour of where Pioneers is working in the world. Wow.....so many unreached people groups that they are impacting. But still so much work to be done. This afternoon I had my counseling appointment now my evening is free. Except for dinner...which is in just a few minutes.

If you're the statistic type you might enjoy this:

1806+ - number of International Pioneer team members
188+ - number of Church Planting Team in the world
130+ - number of people group Pioneers is working in
84+ - number of countries Pioneers is working in

I will leave you with something I saw on a t-shirt today:

Haiku is easy
But sometimes it doesn't make sense
Refrigerator

Time Out

2009-05-31T20:53:00.002-05:00

Well, life threw a curve ball at me late Saturday night. After a great day at the beach, swimming in the ocean, grilling hamburgers and watching a couple movies on Saturday I got a call around midnight from my sister that my dad had a heart attack. I spent the next little while on the phone with her all the time wondering if I should go home. It was only a mild attack and he was conscious the whole time but it was a heart attack nonetheless and he was taken to the hospital via ambulance. They did an angiogram late last night and found that an artery on the left side of his heart was 100% blocked so they put a stint in. They also found another blockage on the other side of his heart that they would have to deal with later...

I talked to my sister, Jan, just a little but ago and originally this afternoon when we talked dad was doing pretty good. Now they can't keep his blood pressure or oxygen level stable so they are working on that. Also originally we thought he had two options for the 2nd blockage. Either another stint (probably a mediated one) or bypass surgery. With the stint he would have to be on aspirin and other blood thinning meds for the rest of his life. With the bypass it would be risky b/c of his lung disease. But today the doctor clarified that his only option probably is bypass surgery. So they will get him healthy from this round in order to do the surgery. Probably in a couple weeks....

I'm staying put for the time being and am in continual prayer for my dad. I would appreciate yours as well.

Also, today was the first day (afternoon) of COP (Candidate Orientation Program) at Pioneers and so far it's been a blast. I have two roommates, Abbi and Lisa, and we have had some fun getting to know each other this afternoon. Tomorrow is our first full day and we are looking forward to it. We've already been to the pool and hot tub tonight. They said we also could swim in the lake, and we were going to do that, but then they said, "as with any lake in Florida, it does have gators. But they won't bother you." Yeah right....maybe another time!

I've uploaded pictures of our beach day and you can see them here.

Florida - Day 1

2009-05-30T11:17:00.004-05:00

I arrived safe and sound last night after a delayed departure in Des Moines. There's nothing like getting delayed in the Des Moines airport. Nothing to do and no free internet. But I had a good time people watching. And the two families who planted themselves by me at the gate both spoke different languages...and you know how that fascinates me! Well, if you didn't now you do!

Bob and Sue picked me up and we grabbed some dinner at a steak place before heading to their house. I so love spending time with them! This morning I got up and Sue handed me a cup of coffee and I went out on the back patio to join Bob with my bible. We began to talk about ministry and Brazil and Sue eventually joined us as we continued talking. And I realized that the more I talk with them about ministry the more excited I get about the day that we'll do it together, with the Latham's, in Brazil! They live in a house on a spring-fed pond and this morning we say Blue Jay's, ducks, turtles, a crane, several gecko's and a snake. Not my favorite thing but Sue likes them and that gave me courage to actually go see it.

Now we are preparing to head to the beach at New Symrna for the afternoon. The cooler is packed with all the fixings for hamburgers and I am suntan lotioned up! I will try to upload pics tonight and tell you all about our beach barbeque day. Did I mention yet that I love being a missionary?

Até logo...(see you soon...)

Changes

2009-05-29T13:51:00.002-05:00

If you know me at all you probably know that I don’t like change. I don’t like when things are “shaken up” b/c it makes me feel unsettled. But I’m always grateful for change in the end because I learn new things about myself and how God wants me to live for Him. This is probably not new news to the majority of you who read this blog (however I’ve been wondering lately if anyone but Arlen reads it anymore b/c no one ever comments) but it may be news to someone. In the last several months I have made the decision to switch mission agencies from ABWE to Pioneers. Why the switch? Well, it all started with a conversation I had with Shane Latham, my friend and teammate, back in February and God just took it from there. The best way to sum it up is to say that my philosophy and style of ministry fit better with core values of Pioneers than it does with ABWE. ABWE is a terrific organization and I have several good friends who are missionaries with them. But for me this is just a better fit. Since I began attending Westwind, God has been refocusing my priorities and showing me just how the Body of Christ is supposed to function. And let me tell you it has rocked my world! I have never before seen this kind of unity in the Body of Christ and it’s something I don’t want to lose sight of!! What instantly drew me to Pioneers was that they are nondenominational. And the freedom they give their missionaries to partner with anyone and any organization to fulfill the Great Commission…regardless of denomination or location as long as they believe in salvation by grace through faith. This, in my book, is the only crucial issue out there. Basically, why reinvent the wheel if someone is already doing what you want to do? It’s the one thing I took away from my study of “Experiencing God” several years ago. God wants us to find where He is at work in the world and GET INVOLVED. It’s very simple but we tend to make it way more complicated than it’s intended to be. If God is at work why in the world would we ever choose to NOT be involved in what He’s doing? If we want to send Brazilian missionaries and church planters to Portuguese speaking countries around the world and we find someone who is already doing that why would we not partner with them simply b/c of their denomination? It’s been revolutionary for me! When Jesus said “Go into all the world” He didn’t follow that with “and make (insert religious label here).” He said “Go…..make disciples.”

