Mexico

I've always said that when I get a real job, I'd use my vacation time in a useful way. Now that I finally have a real job, I finally got a chance to do that, on a week-long mission trip to Mexico with UKANDU:

On June 1, I flew down to Texas and met up with the young adult group from Trinity-Klein in Spring. Aside from my friend Lindsay, I had no idea who would be going, and I really didn't quite know what we would be doing. That's not typical for a Type-A person like myself, who likes to plan and know what I'm getting into, but when the opportunity for me to go on the trip came up at the last minute, I left it in God's hands and went along for the ride.

Our group consisted of 7 folks, pictured below from left to right at El Potrero Chico, an internationally known rock-climbing location:

• Myself


• Tim (My brother went to high school with his sister)


• Linds (we go WAY back)


• John-David (the youth minister at Trinity)


• Anne (I played basketball in high school with her)


• Christine (I was good friends with her brother at A&M)


• Kerri (not pictured. I went to A&M with her sister)

I think it's so cool that even though I didn't know our group, I had common ties with all of them! In Laredo, we met up with the high school youth group from St. Paul, Ft. Worth, where my sister was married and where a number of my friends now attend church. Again, we didn't know this group, but by the end of the week, we had all made new friends. St. Paul has an amazing youth group and awesome adult leaders. There's some great things going on in that place.

As a group of about 50 folks, we drove to El Carmen, where we would be working on an orphanage. The orphanage now has 25 kids staying on the lower level. We were working to prepare the upper level so they could take care of 25 more kids. The long-term vision is to support 10 such orphanages, caring for 500 kids total. At the orphanage, the kids receive food, clothing, education, love, and Christ.

I was on the "Tiling Team", and quickly became a pro at laying ceramic tile. The "Grout Girls" came behind us to finish up with grout. Here's a pic of the main room with the diagonal pink "rug" in the middle:




The kids were still in school during the day, so we only got to play with them in the evenings. Before they were allowed to play, they had to finish their homework. I tried to help a 5-year-old with her homework...Let's just say my Spanish skills need some brushing up:



On Wednesday, we went to the market in Saltillo. This was my 4th time in Saltillo. In 2003, on my first trip to Saltillo, we were waiting around in the parking garage, so as always, I pulled out my koosh ball and tried to stay entertained. Without thinking, I chucked my koosh ball up as high as I could. It went up, up, up, but never came down! It got stuck in the lip of an I-beam in the rafters of the garage. I was very sad to leave it there, but every year since then, we always parked in the same garage and I got to check on my koosh ball. I was curious if it would still be there now in 2007. Sure enough, it is! Granted, now it is very black and hardly recognizable, but I know it is there:



All in all, this was a good, refreshing trip. Seeing a different culture, different ways to worship, and different lifestyles always renews my perspective on things. God is great, and the diversity He has created in the world is amazing. How great that day will be when we see all nations worshipping the Lord, as in Revelations 15:4:

"Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

But as Romans 10:12-15 says, how can all nations come and worship unless we share the hope we have:

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Piper

A lady at work hosts a weekly Bible study. I was finally able to join in one week and they were talking about John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life. I was really interested by the discussion, so I decided to read it when I got some free time. I'm only about 3 chapters in right now, but I really like this quote that was on a window decoration in Piper's kitchen growing up:

Only one life,

twill soon be past,

only what's done for Christ will last.

Quote

Quote of the day from my niece Bethany, while talking to her grandma, after seeing a stray cat across the yard:

"Bethy can't pet that kitty cat, that kitty cat is very old, like you grandma."

[FYI: The twins talk about themselves in the 3rd person. I'm not sure if all kids do that. Kinda cute, but I would hope they grow out of it at some point...]

Following Christ

A friend sent me this excerpt from “New Way to Be Human” by Charlie Peacock:

Charlie speaking:

“Here’s what I’ve figured out for myself: My life is going to tell a
story whether I try to or not. It’s going to tell a story that says,
'This is what a follower of Jeus is , this is what he or she is
interested in, this is what he or she believes and trusts, this is what
he or she thinks is important.' Because this is going to happen and can’t
be stopped, I’d better make sure I know my role and my job description-a
student-follower of Jesus is a living explanation. As I go about living,
I will either make the teaching about God the Savior attractive, or I
won’t. It’s attractive on its own. I make it attractive to others by
living it out. My work should be to represent it accurately. This
doesn’t mean that my life will look just as his looked. That’s not even
possible. I’ll be doing well if I can, stepwise, become the kind of
person he’s teaching me to be.”

Tharseo

"Tharseo is an Ancient Greek word that means "Have Courage!" or "Be of Good Cheer!" or "Take Heart!" Jesus uses this term often after healing people and in John 16:33 (NIV): "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.""

Prayer

LCMS President's Statement about Virginia Tech

As I think about people asking "Where was God?", I can't help of a book I read stating the natural follow-up to this question is "Where are God's people?" May God and God's people be a light to those affected by this tragedy, and may they portray God's love and peace to those who are hurting. Keep them in your prayers.


This weekend, International Justice Mission is hosting a Global Prayer Gathering this weekend. IJM is an amazing Christian human rights agency consisting of professional lawyers, social workers, and investigators who seek to rescue people from horrendous injustices. Here are some resources and a prayer guide if you want to keep their mission in your prayers as well.

Temporary Shiite Marriage

I just read about a Shitte Muslim custom that really appalled me. It's called "mutaa", a temporary marriage contract for the sole purpose of having intimate relations, believed by Shiite Muslims to be sanctioned by Islamic law. Apparently it's becoming more widespread in Iraq, now that there is religious freedom, instead of Sadaam's Sunni-led control. Those who practice mutaa say these types of marriages are beneficial for reduce promiscuity among youth and help support widowed or divorced women. I don't understand how people justify these things. Washington Post article here.

Good Ol' Abe

Here are some words to ponder from Lincoln's speech when appointing a National Fast Day in March 1863:

It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God; to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentence will lead to mercy and pardon and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is the Lord. We know that by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world. May we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have daily imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

Scattered

"Jesus said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to all the ends of the earth." Acts 1:7-8

"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria....Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." Acts 8:1-4

We talked about these verses in Bible study this week, and the note in my study Bible really caught my attention. "Chapter 8 (where the church is persecuted and scattered) is the beginning of the fulfillment of the commission in 1:8 -- not by the church's plan, but by events beyond the believers' control."

How reassuring to be reminded that everything is in God's control. The church was scattered and persecuted, but thankfully the believers didn't give up. They continued preaching and spreading the message of Christ, regardless of their location or well-being. What passion and dedication!

Very Deep New Blog Post

I spent a lot of time pondering the other day, and came up with some deep thoughts I thought worthy of sharing on the blog:

"What do you get when you graduate from scuba diving school?...A deep-loma."


April Fools. Nothing deep here. Move along.

Good Deeds

At Bible study last night, we discussed the following passage:

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. -- Matthew 5:14-16

We began talking about good deeds and the difference between good deeds done for God's glory and good deeds done for other reasons. A question was raised which got me thinking: "If the whole world was deaf and no one knew sign language, how could we ensure that God received the praise for our good deeds? We wouldn't be able to verbally tell people about Christ and how He is the reason for the hope within us."

Certainly a person can exhibit their faith without using words. In fact, many times actions speak louder than words. But if we don't/can't use words to tell people that Jesus is the reason we are who we are and why we live how we live, then how do we show people that?