So change is on the horizon. And today I am leaving to spend a week at Pioneers headquarters in Orlando, FL for Candidate Orientation to “officially” kick this all off. But first, a stop at Bob and Sue in Deltona, FL and a barbeque on the beach tomorrow. I love being a missionary……..

Different Drug Problem

2009-05-27T08:54:00.004-05:00

All I have to say is a huge AMEN! I wonder how our world would change if parents still practiced this today? Kids would sure learn that the world doesn’t revolve around them. And that life still goes on even if you don’t get your way. So, thanks Mom and Dad for “drugging” me during my childhood. I’m grateful for the lessons I learned as a result.

"The following letter has appeared on the internet….

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed by parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s field’s. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had even known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than caffeine, crack, or herion; and, if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place. God bless the parents how drugged us.

Submitted by a concerned citizen"

The Watch

2009-05-15T19:19:00.005-05:00

For twenty-three years
This sailor has stood the watch

While some of us were in our bunks at night
This sailor stood the watch

While some of us were in school learning our trade
This shipmate stood the watch

Yes.. even before some of us were born into this world
This shipmate stood the watch

In those years when the storm clouds of war were seen brewing on the horizon of history
This shipmate stood the watch

Many times he would cast an eye ashore and see his family standing there
Needing his guidance and help
Needing that hand to hold during those hard times
But he still stood the watch

He stood the watch for twenty-three years
He stood the watch so that we, our families and
Our fellow countrymen could sleep soundly in safety, Each and every night
Knowing that a sailor stood the watch

Today we are here to say
'Shipmate... the watch stands relieved
Relieved by those You have trained, Guided, and Lead
Shipmate you stand relieved.. we have the watch..."

“Boatswain...Standby to pipe the side...Shipmate's going Ashore."
“Storekeeper First Class, United States Navy Retired, Departing.”

Navy family...departing

Go here to see pictures and more video. Or just click the link in the right column for "My Pictures".

Retirement

2009-05-11T10:50:00.005-05:00

I was not prepared for the emotion of a Navy retirement ceremony. I always get choked up when I see men cry and this was no different. As my brother’s buddies and shipmates, John and Casey, paid tribute to him through tears I could see he was also struggling. It was emotional as the awards were given, especially those presented to his wife and sons who have sacrificed in relative anonymity for the career of "their Sailor". The reading of "The Watch" sent a new wave of emotion. And finally, my brother’s retirement speech and its' accompanying emotion as a he faced the reality of being "piped ashore" for the final time. I don’t know how anyone can get through such an ordeal without breaking down. Thinking back on the ceremony I wonder what range of emotions my brother went through. As his wife and sons were honored for their sacrifice – which made his career possible. I imagine the struggle of mentioning shipmates past and present, without whom he would never have succeeded. Even though that day brought a torrent of emotion and some unintelligible words, it’s alright. After all, the tears said what’s really in my brother, and his shipmates, hearts......the love the Navy. And I, for one, am thankful for their sacrifice.

Where it all started...

2009-05-03T16:28:00.000-05:00

David Livingstone said...

2009-04-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"

No other words necessary...

Some things NEVER get old!

2009-04-24T10:09:00.006-05:00

Sometimes a name change is the best idea...

Major dilemma in California

How do you get there from here?

Everything you need for your "shotgun" wedding!

It's a good deal, but oh, the college costs!

McLogic gone wrong...

Pork the one you love?

Still Dead, Huh???........Go Figure...

What?

"Mass suicides...Cows going over the edge..tonight on Channel 3 News..."

Load 'em up with burritos, Mom!!

I'm Confused...But The Gas Prices Look Good!

How does that work?

I can't even comment on this one...

ok...

Speling iz knot imprtunt fir astranawts

Make up your mind !

Don't drink and make signs...

What is YOUR Cardboard Testimony?

2009-04-11T09:22:00.000-05:00

The Power of a Song

2009-04-10T09:54:00.003-05:00

I love how the right song at the right time from the right person can bring healing and peace to my soul. This is the song for today. Thanks to Christina for sending it to me....

"Shadowfeet", by Brooke Fraser

Walking, stumbling on these shadowfeet
toward home, a land that i've never seen
I am changing, less and less asleep
made of different stuff than when i began
and i have sensed it all along
fast approaching is the day

[CHORUS]
when the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
when the sky rolls up and mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Theres distraction buzzing in my head
saying in the shadows it's easier to stay
but I've heard rumours of true reality
whispers of a well-lit way

[CHORUS]

You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things new
You make all things
You make all things

[CHORUS 2]
When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
Every fear and accusation under my feet
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you

Broken Hallelujah

2009-04-08T19:38:00.002-05:00

To say the last 5 days have been hard would be a gross understatement. My heart is broken and grieving for some dear friends who are going through a very, very difficult time. It's one of those situations where you don't know what to say, you don't know what to do...you just find that you throw yourself at the foot of the cross in desperation. Pleading with God to intervene. Trusting in the dark what you know to be true in the light. That God is sovereign. God is faithful. God is God and I am not. Yet out of it all...somehow...hope rises. And although my worship is broken and shattered...it is still worship. And I'm reminded that God is holy. He is still on His throne. He is still at work in the dark. Because my Redeemer lives!

I came across this song that says it better than I ever could. It's sung by Mandisa...and it's called "Broken Hallelujah".