Is there a way to distinguish good deeds done for the wrong reason and good deeds done for God's glory? If a nonbeliever sees a good deed, they don't automatically praise God. How do we motivate that praise, praise vertically directed toward God?

Barometers

I read the following story on the Internet. It's fictional, but it got me thinking:

Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected. I read the examination question:

"Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer."

The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."

The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this.

I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student Six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he hadn't written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one.

I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on. In the next minute, he dashed off his answer, which read, "Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^2, calculate the height of the building."

At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.

"Well," said the student, "there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building."

"Fine," I said, "and others?"

"Yes," said the student, "there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very direct method."

"Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g [gravity] at the street level and at the top of the building. From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated."

"On this same tack, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession".

"Finally," he concluded, "there are many other ways of solving the problem. Probably the best," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: 'Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer.'"

At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

Girly and Sappy

[Warning: This post gets kinda girly and sappy. I wrote this over a year ago, but never posted it...]

I was driving down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway the other day, (otherwise known as the "BW"), and I heard Brad Paisley's song "She's Everything" on the radio. I love Brad Paisley's lyrics; he's a great song-writer. As I was listening to this song, I couldn't help but think the lady in the song was so lucky. And it made me recall a recent conversation with a friend. It was the sweetest thing hearing him talk about his wife. He said things I've heard many people say before:
"I thought I was in love before, but I didn't really know what love was back then."
"I'd have never guessed I could ever feel this way about someone."
"I hope everyone finds what I've found, instead of settling."
"You just know."

Times like that I get hit by 2 emotions: a continued conviction to trust God's plan and wait for His will, and a skeptical cynicism that tries to convince me such love is too elusive and risky.

But maybe, just maybe, I will know what everyone else is talking about someday. Maybe, just maybe, someday I'll sing too.

He's a dirty pair of overalls
From a day spent out a'working
He looks great in untucked polos
He looks great standing tall by me
He's "I want a brand new laptop"
"Take me to a Best Buy"
He's "I can't sit still for very long"
Now and then he's silly

He's a pickup with a side step
With his country music blaring
He's a strong shoulder for me
And a safe feeling hugging
He's a confident intellectual
That I wouldn't doubt for nothing
He's addicting when he's passionate
And he's a natural when he's leading

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I think about him, I go on and on and on
'Cause he's everything to me

He's a Saturday at Habitat
And an usher on Sunday
He's a guitar around his neck
And his singing's kinda goofy
He's a snowball fight with snowmen
"Baby come and get me"
He's a one girl kinda guy
And he sure knows how to get me

He's the faith I wish I could have
And doubts I have everyday
He's a picture in my own head
But he's gotta be out there somewhere
He's the hand that holds me close
When I'm scared and take off running
He's the answer to my prayers
And he's the song that I'm dreaming

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
I dream about him, I go on and on and on
'Cause he's everything to me

He's the funky face I'd love to see
Someday when I'm ninety
He'll make that wooden rocking chair
I want rocking right beside me
Everyday that passes
I'll only love him more
Yeah, he's the one
That I've waited so long for

And he's everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me
Yeah he's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted
And everything I need
He's everything to me

Recommendation

Go see Amazing Grace in the theater. I highly recommend it. And let me know what you think.

Pigeons

My brother sent me this article about scientists who implanted electrodes into pigeon brains, allowing the scientist to control the direction in which the pigeon flies. I liked the end of the article, stating "the scientists hoped the technology could be put to practical use in the future, but did not specify what practical uses the scientists saw for remote-controlled pigeons."

Hmm... what would I do with a remote-controlled pigeon? Well, I'm sure I could have a lot of fun with it, fun that PETA folks wouldn't appreciate.
1) Get 2 pigeons and play "chicken" with each other. See if their natural instincts kick in, or if they succumb to the electrodes and fly into each other.
2) Implant an electrode in the pigeon's digestive system. Fly the pigeon over your least favorite person. Hit the trigger. 'Nuf said.
3) Drive a cat crazy by keeping the pigeon *just* out of its reach.

Are any of these ideas "practical"? Nope. Anyone out there got a practical use for a remote-controlled pigeon???

Whenever I talk about pigeons, I can't help but think about the Pigeonhole Principle . Ahh, the good ole' days of discrete math... If you have fewer scientists than pigeons, and every pigeon has to be given to a scientist, then at least one scientist will end up with more than one pigeon. But unfortunately, all pigeons will end up with an electrode in their brain. :)

Holiday

How did you celebrate President's Day? As for me, I went snowboarding! The proof:



"How'd it go?" Well, I'm definitely MUCH better at skiing. I spent most of the day on the ground. Although, observations seem to indicate that a lot of snowboarders spend most of the time on the ground, so maybe I'm not too far behind. And I'll probably spend most of tomorrow on a cushion, due to a sore behind! ;) But, no injuries, other than perhaps some slightly wounded pride. So, I'd say it was a success and a good bit of fun!

Life Together

We experienced some real winter weather this week, which shut things down for about a day and a half. The proof? Check out the icicles on my 'stang:


The slow pace gave me an opportunity to take a stab at the pile of "To Be Read" books on my shelf. Finally got a chance to read "Life Together" by Bonhoeffer. If I had read this book while at A&M, I think I would have completely missed some of the points in the book. But reading it now, while starting anew and facing new challenges in life, I could really let Bonhoeffer's point sink in. I particularly liked Chapter 1 about community. It reminded me that Christian Community is a blessing from God. Through the ebb and flows of life, we may find ourselves surrounded by Christian community, or we may find ourselves looking for such community. But in either situation, God is our source of strength and Christ should be the focus of our lives. God can use community to teach us, but he can also use lack of community to teach us. And until Christ comes again, God's people remain scattered, held together only in Christ. "Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participiate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it."

Since love is essential in the Christian's life and community, Bonhoeffer also talked about the difference between human love and spiritual love, a fitting topic for February. As he says, human love is directed to the other person for his own sake and focuses on desire; spiritual love loves him for Christ's sake and focuses on service. "The existence of any Christian life together depends on whether it succeeds at the right time in bringing out the ability to distinguish between a human ideal and God's reality, between spiritual and human community."

Bonhoeffer than continues for 4 more chapters, discussing "The Day with Others", "The Day Alone", "Ministry", and "Confession and Communion." It's a pretty quick read, and the content makes you think. Two characteristics of a worthwhile read.

LCMS wiki

Have you ever visited the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod page on wikipedia?

Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod is part of the WikiProject Christianity, an attempt to build a comprehensive guide to Christianity on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, you can edit articles, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and/or contribute to the discussion. If you are new to editing Wikipedia, visit the welcome page to become familiar with the guidelines.

InstaVerse

"Do you visit Christian web sites or receive daily devotional emails? Ever want to look up a scripture fast? InstaVerse™ by WORDsearch will let you instantly see the actual Bible text for scripture references like John 3:16 — install InstaVerse, point your mouse at the reference, and the text pops up in your preferred translation! The best part is that InstaVerse with the KJV Bible is FREE!"

I installed InstaVerse, and I think it's pretty cool. Jump on the bandwagon, download today!

Justification

A recent email caused me to think about justification, so I started looking stuff up and dusted the cobwebs off some good theological terms. By faith in Christ, we are declared just before God. What does this mean? Christ's death fully atoned for all sin, God has forgiven all sin, and the Gospel reveals this forgiveness to all men. (1 John 2:1-2) We are sinners and we are worthy of death. But when we believe in Christ's atoning sacrifice, we are declared righteous before God. (Romans 3:21-26) We are still sinners, but that sin does not count against us. Instead, it is credited with the merits of Christ. (Rom 4:5-8)

So where does faith come in? The book I'm reading says it better than I could: "Christ paid for the sins of all men, and God, accepting this payment, has in His heart forgiven all sins of all men. This is called objective or universal justification. The moment our faith trusts in the promise of God...God confirms the gift upon us personally. This is called personal or subjective justification." Thus by faith we receive personal possession of that justification, which the Gospel offers to all men in general. As Derek pointed out, faith itself is also a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9). That's amazing and reassuring, for us sinners who fall short in every way without Christ's sacrifice, God's love, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Illustration: On 01 JAN 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and declared slaves to be free. This was a general statement that applied to all men. But an individual slave was not personally freed until he heard about Lincoln's proclamation and it was applied to his life. In the same way, when Christ died on the cross 2000 years ago, the reconciliation of the world and forgiveness of sins through Christ became an accomplished fact. The attitude of men, whether he belives or not, cannot change that fact. Yet when a man believes this fact, he has the forgiveness of sins and is personally justified before God.

"Thus it appears that universal justification does not benefit anyone unless it is followed by personal justifcation, and that personal justification is possible only because of the preceding universal justification." Don't get lost in the terminology, it's actually quite simple. Illustration: "Bread will not nourish us, unless we eat it; but we cannot eat it unless it is there."

Justification is not an internal transformation that makes the sinner less sinful. It is an act performed by God, taking place outside the sinner, in which God absolves the sin of sinful men who believe in Christ. He absolves them not on their own merit or worth, but solely on the merit and righteousness of Christ and their faith in Christ's righteousness. "Faith is absolutely necessary as a means of salvation, but faith is not the Savior. Not the act of eating, but the food we eat nourishes us. Thus, not the act of believing, but what we believe saves us."

Justification is complete and perfect. All sins are forgiven, completely. I liked this part: "For this reason, faith does not look forward to forgiveness of sins, as a thing to be hoped for, but forgiveness and justification are a present possession, which we have and hold in their completeness as long as we continue in the faith. There are degrees of faith, weak and strong, but there are no degrees of justification."

That's all for now. But this review of justification made me read up on sanctification as well, so I may blog on that soon, if I have the luxury of time to do so.

PS: I have a new first cousin, once removed. Congrats Julie and Brian!!

Snow

I went snow skiing for the first time ever this weekend. And I had a BLAST! I'm definitely going again, except next time I'm going to learn to snowboard. :) Thanks to everyone who gave me advice beforehand, like "Just remember pizza /\ and french fries ||", "lean forward, even though it's scary", "you will be sore the next day", and "you will love it". Y'all were all right, especially about the being sore part!

It doesn't snow much up here, so the resort was mostly man-made snow. Did you know that you can make your own snow at home by building your own snow machine?

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A man and his wife were having an argument as to who should make the coffee in the morning. The wife thought it was her husband's job, since he was always the first to wake up in the morning. The husband thought it was his wife's job, since she was, after all, the wife and keeper of the kitchen. After some harmless and not so harmless bickering, the wife finally said in desperation "Let's see what the Scriptures have to say about this!" She opened up her Bible and say "Aha! See that! It clearly says it's the man's job: He-brews."

And for something more worthwhile to think about than a punchline groan or chuckle, Hebrews 10:

"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Terrify No More

A while back, I went to a Sara Groves concert. While there, I saw her Nomad Series DVD which is a reality-type show telling of Sara's travels to Rowanda and New Orleans. I'm a sucker when it comes to hearing people's stories, adventures, and life lessons, so I bought a copy. In this DVD, Sara meets with Gary Haugen, a former UN war-crimes investigator, who now uses his law and investigative talent as President of International Justice Mission to investigate and intervene on behalf of victims of oppression throughout the world. He instantly caught my attention as I thought "Way cool. This guy's not a lawyer living on Easy Street. He's in the trenches using his skills and talents in a direct way, to make an impact on this world." So, I decided to learn more about him and his work.

So I just finished reading Haugen's book Terrify No More. It's a disturbing story of IJM operations, mainly to free young girls from horrific experiences in Cambodia. The book reminded me that we live in a sinful world, and yet it reminded me of the tremendous things God can do through those who give their talents to His purposes and put their trust in Him. Two quotes that impacted me from the book:

Describing Bob Mosier, an IJM staff member: "Scripture describes faith as 'the assurance of things hoped for, and conviction of things not seen,' and Mosier has core convictions about some things he cannot see. He believes that he was made by a God who exists and can be known. He believes this God cares about him and has given him work to do in the world--the work of helping people in desperate need. And finally, he believes that God is on his side in this work and will help him do it. I (the auther Haugen) am willing to assert that he believes these things for one simple reason: He acts as if these things are true. Mosier is a great example of what Dallas Willard has written so clearly about regarding the nature of faith (amplifying the message of the epistle of James): Namely, we believe something not when we SAY we do or even when we BELIEVE we do, but when we ACT as if we do."

"For many of us, the ugliness of abuse and oppression in our world leads us, quite understandably, to ask: 'Where is God in the midst of such sorrow?' But over time, having seen the suffering of the innocent and the crushing of the weak all around the world, more and more I (the auther Haugen) find myself asking not 'Where is God?' but 'Where are God's people?' As a global force, America and its people are able to generate wealth, exert governmental power, and impact the world in a way that's unprecedented in the history of nation-states. And we live here at a time when the world is full of massive and profound poverty, injustice, oppression, and suffering. Accordingly, the first step in good stewardship is to understand what God has given us by placing us here. How can we, as good stewards of American influence and liberty, turn those blessings into actions on behalf of the oppressed? It takes each one of us, faithfully offering what he or she has and allowing God to multiply it into something great."

Just food for thought.

Clara Barton

Quick, do you remember who Clara Barton is? I was driving to an old friend's house tonight and saw "Clara Barton Pkwy". The name rang a bell, but I couldn't remember what she was famous for (my brain's getting rusty in my old age...). Google quickly told me she was the founder of the Red Cross. Aha, that's right. Speaking of the Red Cross, I gave blood for the second time last week. Didn't go quite as well as the first time: This time I had the luck of getting a lady who didn't know what she was doing and ended up with an impressive bruise on my arm. But, I'm tough, and besides, if they use my blood to help someone else, it's worth it. But here's hoping next time I get a pro!

Life

At church this morning, I found out that Doug was in the hospital. I met Doug one of the first weeks I was up here. We found out that we both grew up in Houston, went to A&M for grad school, and then moved to DC for a job. Granted, he did so about 40 years before I did, but the point is that we have a lot in common and I've always enjoyed talking with him and hearing about his experiences. So I went with another lady in the church to visit him, especially b/c he doesn't have any family in the area.

When was the last time you were in a hospital? I can't remember the last time I was. Doug was doing well: smart and stubborn as ever. But I couldn't get over the emotions of being in that place. It reminded me of when I was a kid and would visit my grandpa in the hospital and nursing home. I never really knew what to say and there wasn't really anything I could do for him. Just being there, that's all I could do.