With my love and my sadness
I come before You Lord
My heart's in a thousand pieces
Maybe even more
Yet I trust in this moment You're with me somehow
And You've always been faithful so Lord even now

When all that I can sing is a broken Hallelujah
When my only offering is shattered praise
Still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins
And I will worship You and give You thanks
Even when my only praise is a broken Hallelujah

Oh Father, You have given much more than I deserve
And I have felt Your hand of blessing on me at every turn
How could I doubt Your goodness, Your wisdom, Your grace
Oh Lord hear my heart in this painful place

When all that I can sing is a broken Hallelujah
When my only offering is shattered praise
Still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins
And I will worship You and give You thanks
Even when my only praise is a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I lift my voice
Your spirit moves
I raise my hands
I reach for You

'Cause all that I can sing is a broken Hallelujah
And my only offering is shattered praise
Still a song of adoration will rise up from these ruins
And I will worship You and give You thanks

Even when my only praise is a broken Hallelujah

Office Easter

2009-04-02T17:13:00.001-05:00

Rules of BBQ

2009-03-27T16:21:00.002-05:00

We are about to enter the summer and BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity, as it's the only type of cooking a 'real' man will do, probably because there is an element of danger involved. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking u tensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.

Here comes the important part:

(4) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.

More routine....

(5) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
(6) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he deals with the situation.

Important again:

(7) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.

More routine....

(8) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.
(9) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

(10) Everyone PRAISES and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.
(11) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off.' And, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women....

Thought for Today

2009-03-24T12:23:00.002-05:00

“Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of the church for cheap grace is grace without discipleship.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

This has really got me thinking in the last day or two. I'd love to hear your thoughts....

New Toy

2009-03-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

So, I got a new toy today. It's a Flip Video and I'm lovin' it! And I have an online home for my videos at Vimeo. I've put a link to the right called "My Videos". I've been looking at The Flip for several months now and decided the time was right to get one. This will allow me to quickly and easily take and upload videos of whatever I want! It will be a great tool in Brazil and it will allow you to actually see more of the ministry rather than just read about it. And my friends, Lucas and Teresa, have inspired me to even try doing some video newsletters as well. We'll see how that all turns out. But for now, check out my very first Flip Video at Vimeo and stay tuned for more!

"Everything You Do"

2009-03-09T22:55:00.002-05:00

I was introduced to this new worship song today. It was written by Carl Cartee, Gina Boe (I know her!) and Kenna West. It was inspired by the life of David proclaiming that through all things the Lord is good. Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was not perfect and yet the Lord showed his glory to David in many ways. What a humbling thought to seek the glory of Christ in all things. Let me know what you think of the song...

A Posture of the Heart

2009-02-26T11:03:00.002-06:00

I found this the Facebook page of a worship leader that I have liked for a long time - Jami Smith.

"Do we sing songs to God or about God? Vertical or horizontal? I think we need a healthy blend of both. Worship is a posture of the heart. If you can’t worship with hymns, there’s a heart problem. If you can’t worship without music, there’s a heart problem. If you need “I Can Only Imagine” to be able to worship, there’s a heart problem. You need to be able to worship with a song that maybe you’ve never heard before. Your heart has to want to connect with God to the point that even if you don’t know the song, you’re going to read the lyrics and listen to it and take it in anyway. There’s no difference in the way your heart responds. Otherwise, if you need your favorite worship song to worship, well then maybe you’re worshipping that song.

About five to six years into worship leading, I hit a period of time when I couldn’t go to church and worship. I was critiquing everything. Oh, that was a cool transition. Oh, what chords is he playing? (I’m all focused on his hands.” That’s a neat idea, let’s try that. I couldn’t worship. God was going, “This is supposed to be about Me, and you can’t separate the leader who wants to have good ideas and do a good job in worship from the one who just wants to worship Me in church.” I found I could go o a Catholic mass and worship more fully. That was out of my world, so I could just focus on Jesus."

It has challenged me to think about my posture of worship. And I hope it makes you stop and think, as well...

Refreshing

2009-02-26T09:55:00.002-06:00

Check this out! A very cool way to "do" church. They get it!

Commissioning

2009-02-21T17:52:00.005-06:00

For my family...and anyone else who it interested. Here are the pictures and video from my commissioning.

Missions Festival

2009-02-17T11:51:00.001-06:00

I took this directly from an email from my pastors but it got me excited about what God is doing in and through Westwind Church and I just wanted to share it with you all! Our Missions Festival was amazing and it truly gave us a picture of unity of purpose in the Body of Christ in several ways. Our pastors stepped aside to let others bring God's Word to us two weeks in a row, God provided so we could bring in a missionary from Brazil (my teammate) to share with us one of those Sundays, Cornerstone Church (as you'll see below) allowed their pastor to come speak to us one Sunday and they also brought workers down to work in every ministry area so all our people could be a part of the service that day. To me, that is true biblical unity. We ARE all in this together!! There is no loner Christian or loner church in this endeavor! I just cannot say enough about Westwind……if you live in the Des Moines area and you do not have a church home please come check us out. It's a simple church…..but God is truly at work there! We will also be taking our church's first missions trip this summer to Rosebud (June 20-27) and I can't wait to see how God works in people hearts and lives as a result of some of us going out of our comfort zone!