But that got me thinking. I'm a strong proponent of the phrase "Actions speak louder than words." Maybe that's why I don't always talk much; maybe that's why "service" always ranks up there in my "spiritual gifts inventory". And then there's the fact that I'm a Type-A personality and a workaholic. In any event, I get very uncomfortable when I'm in situations where I can't actively "do" something. But sometimes "being" is better than "doing". Being in a hospital is one of those situations. I'm not a doctor, I can't physically do anything to help anyone get better faster. But I can be there to listen to them and give a smile.

Life is not about the number of things we can accomplish, or the number of ministries we can get involved in. It's about the journey, the process of growing closer to Christ and closer to others. In this fast-paced world we live in, we need to make sure we don't get so busy and over-loaded that we miss out on simple opportunities to be there for others, and opportunities to "Be still and know that He is God". I say this b/c I often forget to do just that, and something like a trip to the hospital helps put life back in perspective.

Happy New Year!

Most of y'all know me as an analytical girl who weighs the pros and cons from all angles before making a decision. This characteristic is both good and bad. Good because it keeps me from ending up in "what was I thinking?" situations; bad because "the opportunity of a lifetime must be siezed within the lifetime of the opportunity". Sometimes we just have to be spontaneous, take a risk, and trust God with the rest.

Speaking of being spontaneous, my first spontaneous decision of the year was to book a last minute flight to come visit Betsy in Cedar Rapids, IA. We've had a blast catching up, reminiscing about the good old days, and speculating about things to come. Waiting in the airport for my flight, I was listening to some old Breakaway talks. Gregg's Sept 28, 2001 "Faith in the Unknown" talk really hit me, talking about Hebrews 11.

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."

Gregg talks about what it means to walk by faith:
- Faith is a step-by-step continual "Yes" in your heart. We won't be perfect people tomorrow, but each day, God will grow us closer to Him and reveal His will for us in His time.
- Faith in God, not in the location. It's when we say "God, I trust that you are enough to meet my needs. Your love is better than life. I'm trusting in God, not in the provision of God."

Each new year brings new opportunities and new hope. I honestly don't know what God has in store for me this year. Good or bad, I'm trusting Him with 2007. Happy New Year, everyone!

Perspectives

I've been talking to Mandy about the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course, and figured I'd put in a little plug to anyone out there in cyberspace:

Q: Should I take Perspectives?

A: First off, pray about it. If it seems like something you are interested in, are willing to put time into, and God leads you that direction, then I definitely encourage it. I haven't taken the course yet, but I've heard about it from a number of sources, and I've heard nothing but good things. I just finished up a similar course on Islam, and man, as I reflect on the class and the material, it's good stuff. It just doesn't get any better than to hear stories of people living for Christ, go to class with people searching after God's will, to discuss faith issues, and contemplate what's really important in life. The course is offered in a number of cities throughout the USA. Check it out.

Great Commission or Great Commandment

My homework tonight asked this question: "Which is more significant, obeying the Great Commission (making disciples) or the Great Commandment (loving God and your neighbor)?"

Something about this question intrigues me. I'm typically bad at answering "either or" questions (mainly because I'm indecisive. Ok, that needs a qualifier: extremely indecisive.) Of course, both the Great Commission and the Great Commandment are extremely significant, so perhaps it's not right to judge one over the other. But for the sake of answering the question, here's the answer I came up with:

"I think the Great Commandment is more significant because by loving God and our neighbors, we are being a light of Christ to those around us, which can open doors and pathways to make disciples through these acts of service. Both are important, but the Great Commandment is a heart-matter. We need to change inwardly and have the right motives before we can be truly effective in our outward expressions and activities to make disciples."

If anyone has an answer or reasoning for the other viewpoint, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Sara Groves

Went to a Sara Groves concert this weekend. Went by myself because I absolutely love Sara Groves' music, and I didn't know anyone who could come with me. Events of the evening:

- Sat next to a lady who was also sitting alone. Turns out she owns a Christian bookstore in Vienna, VA. We had a nice little chat and instead of being alone, I made a friend for the evening. Little Miss Introvert can learn to branch out!

- Sara played her songs on the piano. Just piano. It was absolutely amazing. Made me miss Betsy and her amazing piano skills.

- The concert benefited Young Life's Capernaum for children with special needs. Very moving.

Monkeying Around

Who says party favors are only for the kids?




Along with Thanksgiving, we celebrated my brother's birthday and the twins birthday over the holiday weekend. My, my, time flies.


In other monkeying around business, go to Colin's website and comment on his insightful Jerry MacGuire observation. Derek, thanks for the "prank". It's good to joke around with the old gang again, even if it has to be via the Internet these days.


Here's some interesting Chinese research. "The ant and ladybug appeared fine after 30 minutes of levitation, although the fish did not fare as well, due to the inadequate water supply, the scientists report."


And finally, I got my blood donor card today and found out I'm A positive. Got this reply from my brother: "I wouldn't expect anything but A+ blood coming from you... Man, you can't even get a B in a blood test, good job!" ;)

Suffering Again

After thinking about some comments on my last post, I decided to write a follow-up post. This was written mainly for my own benefit, but pull up a chair and read awhile if you're so inclined. Warning: This is long. That's what happens when you get me on a topic that's interesting.

I generally try to avoid generalizations, but sometimes they are useful for the sake of argument or analysis. So bear with me as I generalize "society". I've been considering what claims the typical American society might make concerning how American Christians suffer. Along with that is my response to why those things aren't really suffering.

Some may claim getting up early on Sunday mornings for church is suffering. This is not suffering. It is a joy when your heart is in the right place.

Some may claim spending time in Bible study is suffering and consumes too much time. This is an investment and a necessity, not a waste of time, and it's far from suffering.

Some may claim tithing and giving money to charities is suffering because then you can't afford things like big-screen TVs. My response would be that eventually TV and material possessions will lose their appeal, especially when you realize that money can go to better use elsewhere. Perhaps it's a result of placing too much emphasis on stuff when I was younger and over the years realizing that stuff can never satisfy. I'm far from perfect, and I still revert to my greedy self who wants to cling to my stuff and have all the latest gadgets and gizmos, but with prayer and the right perspective, it's easy to realize we don't really need half of the things we think we do.

Some may claim spending vacation time on mission trips is suffering. Again, not suffering. A week on a mission trip is what motivates me to get through the rest of the year. Need to start praying about where God wants me this year, right now I have no clue.

Some may claim throwing in the towel on society's view of dating is suffering. Ok, so being single certainly involves a suffering of its own kind, but it's nothing compared to the pain of society's twisted view on relationships. That much I know first hand unfortunately. And in His timing, God will provide what I need and what fits His will, either contentment with being single or a relationship that He gets all the credit for. [Commercial break sponsored by Derek : Sacred Singles Video]

Some may claim leaving the comforts of family and friends is suffering. To that I say it isn't easy, but decisions should not ruled by money or comfort level. And as Camille said, "sometimes God leads us one place so that He can lead us to the next place He has in store for us."

So, our society might look at the lives of American Christians and claim we are suffering. But as a whole, we aren't anywhere close to suffering, especially when viewed from a global perspective. Let me caveat that by saying I'm certain there are many who genuinely suffer for Christ in America, but it's in ways far more extreme and important than the trivialities I listed above. It's the people whose stories bring tears to your eyes, causes your jaw to drop, and makes you instantly ask yourself "How did they find the strength to get through that or accomplish that? Through Christ alone."

My source of conflict arises when considering if I should "suffer for Christ" or "accept His blessings". Often times, those two things seem mutually exclusive to me. But I must remind myself that suffering for Christ does not mean rejecting His blessings. And accepting His blessings does not mean a person isn't struggling with hardships and isn't relying on Christ. I guess the goal is to have both, appreciate all the blessings He lavishes on us, while recognizing the source of those blessings and being ready and willing to follow Him, regardless of the cost. SO MUCH easier said than done. Zach's right though, the one who tries to hold on to their own definition of life, the one who builds castles in the sand, really loses out on Christ's definition of life and the true joy experienced from living for Christ.

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." (John Piper) This is most certainly true. If your earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? God wants us to be satisfied in Him. God wants to give us blessings. God wants to give us the desires of our heart, when our heart is in the right place and when it glorifies Him. But sometimes suffering is involved so that we realize that we can only be satisfied in Christ. Other times suffering is involved to demonstrate the all-surpassing power and peace found in Christ. The problem is that we're sinful and don't get our priorities right and we start thinking about ourself and our "needs" instead of God. So, how do we determine if something is a blessing from God or a desire of the flesh? How about measuring things by the fruit of the Spirit? A blessing from God will result in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God might bless us with a good job so we can give to others. This is good. Or we might desire a good job because we are greedy, jealous, selfish. This is bad.

We are Christian. We are living in America. As Besty said in her comment, why are we here with a good life when there's a woman of great faith in Africa without hands? That question can only be answered by God. All I know is that God calls us to grow where we are put; He's in the driver's seat and will lead the way if only we would stop grabbing the wheel. Someday God might call us to go to Africa. Someday God might call us to go down the street and help at the soup kitchen. The key is realizing that God is calling us and has great plans for us, if only we would listen.

Suffering for Christ

I love Thanksgiving. It's always good to count one's blessings and thank the Lord for all the ways He provides for us. And to sit around with family and friends, realizing how special they are. Shouldn't everyday be Thanksgiving?

So, after a few days of relaxation, peace, and giving thanks, I'm confronted again with the concept of suffering for Christ. One of the questions brought up in my class was "Most Muslim-background believers in Christ suffer for their faith, and some have given their lives. What does "suffering for Christ" mean to you and your community?" For some reason, I haven't been able to come up with a good answer for this question.

This summer, a friend gave a talk about suffering and quoted John Piper saying "It's hard to be a Christian in America. The psychological benefits, the relational benefits, the prosperity benefits, the health benefits, etc. of believing in Jesus make a pretty good life. Such that if it is wrong in the end, well, who cares, we still lived a pretty good life." And that's so different from the New Testament church and the examples of faith that we have.

I've been thinking about this stuff for a while, and nothing has settled in my head yet. When living "the American dream" where we are free to worship and proclaim Christ when, where, and however we want, do we "suffer for Christ"? If so, what does that look like? Insight anyone?

Chris Rice

Pulled out an old Chris Rice CD driving this weekend. Haven't listened to Chris Rice in a while, but he really has a way with words. Liked the chorus of this song:

Why does the past always seem safer?
Maybe because at least we know we made it.
And why do we worry about the future?
When every day will come just the way the Lord ordained it.

Writing

For the past week, I've been thinking about books. Mainly wondering what kind of book I'd want to write if I ever wrote one. When I was little, I used to want to write textbooks. Yeah, call me crazy, wouldn't be the first time. The appeal of textbooks has since worn off, don't worry. I'm not sure I have any good book ideas, but then I heard from the rumor mill that OJ Simpson is writing a book called If I Did It. (shaking head) Sounds like we need some good book ideas out there...

Second, a friend sent me this link to Dr. Gates Yell Practice speech last week. "I got degrees from 3 other universities, but for the rest of my life, I will always be an Aggie. Y'all are blessed to go here, and I have only one request of you as Aggies: and that is to never forget the importance of duty and honor and country. I love you. I'll miss you. God bless Texas A&M, God bless you, and God bless America." Gotta love it.

Third, last Sunday in church with Sara and Gottfried, I was flipping through the hymnal and came across this hymn. After reading through the lyrics again, I just love it:

If you but trust in God to guide you
And place your confidence in Him
You’ll find Him always there beside you
To give you hope and strength within
For those who trust God’s changeless love
Build on the rock that will not move

What gain is there in futile weeping
In helpless anger and distress?
If you are in His care and keeping
In sorrow will He love you less?
For He who took for you a cross
Will bring you safe through every loss

In patient trust await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er your Father’s pleasure
And all discerning love have sent
Doubt not your inmost wants are known
To Him who chose you for His own

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving
Offer your service faithfully
And trust His word though undeserving
You’ll find His promise true to be
God never will forsake in need
The soul that trusts in Him indeed

Foxtrot

Got to visit Molecular Man, his awesome wife, and his cool trick bird this weekend in North Carolina!! Yay fun. :-) He told me about this recent comic:

Computer Joke

I've gotta get back in the habit of reading Foxtrot again...

ChAnGe

I was doing my "homework" tonight, and had to answer this question:
"How should Christians respond to change in the culture around them?" Coupled with Betsy's recent post, I decided to blog some thoughts:

Change is the only constant in life. Winston Churchill had a number of quotes on change, some that relate more to the topic of this post than others :)
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

As Christians, we must learn how to address cultural change, especially as society becomes seemingly more and more immoral. Christ was often found with sinners and tax-collectors. He did not participate in their sin, but he did not shun them because they were sinful. He met them where they were, by embracing who they were and sharing the truth. So my question, would Christ be hanging out in movie theaters today? Would he watch the filth that is plastered across the big screen? To be fair, I don't think it's an important question because it only addresses the activity, not the motivation. If Christ could use going to a bad movie with someone as an opportunity to share the truth with them, I'd think he would be there in a heartbeat. So the question becomes, can we use the elements in this changing society to share the truth with others around us? There's two approaches I can think of:
(1) Take an an existing element and point out Biblical truths (or lack thereof) in it. That was the reasoning behind my movie Bible study (scroll down to summer 2005) last year.
(2) Take an existing element that and inject Biblical truths into it. That was the reasoning behind my Christian music Bible study (scroll down to Fall 2004) a few years ago.

The tricky part is not becoming so wrapped up in society and catering to society's demands that the Biblial truths get lost or washed over. Both approaches must be done with care; both require conscious effort and prayer. And honestly I'm no good at either one. I have found that I either shun society and ignore it, or brainlessly participate in what society has to offer, siphoning off the entertainment factor and discarding the rest. But I can't help but think of what an impact we could all make if we engaged in society like Jesus did and thought about how to point people to Christ in the midst of our changing culture.

Temple

Imagine this: You're driving around the lovely, traffic-filled Capital Beltway(that's I-495 for those out of the loop), enjoying the beautiful scenery of trees and autumn leaves that make Maryland what it is. When all of the sudden, just beyond the trees, out of nowhere, rises a gleaming white, massive structure. "What in the world?" you wonder, as you slam on the brakes and try to get a better look. That, my friends, is the Washington DC Mormon Temple. This thing is crazy, especially at night when it is lit up and almost looks like it is floating. Definitely something to Google Sightsee for a better image, but here's my attempt to capture a picture of it while driving the other night:




I won't get into the topic of Mormons, but it really gets me thinking about church buildings. A church building is a place people gather, fellowship, and worship the Lord. Many old cathedrals are beautiful and ornate, signifying respect and honor in a holy place. Many new church building consist of multi-purpose rooms full of activities, signifying life and joyful fellowship. And keep in mind, some churches don't even have a building. But each type of church building and each type of church has a place in history, and each meets a need. The important part: that all glory and honor is given to *Christ Jesus*, our SAVIOR, the only way to salvation.