Here are some highlights from my pastor's email:

"What an incredible month Westwind has experienced in February! Not only has God added people to our Celebration Service (we had 202 people present on Sunday), but he has ignited a passion for missional living in the hearts of our worshipping community. Some of the highlights of our first Missions Festival are:

1. Commissioning our very first missionary, Amy Miller
2. Including our children in a heart for giving through our globe banks
3. Being introduced to Kevin and Pat Mayer, missionaries for Crossworld
4. Partnering with Cornerstone Church, who brought workers in every ministry area on February 8
5. Our World Buffet which fed over 120 people with different tastes from around the globe.
6. Hearing inspiring messages from Jeff Dodge and Shane Latham
7. Singing in Portuguese
8. A focus on missional living at our Connection Groups
9. Experiencing our first Commitment Sunday in which people pledged to our 2009-10 missions budget
10. Realizing that we are taking the first steps to never letting the sun set on our work around the world."

I will write more about my Commissioning later and, hopefully, be able to upload some pics and video from that day.

Bad Day

2009-01-19T21:38:00.002-06:00

I've had a string of rotten days lately but I came across this and it made me laugh...

Having a Bad Day?

The average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska was $ 80,000.00. At a special
ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both.

Still think you are having a Bad Day????

A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.

STILL think you' re having a Bad Day?

Two animal rights defenders were protesting the cruelty of sending pigs to a slaughterhouse in Bonn, Germany. Suddenly, all two thousand pigs broke loose and escaped through a broken fence, stampeding madly. The two helpless protesters were trampled to death.

What?? STILL having a Bad Day?

Iraqi terrorist Khay Rahnajet didn't pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with "Return to Sender" stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb, he opened it and was blown to bits.

There now, feeling better? :-)

Look to Jesus

2009-01-17T19:07:00.001-06:00

When all things fail
When all you know is gone
When you are lost in the darkness
When you turn onto the wrong path
When you feel like your life is on pause
When you fall onto sharp rocks and nails
When you are without hope in depression
When you can’t seem to make a good decision
When you know what to do but can’t seem to do it
When you lose your senses and cannot find your way
When you stop to think and then get trampled by your friends
When all you want to do is good but end up doing bad anyways
When you think you’ve made the wrong turn every step of your life
When you can only see what you do wrong and never what you do right
When you can’t see what is before you but you can see everything that is behind you
All you need to do is look to Jesus!

(shout out to Emily Geiger for this!)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T23:14:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from me and a few of my favorite people!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Creation vs. Evolution

2008-12-18T21:19:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple of hilarious videos I found spoofing the popular Mac vs. PC commercials...

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T20:36:00.004-06:00

My family always celebrates Thanksgiving on the Saturday after so I spent Thanksgiving Day with my friend, Julie, and her family. Her parents and brother were also there and we enjoyed quite the feast! I watched some football, took a nap, and enjoyed spending the day with my good friends. On Friday I traveled to my parents for a weekend with my family. I was especially excited this year because we were having a special guest. When I was 3 years old we had a foreign exchange student from Peru live with us for 9 months. Now she lives in Virginia and she was coming to spend the weekend with us. My sisters had taken a trip to Peru to visit her a few years ago but the rest of us had not seen her in 38 years. It was good to visit with her. We had a houseful of people, as we always do as there about 30 just in my immediate family, and enough food to feed us all a few times over! The best part, besides seeing Mely, was my mom's stuffing. She makes it from scratch and it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it! My family plays a lot of games when we're together and this weekend did not disappoint! And a few of us even took in a night of bowling with a several of my nieces and nephews. All in all it was a good weekend! You can go here for pictures if you're so inclined...

Birthday Wishes

2008-11-25T09:20:00.006-06:00

Dan and Jill on their way to a costume party

Today is Jill's, my sister-in-law's, birthday. And just to show you what kind of person she is you should know that when I came upstairs this morning to make coffee she had left a donut on the counter for me in celebration of her birthday! Nice... But she is thoughtful that way. She even lets me play her person on Mario Kart Wii since there is only room for 4 people to play. :-) She is the most creative person I know and she is the best thing to have happened to my brother. She teaches kindergarten and one day when I was unemployed she paid me to do a little work in her classroom and I got to see her in action. All I can say is I was pretty amazed at what she does in the classroom. And I'm pretty amazed at what she does at home. She loves to make cards (something that I am NOT patient at) and every now and then she'll drag out her supplies and stock up. Which I love because then she lets me use them when I need one! (See? Thoughtful...) She makes her Christmas cards, her kids Halloween costumes, the curtains that hang in the kitchen, and the best soup you will ever eat! For all I know she probably got up early and made that donut she left me!

I am thankful for the relationship that we share...you see, I live in their basement. I have since the year my brother went overseas and she asked me to move in while he was gone. Since that time I have become a missionary and am now doing what I need to do to begin my ministry in south Brazil...and I still live in the basement. And it is a tremendous blessing to me! To not have to worry about a place to live and the things that go along with that... To have one less thing to worry about on this journey is a HUGE help to me and I don't say thank you to them enough for letting me "squat" in the room downstairs. So, THANK YOU, Jill! That simple act of you asking me to move in when Dan was gone has blessed me a hundred times over. Thanks for giving up what you do so I can live with you guys. Thanks for all the movie nights (even though our movie track record is NOT good!), for feeding me, for telling me you like having me here, for really wanting me to come to your birthday dinner, for always making me a birthday dinner, for being more like a sister than a sister-in-law...I could go on but I really want to eat that donut!

So, (as they say at Disney World) have a magical birthday! :-)
I love you...