Aggie Network

Aggie Network in the Pentagon - it goes all the way to the top! Any other Aggies out there want to hop on the bandwagon and head to DC?

In a statement posted on the university's Web site today, Gates said he was "deeply honored" to be appointed defense secretary, "but also deeply saddened" to be leaving College Station, Texas. "I love Texas A&M deeply, but I love our country more and, like the many Aggies in uniform, I am obligated to do my duty," he said. "And so I must go."

Press Conference
News Story
Gates "Rising in the Ranks" Photos

Comfort

Mandy pointed out that I have my own line of comforters at
Bed Bath and Beyond. Apparently I'm exclusively theirs!

Not sure what I think about the pattern, but I'll go with the "fun and fresh" description. Watch out for those Stefani shams though! Haha.

Water

Heard about this at a Derek Webb concert awhile back. Ran across it again recently:

The bad news: Millions of Africans lack access to clean water, including those living with HIV/AIDS. Countless women and children walk up to ten miles a day to get water.

The good news: One dollar provides one year of clean water for an African.

Blood:Water Mission's 1,000 Wells Project is building 1,000 wells and clean water projects in 1,000 African communities. Find out how to donate your dollar—and hopefully do even more—at www.bloodwatermission.com.

Politics

Comment from a high school friend:
---------------------
"You study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."
-Sen. John Kerry on the Campaign trail, 30OCT06 @ Pasadena City College in Pasadena, CA.

Dear friends, this is what I like to call crap. I defend this man's right to say such comments, my soldiers are prepared to die for this very ideal. Surprisingly enough I'm not writing this in an outrage. This man is entitled to say comments exactly like this, I'm writing this because this is a perfect opportunity to discuss politician’s behavior, in this situation we have a politician who is trying to capitalize on 'anti-war' sentiment in order to turn out votes. Just as opposing politicians are trying to capitalize on security issues.
Unfortunately that's the real problem; we have a lack of statesmen and an abundance of politicians. What's the difference you might ask? A statesman is concerned about the generation after him while the politician is concerned about capturing the next election. It's actually disgusting how much ignorance is flying around out there (what I call VDI or Vulgar Display of Ignorance). Again this comment is a prime example, here's some quick facts you can take to the bank...
-Enlistee's have a higher education rate than the US general public
-Most colleges approve military occupational specialty training for credit
-99% of the Military has a High School/GED/College degree
-95% of the Officer Corps has AT LEAST a Bachelor's degree
-A majority of Senior Officers (Major and Above) have Master's degrees.
-Our military is the most educated and technical military force in the world

Just to be clear again I'm not specifically trying to slam Sen. Kerry. I am, however, attempting to point out that words just get thrown around to beat the band. On all sides. So what I'm asking you all as voters to do is quite simply, pay attention and be skeptical of all politicians. Not right or left, but every last one them. And above all vote! Don't let anyone tell you who to vote for, discuss the options 'ad nausea' if you like... Just make your own choice and be responsible enough to do some research before you vote a 'straight ticket'- be choosey. The future is in the hands of your ballot...
---------------------
A picture to close out the post.

Wise Words

Words from a wise friend:
-----------------------------
"Things will come with time. Despite the world's trying to convince us that instant gratification is the course of all things, that is really not the case. The Scripture reminds us that to the Lord a day is as a thousand years.

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this." Psalm
37:5

I used to think that verse had everything to do with me - you know, the
committing and trusting part - and I strove really hard to do just that.
The only thing was, in making it about me, I confused the "do" in this
verse. I thought it was all about me doing. So, you know what happened
- I missed the good part about His doing. The verse reads, "He will do
this." And the verses that follow verse 5 read as follows: "He will
make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause
like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for
him." It is really pretty clear, isn't it? God is the doer - "He will
do" - "He will make." As I think about those verses these days, my
committing and trusting revolves more around what He is already doing,
not what I think I should do. So, I try to see, "What is God doing that
I can commit to and trust in?" What is He already doing around me of
which I simply need to be aware, or pray to understand, not to change,
AND TO WAIT PATIENTLY FOR HIM."
------------------------------

A few days later, my pastor made the following points in his sermon:
------------------------------
Christ gives us freedom from the sin of self-centeredness, the addiction of immediacy, and the tyranny of our senses. We are given freedom to cultivate Christ-centered relationships, character, and discipleship. Sometimes the Lord teaches us and calls us to wait. But He is never content where we are; the Christian life is about growth and adventure.
------------------------------

I *know* all these things in my head, but sometimes life makes it hard to remember them. That's why God surrounds us with Christian examples and encouragers to challenge us and keep us walking with Christ.

Time... is on my side?

I don't think I'll ever be able to wrap my head around the concept of time. I complain about not having enough time, but when I really think about it, I realize that I waste too much time. And then there's the repetitious things in life you have to do, like laundry, cleaning, driving, sleeping, that consume a lot of time. How are we ever supposed to get everything thing done that we're supposed to do each day? And even if we do, by the time we wake up the next morning, there's more to do again. Read this devotion a few days ago:

"It was Ernest Hemingway who once said "Time is the least thing we have of." And he was right. How quickly time passes - and how often we lament this. If only we could tack an extra twenty-five or thirty years on to the usual span. There is so much more we want to see, to celebrate, to do. So many places to go, so much to enjoy, to feel, to read, to talk about, to participate in, to encounter. Yet, for each of us, this thing called time is in such short supply..

Our frustration is only compounded by the numerous unimportant, dumb things that seal our minutes and siphon the signifcance out of our hours. You know what I mean. Stuff like getting gas or a haircut, standing in the eternal line at the DMV, doing laundry, washing all the dishes after every meal, mowing the lawn, and a dozen other time-consuming things that have to be done but keep you from doing the things that make life so invigorating and fulfilling.

Since "time is the least thing we have of" and since there is no way we're going to escape all the stupid time-traps that accompany our earthly existence, seems to me that we're left with two choices: Either we can fuss and whine about not having enough time, or we can take the time we've got left and spend it wisely. I mean REALLY wisely, with our priorities in the right order.

Speaking of that, what are you doing with the rest of your life? I'm talking about cultivating relationships, building memories that will help lift the load of future trials, and the deliberate pursuit of activities that will yield eternal dividends.

Do you have a family? Rather than leaving them the leftovers and crumbs and giving your job your best hours and your most creative ideas, how about rethinking the value of strengthening those ties? And while we're at it, let's not leave out necessary time for quietness, for personal reflection and refreshment.

You say you don't have time to add another week to your squirrel-cage lifestyle. Don't kid yourself. You keep blowin' and goin' like you've been doing most of your adult life, and you'll wind up mumbling to yourself in the twilight years, wondering how you could have stayed so busy yet accomplished so little.

Hey, maybe Hemingway wasn't right after all. You and I have more time than we realize once we get our priority ducks in a row."

Movies, Society, Sin

A friend's post pointed me to the article Escalating Depravity by Gene Edward Veith. It basically talks about how movies these days are getting worse and worse because people are becoming desensitized to the things they are seeing.

One of my friends used to say she can't wait until there's a moral revolution, where people get sick of where society is headed, start standing up for what's morally right, and put pressure on the TV and movie industry to stop the downward spiral they are in. I see her point, but sadly I just don't know if it will ever happen. Although, I suppose it starts one person at a time... This said a week after I went to see The Departed... What can I say? Growing up with my brother, I developed a taste for action/adventure/thriller movies. This article had the following comments about "The Departed": "Directed by Martin Scorsese from a gritty, witty William Monahan script, has no redeeming social value except one: It brilliantly depicts the depravity of man and the consequences of immorality. It is thus a more moral film than those that gloss over life without God."

I might have to limit myself to my other favorite movie genre from now on: Pixar!

In other news, here's an interesting game for the kids.

Urbana

Found out about the Urbana conference a while back, and keep hearing about it at random times. Not sure if I can take off work, but maybe if I work hard. Plus, I'd get to hang out in St. Louis, with the super-awesome Kruegers! All you folks out there with time on your hands after Christmas should think about it.

Kurds

We had a guest speaker tonight from Christar, an organization that reaches out to the "least-reached" people around the world. Cherie amazed me. She's probably in her mid-30s, is single, and has an amazing heart for Kurds. Her confidence and assurance in the fact that God is doing mighty things, even though only a small percentage of Kurds are believers, and her dedication to the tasks the Lord has given her made a definite impression on me. She was very down-to-earth, reminding us that "God does not call us to convert people. He only calls us to share the Gospel truth, and the Holy Spirit works on the heart." She talked about summer trips to Iraq, classes to take to learn more, and a number of other things that I simply don't have time to do now that I've got a real full-time job. I left this evening's class kind of depressed wondering "But what can I do? What is God calling me to do?" Given some time and prayer, I'm a bit more at peace and settled down. For one, I can pray. For two, I can look for opportunities to build relationships with people I encounter. And for three, God gives us each our own gifts and talents and opportunities to impact His kingdom. God gifted Cherie with the heart and personality she needs to reach out to Kurds. It is her calling. God created me for a specific purpose. Whether that involves computers or college ministry or cookies or koosh balls, I'm really not sure. I'm still trying to figure out what His purpose is, but I'm confident that He's leading me somewhere. If Cherie and I switched places, she would not be equipped to deal with my daily tasks and opportunities, nor would I be equipped to handle hers.

Amongst all the handouts we got, there was a video that provides a basic overview on why some Muslims are peaceful and others are extremist, the difference between fundamentalist and modernists. If you have 12 minutes and are interested, it's here.

Blessings

I've been meaning to blog on the topic of Blessings for a very long while now, but I couldn't figure out how to organize my thoughts. What constitutes a blessing? When things are going well, people tend to say "the Lord has really blessed us." Hmm, are wealth, health, and happiness results of being blessed by God? Well, what if things are NOT going well for someone? Is the Lord still blessing them? And what about all the people across the globe who don't have a tenth of the things Americans have and who are living lives we couldn't even imagine? Where are their blessings?

The Lord blesses His people in different ways. How would you answer the question of "How has God blessed you?" Is that even an appropriate question? Here is my dilemma: I feel that I have been amazingly blessed by the Lord. He provided me with a wonderful Christian family, extremely loyal friends who stick by me even though I make that hard to do at times, a great environment to grow up in, and a good education, to name a few. I cannot help but think "why have I been blessed in this way when many other people in this world have not?" Or perhaps more appropriately, "why has God chosen to give me so many good gifts?" I have done nothing special to deserve them, in fact often times I have taken them for granted. But then I stop in my train of thought and realize the point: We don't deserve anything and we don't have to earn anything. They are gifts. And God in His sovereignty bestows gifts as He sees fit and according to His purposes. And what blows my mind even more is that God WANTS to give us more gifts than we could even IMAGINE! So long as we recognize that He is the source of these gifts!

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:11

At Our Savior's tonight, Pastor Mike said "You are blessed to be a blessing." You can interpret that phrase two ways depending on if you read "blessed" as an adjective or a verb, and I like it either way because it makes the whole process cyclical: We are given blessings, so that we can bless others, and in doing so be blessed ourselves. The important point to remember is that "the more we have been blessed, the more responsibilities we have." I will never be able to figure out WHY God chooses to give certain gifts to some people and not to others. We are on a need-to-know basis, and we don't need to know why. The most important focus is not on WHY but on NOW WHAT? What do we do with the specific blessings, gifts, and talents God has entrusted to us? As Matt Redman says "Every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise." We should use every ounce of everything we have to bring glory and honor to God. The next question is HOW do we do that? And the answer to that is different for each person and it involves a lot of prayer.

I'll close with one more quote from Pastor Mike:
"The Christian life is not about security, it's about certainty."

Books

When I was a kid, I loved the public library and couldn't get enough of books. College and boring textbooks cured me of that disease, but for the past couple years, I've tried to get back into the habit of reading. I've since realized that I have a bad habit of starting a bunch of books and never finishing them. So, I was going to be like Betsy and say I wasn't allowed to buy another book until I finished all the ones I already have, but I forgot and bought Lifestories by the Casting Crowns lead singer this weekeend. So, now I have 5 books by my bed that I need to finish, and that's not counting the ones still in boxes that I've forgotten about...

I ran across a list of the Top 50 Books that have Shaped Evangelicals. Before you look at the list, I encourage you to think about what books and authors have impacted your life the most, maybe even post a comment about it. For me, it would include:

• The Mystery of God's Will


• Through Gates of Splendor


• Spiritual Leadership


• God at Work


• Let the Nations be Glad

Themes

Years seem to come in themes for me. 2003 was about trust. 2004 was about transformation and Romans 12:1-2. 2005 was about priorities and God's plans, Jer 29:11-14 stuff. I think 2006 is about contentment. I did a Bible study on contentment back in February, but I'm definitely still learning what it means to be content in every circumstance. I like the quote that "Contentment is not the fullfillment of what we want, but the realization of all that we have in Christ." At the beginning of 2006, I was definitely struggling with contentment. Work was frustrating, the church was changing, friends were moving on, I felt like I was standing still. The problem was that I was focusing on the things I wanted but didn't have, instead of realizing how much Christ has already given me. Consider for a minute how absolutely amazing the gift of eternal life is. How often do we glaze over that fact because we've known it for years? We don't deserve the gift folks, but it's ours. Everything else in life pales in comparison.

I've heard the phrase "Grow where you're put." A tree simply grows where its seed is planted. God has planted each of us where we are right now for a reason. I think realizing that is one key to contentment. Now that doesn't mean we get lazy and stop listening to where He is leading us and what He is up to. It's kind of a balance between making the most of each day and looking forward to His future plans. Reminds me of the lyrics of a hymn that's been going through my head for a while now: Hark, the voice of Jesus calling

Islam

So, I'm taking a class on Islam and wow, I am learning a ton. Lots of things about the history and beliefs that I didn't know before. But also other things, such as how much impact Muslims had on classical mathematics and science back in the day. 1001 inventions points out a few. Makes me wonder, what happened to Islamic influence on the sciences? Why is it that the West is now dominating academia and technological discoveries?

Ramadan is from 24sept to 23oct. Pray for the Muslim world during this time, that the truth and the Gospel of Christ may reach out to them, and for those in the EWI class as we learn about their beliefs.