Blackmail

2008-11-12T21:37:00.002-06:00

Dan, my brother, just came down to see if I had any money. Turns out my nephew lost his tooth today and they didn't have very much change for the tooth fairy! Haha!! I scrounged around and came up with 85 cents to donate to the cause. My brother will never live this one down!! And I will forever immortalize this moment by blogging about it...you can thank me later, Dan! :-)

Remnants

2008-11-08T00:17:00.005-06:00

Well it happened. Today we got snow. Now it wasn't a lot, mind you, but it was enough to coat the back of my car and my mirrors. Which in my opinion is too much! But nothing could damper my spirits today because tonight was the Starfield's "I Will Go" concert!! If, for some reason, you live in the Des Moines area and you did not go see them tonight you really missed out! What an amazing concert! So fun and so filled with worship! And all for only $10! I tried to take some pics on my cell phone but those never turn out. Here are the best two...

This is the band, "Above the Golden State". Actually it's just their lead guy b/c the rest of the band was back in Portland working. They (he) was pretty good...

And this is Starfield...

They will be in Davenport this Sunday night (November 9), 7pm, at Harvest Bible Chapel. If you live in that area I highly recommend going to this concert. Or you can look on their website to see when they might be in your area. And if you don't already have their CD "I Will Go" -- go out and get it!

Enough my of "infomercial". I just love this band! But I'm off to bed because tomorrow I get to hang out with my nephews all day! Sweet! G'night...

Blindsided

2008-10-23T23:33:00.005-05:00

Lately I have been struggling with some things that a friend of mine pointed out to me as spiritual warfare. Things that I never used to struggle with or that I haven't struggled with in a long time are rearing their ugly heads! Recently, as I talked with this friend about some of these things, she reminded me that Satan is not at all happy with me right now and with the journey I am on. And he will try anything, anytime, to derail me on my way to Brazil. And she's right! So I've been trying to be more diligent and do what 1 Peter 5:8 says. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Now I've always thought that analogy was interesting. Lions attack sick or young animals. Or those that have strayed away from the flock or herd. They strike when the animals are alone or not alert. Peters warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted. When we focus on our troubles we often feel alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers. And we forget to watch out for danger. It's in those times that we are vulnerable to Satan's attacks. But, in reality, there is no rhyme or reason to when Satan chooses to attack. For instance, today I had a really great day. I'm studying through the book of Ruth with a couple friends and this morning I went to a coffee shop to do a bit of reading and had a great time with God. I was reminded that I am Yahweh's image bearer! And I took that with me for the rest of my day and "meditated" on what exactly that meant for me. I think that because I had such a great day with the Lord I must have let my guard down a bit. Because I was blindsided by "the enemy" tonight at worship rehearsal. Of all places! A place where one would think one just might be safe from temptation, right? Not so much. No one, and no place, is immune from being Satan's playground. Thankfully I had a great day and I recognized this temptation the moment it reared it's ugly head and was able to not dwell on it. But it really opened my eyes to what it means to be alert. I like what 1 Peter 5:8 says in the the NLT - "Stay alert!" It's not enough to just "be alert" at certain times when we think Satan might attack. We must STAY alert! At all times! And the only way to do that is to stay close to Jesus' side. Good reminder for me today...

Maybe you're reading this and recently, or not so recently, you've found yourself in a place of temptation and you gave in. Believe me I know all about carrying that burden of guilt. But I want to remind you, as God so often reminds me, that you are forgiven! Do not let the enemy torture you for one more day. We all have things that we deeply regret doing, things that we struggle with, or that we wish we could do over. The God I serve does not see me this way. He sees me as pure and clean...through the blood of Christ. He ransomed me. The dictionary defines ransomed as, "to deliver especially from sin or its penalty; to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price." My favorite attribute of God is that He is my Redeemer. I simply love that word! We have been redeemed (bought back)! And what He used to buy us back and free us was His blood. That is what God sees when He looks upon me. His Son's blood covering me...I've been redeemed!

Random Pics

2008-10-21T22:08:00.009-05:00

Here are some pics from my recent adventures. Click on each picture to go to the album.

First...my trip to support my friend, Tim, in his American Idol endeavor. He made it through 3 rounds and missed Hollywood by one round! They have no idea what they will be missing this season...

American Idol

Next...the promised pics of the rooms Julie and I painted and bordered...

Painting

And finally...the infamous Chicago Marathon (minus the puking pics)...

Chicago Marathon 2008

Fire, Jello Shots and Puke

2008-10-21T10:56:00.002-05:00

Did I get your attention? That pretty much sums up my weekend at the Chicago Marathon a couple weekends ago. I went along with Ryan and Julie as Ryan was running. It was his 6th marathon. We arrived in Chicago around 10:30pm on Friday night and has just gotten settled in our hotel downtown when we heard sirens. We quickly realized that there were 5 or 6 fire trucks and police cars stopped at our hotel. Then we heard the announcement..."This is the Chicago Fire Department. The fire has been extinguished. We will be returning control of the hotel over to hotel management shortly. Please remain in your rooms." That was the gist of the announcement that we heard. And AFTER this announcement the fire alarm went off. We were like...do we leave? do we stay? we were comfortable so we stayed. I roamed the halls a bit because I was trying to get a better view of the fire trucks below and the window in our room was blocked by an awning. Exciting night.

Saturday we spent the day watching the Iowa game on TV with some friends of their in the area and then later that afternoon we headed to pick up Ryan's race packet. We spent some time walking around the booths that were set up there looking at running shoes and running clothes and all things "running". Julie and I even tried a "cube of energy" that was the nastiest thing I have ever eaten! We affectionally dubbed it our "jello shot". It was literally in the shape of a cube and the texture was sort of gummy bear but stickier (and worse) and the worst part about it was that it was cola flavored! I determined after eating this that only cola should be cola flavored...

That night Ryan wanted to veg and watch football on TV and Julie and I didn't so we headed out for a "date". We both had headaches and were starving so we set off in search of somewhere to eat. We went to two places that each had a wait of an hour and we didn't want to wait that long so we decided to just go to a movie and get popcorn. The only movie that we were in time for was "Fireproof" so we bought tickets and then discovered the concession stand had hot dogs and nachos so we got that to eat. We hadn't been in the movie long when I could tell Julie wasn't feeling feel. I kept asking her if she wanted to go and she kept saying "no, I'm alright". I knew she wasn't but she can be stubborn sometimes. (Love you, Jules!) Let me interject here that before we set off on our quest for food we stopped in at Walgreens to get some cold medicine...and they put it in a bag. This turned out to be the best decision we made that evening because after a short time into the movie Julie was puking into said bag! Needless to say, we left the movie.

The next morning was the marathon. We had 3 or 4 pre-arranged spots where we were going to try and see Ryan but we only ended up seeing him at the very beginning and at the very end. He ran faster than he anticipated and we missed him at the other 2 spots. Long story short here...he cramped up and once he crossed the finish line had to go to the medical tent. He was there for 2 hours so I left Julie there with him while I went to check us out of the hotel. I booked it 17 blocks through downtown Chicago, got us checked out, got all out bags and stuff to the car and got back to pick them up and we headed out of town. We hadn't been on the road more than 30 minutes when Ryan was also puking into a plastic bag. Wow...I started to get a complex!

All in all it was a very interesting, and very fun, weekend! I can't wait to spend a week with them at Disney World in November! What more can they throw at me? :-) I have pictures (none of the puking) but don't have them uploaded yet. Stay tuned for that...

Part of the Picture...

2008-10-14T22:05:00.002-05:00

I've seen this video before but came across it again tonight on God Tube. It's a good reminder that God is God and I am not...

Above and Beyond

2008-10-10T10:16:00.001-05:00

I'm working part-time at Kohl's right now as a cashier and so far I like it. Except for the fact that they want us to really push people to get their credit card. Which I hate doing...so I usually don't push it too much. Anyway, the other day I had a lady come through my line and she purchased a Spiderman watch for her son - who couldn't have been more than 2 years old. After we finished the transaction she stood at my register and said to her son, "Jimmy (names have been changed to protect the innocent), do you want to wear your new watch?" And she starts to take it out of the packaging. I'm thinking, "Lady, can you do that at home?" when she says (again to "Jimmy" but while glancing my way), "We need to make sure it works before we leave." Like I know something she doesn't know about Kohl's selling Spiderman watches that really don't work. She looks at the watch and says, "Oh that's not the correct time" and then says to me "do you know how to set this?" I say no but there are probably directions on how to do that. Implying that she needs to do this at home so I can wait on my other customers. Oh no...she then proceeds to dig the instructions out and smooth them open on my counter as she begins to read. I'm fed up by this time so I take the watch, look at the buttons, and proceed to set the watch for her...while she continues to read. When I'm finished she says, "Oh, is it working?" No thank you for helping me or anything! Just "is it working?" I say, "Yes, all the watches that we sell work." She just said, "Oh", and she left. I guess some people think the world just revolves around them...

Scars of Life

2008-10-04T18:52:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine sent this to me in an email and it really encouraged me so I thought I'd share it with you...

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in South Florida , a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go.'

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

The Bible teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

There's Nutmeg Involved!

2008-09-30T09:54:00.004-05:00

I had a pretty relaxing, but fun, weekend. I spent it with my friend, Julie's, family. We went to the Iowa Game on Saturday and since we were leaving at 6am I spent the night on Friday night. The game was fun, even though Iowa lost. And I got a little sunburn! Here are some pics…

It's part of the "Home Game Ritual" to stop here and get some cheese curds. The sun didn't allow for a very good picture...

The infamous bag of cheese curds. For the record...I tried 'em and didn't like 'em. They squeak when you eat them.

Getting set up for the tailgate. Notice the first thing out were those darn cheese curds!

Here come the Hawks!

Herky the Hawk

Herky starting to get the crowd excited.

Jan trying out her "Gansta" look...

After the game we hung out at their house and fell asleep on the couch, chair, and floor watching football. Sunday after church we went to the mall for lunch and so the kids could play for a bit at the playland. Then back to their house for more hanging out. Julie decided to make breakfast for dinner and wanted to make French toast. We were talking about it when she said she needed to find the recipe. I said, “It’s basically just eggs.” To which she replied, “Oh no, there’s nutmeg involved!” Too funny! But I’ve learned to never doubt her recipes and this was no exception. Great French toast! Even though Ryan ate the last piece that she wanted…

Yesterday we decided to paint the last of her kids rooms before I had to go to work at 5:30pm. We got both colors painted and tomorrow we’ll put the border on. Then we’ll be all finished with all 4 kids rooms! Wow…what a project but it really was fun. The best part about it wasn’t so much the actual painting but the time spent with a good friend laughing, singing, and just chatting. I’ll try to remember to take some pics of the finished rooms so you can see our handiwork. Maybe you’d like to hire a support-raising missionary to paint for you! ☺

A Wedding and George Jones?

2008-09-21T18:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my niece's wedding. It was a beautiful affair and we all had a great time. I almost lost it when Andi (my niece) was walking down the aisle. I love to watch the groom as he watches the bride coming down the aisle and Josh (the groom) was crying yesterday. And nothing makes me cry on the spot more than seeing a guy cry. Especially as he watches his bride. It was so cool! After the wedding I headed to the reception with my sister and brother-in-law. The reception was at a hotel in Davenport and I noticed a tour bus in the parking lot when we pulled in. I didn't mention it at the time but whenever I see a bus like that (fancy with no writing on the side) I always wonder if it's someone famous. Well this time it was! Apparently George Jones had a concert that night at the Adler Theatre and he was staying at that hotel. My sister-in-law walked past him and his entourage in the hallway but didn't realize who he was until later when someone said he was staying at that hotel. Well, my sister is a huge George Jones fan and I did grow up listening to country music through high school so I am pretty familiar with that "era" of country music and seeing George Jones at your hotel would be a pretty cool thing! So all throughout the reception my sister, Jan, and I attempted to "meet up" with Mr. Jones in the hallway somewhere. We tried to think what time his show would be over and what time that would put him back at the hotel and we kept walking to the lobby and around the outside of the hotel to check for his bus. And never did meet up with him. We left the reception around 11:30pm and the bus wasn't even back at the hotel yet. But we had a good time in our efforts!!

During the father/daughter dance I sang "In My Daughter's Eyes" by Martina McBride (I want her hair!) while my nephew, Drew (he's the guitar player in the forefront), accompanied me on the guitar. It was pretty cool and my niece told me she cried...

All in all it was a good weekend. All my siblings were there and 10 out of the 15 nieces/nephews. It's nearly impossible to get us all together at the same time anymore but we did pretty good this weekend!

"Thou shalt not steal..."

2008-09-18T16:10:00.003-05:00

This morning as I left for work about 5:40am I was shocked and surprised to discover that someone had taken one of the tires of my car off and had set my car on it. I couldn't see much as it was dark out so I waited until my brother and sister-in-law got back from running to consult them. They said I should call the police and so I did. Pretty soon a patrol car pulled up and he started asking questions to write up his report. Then he said he could help us get the tire back on. So we jacked up my car and as we're trying to put the tire back we realize it's too small and then it hits. This is not even my tire. I had just bought new tires back in January and this was not one of them. So now the police report turns into a stolen property report. We get my spare tire back on and the officer says he needs to take the tire they left for evidence. Then he has me sign a piece of paper stating he took the tire. As he hands me my copy he says that I can have that tire back after 31 days. As politely as I can I say, "No thanks." And off he goes.

My next trip was to Tires Plus to get a new tire. I walk in and tell the guy my saga and he says, as politely as he can, "Do you have the rim?" Another realization for me. No tire...no rim. I just sigh and ask him how much that will cost. He says a new one from Toyota is over $100 but he will call around to some junk yards to see if he can find one for me. And he'll call me. So I leave Tires Plus with no tire but the time and money to deal with this scenario is mounting! And I go to work. I didn't really want to but I need a distraction and work was it.

On the way to work I call my mom...who use to work at an insurance company and she encourages me to call my insurance to see if, by chance, this kind of thing is covered. So when I get to work I sit in the parking lot and make that call. Turns out it is covered! And all I have to pay is my deductible. I give the agent my info and the police report info and he says an adjuster will be in touch.

To sum it all up...by the time I got home from work at 3pm today I had a check in my hand from the insurance company and the guy at Tires Plus had already ordered the rim from the Toyota dealer. And he called back about 15 minutes ago and said they just brought the rim and if I come in before they close at 8pm they can get this all taken care of for me.

I'm thankful that it was only a tire and not my car. And that everything worked out how it did today. One thing that made me chuckle through this situation today was that someone actually asked me it was stolen right off my car. I guess that would be opposed to them stealing one of the extra car tires I keep laying around.) :-

So, if you're reading this and you took my tire, BRING IT BACK! I need to add it to my extra car tire pile...

Great Day!

2008-09-09T16:41:00.001-05:00

Tyler got his braces off today! He's happy and he told me he gets his retainer next week. He chose to have it done in Hawkeye colors. Interesting...

Random Weekend Stuff

2008-09-08T17:19:00.004-05:00

My parents were here this weekend. They arrived Thursday afternoon and left this morning. They came to have a "yard work" weekend and boy did we ever do some yard work! All day Friday and all day Saturday...but we got a lot accomplished and I got to use an axe!

On Friday afternoon I took Tyler to soccer practice and Lucas wanted to play on the playground a little bit and we had some time so off we went. Why is it that little boys always want to climb on stuff and then jump off?

On this jump, after the 3rd time when he cracked his chin on his knee, he came over for some consolation...trying to act all tough. As I gave him a hug he said, "Maybe I'll wait and do that when I'm older. Like when I'm a teenager." Good advice...

I also discovered that one of my cats, Koda, found a new preferred place to sleep...

Fine with me but I think Fuzzy wants a piece of the action!!

Weekend

2008-09-01T10:54:00.007-05:00

Friday evening I headed to Julie and Ryan's house for the evening, which turned into the weekend. Julie and I had a movie night, which we haven't had in a little while and then she introduced me to this show called "The Upside Down Show". I didn't let on too much Friday night but I did find it pretty amusing! Anyway, I spent the night there b/c we were going to the Iowa game on Saturday and we needed to leave around 6am. Yes, that's right...the OTHER 6:00 in a day. The one that I never see. And now I know why I don't see it. Because it's very difficult to see when it's still dark outside! But I managed and we got underway with Ryan's parents. After a few stops along the way we arrived in "Hawkeye City", got parked, and got set up for to tailgate. Since it was an 11am game we brought along sandwiches and chips and stuff. Ryan says they usually grill out when the games have a later start time. Anyway, it was a great day and a good time had by all!

I ended up spending the night again on Saturday night and celebrated their oldest sons 7th birthday with them. We grilled out and played (inside and outside) and then went for a bike ride. After a lengthy prep time of getting the bikes ready we were off! We rode out to Pickard Park in Indianola so the kids could play on the playground equipment there and I think it was uphill both ways. I don't think it would have been so bad but I was hauling both their girls in the bike trailer thingy they have. And boy is my bunda (portuguese for butt) sore today!! But we spent the day (and the weekend for that matter) laughing and it was so great!

After the bide ride we ate cake and ice cream. I use the term "cake" lightly b/c Julie had some trouble making the originally planned pirate ship cake and we ended up with a pieced together pirate hat cake. It was still very cool but she had to use 4 containers of frosting to fix it! As you can hopefully see from this picture, the piece I had was literally all frosting. There was a piece of cake about the size of a the bottom a spoon in the whole thing! We had a good laugh about the cake flavored frosting that he got for his birthday!

Then we had some fun with the King Fu Panda birthday masks and the eyes that you have to pop out to use the masks....

Good times...

Starbucks

2008-08-27T11:31:00.005-05:00

So, I got my official Starbucks aprons at work last night. I guess that makes it official, then. I also got a call right before I went to work from Home Depot wanting me to come in for an interview. Great. Why couldn't they have called a day before!? But after being at work last night I've come to the conclusion that Starbucks is really where I want to be. Building relationships with people that I (hopefully) will see everyday when they buy coffee and getting to "know" them. That's what I want to do.

I start my training tomorrow morning at 10am so today I've been hanging around home. I've done some cleaning, some laundry, and gotten some things done that I've been putting off. And drinking coffee through it all!! Wohoo!! I do love the java!!

On a side note...

I've been challenging my brother on the Wii a couple nights this week and I cannot beat him in tennis! In fact, I can hardly win a game against him! But I did beat him in golf last night! I think I'll go practice some tennis while I'm doing laundry...

O Happy Day!

2008-08-26T10:56:00.003-05:00

Oh Happy Day!! I am done, finally, with my first bible class!! And I got a job working at Starbucks! I start today. Now I need to go buy some black collared shirts...

Wedding Shower

2008-08-24T15:59:00.003-05:00

Andi, Josh, and Avery (their daughter)

My niece, Andi (Andrea), is getting married September 20 and this weekend my sisters, sister-in-law, I gave her a wedding shower. It was a couples thing and it was pretty fun! The weekend began by the siblings (all but one) gathering at my parents house on Friday night. We had my mom's chili (which I love!) and some interesting conversation. It started off with the guys talking about my dad, brother, and nephew's trip to see the Cardinal's play. They had seats directly behind the opposing teams dugout so they were on TV alot. My sister-in-law, Trish, was saying that every time she saw them on TV my brother, Brad, (her husband) was eating and my dad was on his cell phone. Out of the blue my brother-in-law, Brett, said, "I wonder what camera they were catching you on? Center field?" Only Brett would wonder about that...

Then the conversation moved to pizza. My sister, Laurie, said they were getting pizza recently and Brett (same guy as above and her husband) was trying to figure out the area of a 12-inch pizza to see if they would get a better deal on a 14-inch. Again, only something Brett would wonder about...or actually figure out!! Then my brother-in-law, Dave, got involved along with my brother, Dan, and they actually sat there and figured out the areas of 12, 14, and 16 inch pizzas. Wow. Then we started having math class. Dan (former math teacher) was quizzing us on 12X12, 13X13, 14X14, 15X15, etc. and asking us if we knew how to figure those out without using paper. All in all it was a very interesting evening!

The shower was good. Lots of good food and some fun shower games were played! That night we went out to celebrate Brett's 50th birthday - which will actually be on Tuesday. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings and then to one of the Riverboats. Some of us won, some of us lost but we had some great fun together.

Smiling and Favre

2008-08-20T17:28:00.007-05:00

I spent the afternoon today doing homework and finished my second to last chapter in my class. Just one more chapter to go!

And if I can't get it finished before the weekend then I'll definitely finish it Monday. This weekend my sister's, sister-in-law, and I are throwing my niece and her fiance a wedding shower at my parents house. It should be a good time.

So, since I'm discovering I don't have much to say in this blog let's talk about Brett Favre.

Is anyone else a little miffed that he returned to football? I'm not saying his decision to retire was an easy one and it was a decision that he appeared to think long and hard about and even as he made the announcement it seemed to break his heart. I guess I just didn't want him to pull a "Michael Jordan". He had a good "last" season and could have gone out on a good note with a good season but now? Who knows. I AM glad that the Packers didn't take him back. It's just that now when he retires (again) he'll always be a Jet and not a Packer. I may have to get a new Packer's jersey as the only one I have is a Favre jersey...and I'm not very happy with him right now.

But that's just my two cents. :-)

Frustrated

2008-08-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Music really speaks to my heart and there's a song I've been playing over and over today that I thought I'd share with you. I had a great day today at church (I LOVE my church!) and spending some time with a friend and then going to my Connection Group where we made homemade pizza and had ice cream. I saw a beautiful sunset on the way home and was just spending time worshipping my Redeemer. Then I got home and checked my email and had one from the proctor of the class I am taking. He and I do not see eye to eye on this class and the required assignments and I must admit the email was very discouraging. I am so frustrated with this class and just want it to be over. But I keep coming back to this song and am reminded again that He's always been faithful to me...even in this season.