PS: I stole the meebo thing on the right from miked's blog. Figured I'd copycat and try it out for fun ;-)

Bloglines!

Want to keep up with blog posts, news sites, etc., but don't have time to traverse a ton of websites? You need www.bloglines.com. It can track any site with an RSS feed. Thanks to Derek for passing along this useful info!

National Cathedral

I went to a worship service at the National Cathedral this morning. Unlike most "cathedrals", this one is not associated with the Catholic church, but rather the Episcopalian church.

It's been a LONG time since I've been to a church service that was so formal. I tend to enjoy contemporary praise music, with guitars, drums, and the like, and most of the churches I went to in College Station had that kind of style. Plus, the Lutheran church I grew up in isn't really your typical Lutheran church. Formality and respect is definitely an important part of worshipping God, the creator of the universe. Think of it this way: when people have weddings, they have big ceremonies that are planned out and have a protocol. There's just something about a ceremony that emphasizes the importance of an event. Formal church services can be viewed that way. However, while awed by the ceremony, something was missing during the service at the National Cathedral, and I think it was the personal connection to Christ and to others that occurs in an intimate, laid-back worship service. God deserves all of our honor and respect, but He also wants our hearts and our emotions. He wants us to approach Him, to love Him, to make Him an integral part of every aspect of our lives. I think there's a balance that needs to be found in a worship service between honor and respect and making the throne of grace approachable to all.

Worshipping in our nation's cathedral was certainly an experience that I'll remember, but it's not something I could do every week. The congregation there is very transient, people come and people go. People are from various backgrounds and various faiths. While the diversity would be very enriching, it would be hard to make that a church home. Being part of a church is more than just attending the services, it's about being involved and growing together with Christ and the congregation: knowing the ins and the outs, knowing the people around you, and the stuff going on behind the scenes. I learned this lesson the hard way on my internships up here. Since I knew I wouldn't be in the area very long, I didn't make it a point to get plugged into a church and find a church home. Don't get me wrong, I went to church. I probably visited every Lutheran church in a 20 mile radius from my apartment! And I went to Frontline at McLean Bible regularly. But I didn't go to small groups, Bible studies, or any extracurricular church activities. Part of me looks back and wishes I had done things differently, but part of me realizes that those experiences were just lessons to teach me to prioritize my life and prepare me to find a church home this time around, and wherever God leads me in the future. It's funny the way the Lord works; many times we don't know how He is preparing us or what He is preparing us for. But we must be faithful, one day at a time, listening to His voice and being a light unto the world. The National Cathedral is certainly a light unto the world. It has its place in God's plan in sharing the message of Christ with the world, as do all the little churches across the country and throughout the world that proclaim the Gospel of Christ.

Rollin', rollin', rollercoasters!

Had some exciting fun at Hershey Park in PA! The funnest thing was Storm Runner,which is a "one-of-a-kind coaster will launch you from 0-72 mph in 2 seconds flat. 18 stories straight up, straight down. And that's just the beginning. You'll fly through a 135 foot cobra loop, barrel rolls, and a dramatic flying snake dive." I ABSOLUTELY loved it, and if there wasn't a 1 hour wait, I would have ridden it again. Went on most of the other rollercoasters, but I don't remember all the names. My new friends say some of the rollercoasters at the park are scarier and feel worse than skydiving. If that's true, I might have to reconsider my view on skydiving, because I really enjoyed the rollercoaster action this time around... It's funny b/c I went to Six Flags over Texas about a year and a half ago and chickened out after the 2nd ride. You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly teach an old girl to enjoy more rides!

Here's the high point of the Storm Runner. There's not much to give a sense of scale, but it's cool:


Also went on a tour of the Hershey museum, where I learned a new word: conching. Mmm, chocolate!!

Geek v. Nerd

Here's a light-hearted change in topics: Over the years, I've had too many conversations about the difference bt. a geek and a nerd and which term people prefer to call themselves. I recently read a wikihow how to which gave a definition of each term:

"A geek is someone smart and intellectual. They're usually good with computers and do well in school. Nerds on the other hand, specialize. A nerd can tell you every fact known to man about the topic they specialize in. Nerds are generally somewhat obsessive in one particular area. You might even say they know "way too much" about the topic for any kind of practical application (e.g. memorizing about 300 digits of pi, or obsessive trivia knowledge of Star Trek). Geeks are usually less obsessive but still very knowledgeable in particular domains. Geeks are more associated with intelligence, while nerds are more associated with obsessive knowledge and trivia."

Before reading that definition, I preferred the term "nerd", but with this new information, maybe geek is more up my alley. Dunno, but perhaps this post has enlightened your day, or at least made you shake your head and laugh! Good day, my friends.

You Never Let Go

The last Sunday I worshipped at Fellowship Church in College Station, we sang the song "You Never Let Go". I absolutely loved the lyrics. It's perfect for every life situation, but especially for me at this time. This song is on the "Passion: Everything Glorious" CD that I bought a while back, but for some odd reason, I never listened to the song much or realized it was on the CD until Tiff and I were on our grand adventure across the States. I was so tempted to play that track over and over again in the car, but I didn't want to drive Tiff nuts, so I spared her :-) But I want to share the lyrics here, and encourage you to get the track and play it over and over again and drive yourself nuts! ;-)

Matt Redman - You Never Let Go
From the album Passion 06: Everything Glorious

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

Chorus:
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Chorus

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Chorus (2x’s)

Elliot

Almost a year ago, I read "Through Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot. It was the first book I'd read about missionaries, and it changed my perspective on a lot of things. I've been on 5 mission trips before, and they were amazing experiences that molded me into who I am now and what I think is important in life. But reading about these missionaries and the experiences they went through was an eye-opening experience. A few months later, I watched "The End of the Spear" (a hollywood version of the incident) with some LSF friends, and a few months after that, Zach Baker showed me "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" (a documentary type movie), all the while, my perspective continued to change. If you haven't heard of any of these books or movies, let me say you are missing out. Go do a google search, read about Jim Elliot, and come back and finish reading my blog. Or send me an email and I'll buy you a copy of the book! The whole story, from the events that happened to the things that occurred as a result is amazing proof of how God works in all things, how much we can't understand how He works, and how He is sovereign and provides for all we need, even if we don't see it at the time.

I recently showed "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" at the LSF Fall Retreat. In preparation for the movie, I reread some of Elisabeth Elliot's comments about the incident, and the following paragraphs blew me away, and they almost always bring me to tears when I think about how many times I question God and what He is up to in my own life. I'll quote her below:

"The name Auca is a Quichua word meaning "naked" or "savage." It is no longer used. Waorani is what the people call themselves. Their story, at the time of the death of the men, later when I lived with the Indians themselves, and during all the years since as I have recounted it and reflected on it in the light of my own subsequent experience, has pointed to one thing: God is God. If He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to...

It is not the level of our spirituality that we can depend on. It is God and nothing less than God, for the work is God's and the call is God's and everything is summoned by Him and to His purposes, the whole scene, the whole mess, the whole package -- our bravery and our cowardice, our love and our selfishness, our strengths and our weaknesses. The God who could take a murderer like Moses and an adulterer like David and a traitor like Peter and make of them strong servants of His is a God who can also redeem savage Indians, using as the instruments of His peace a conglomeration of sinners who sometimes look like heroes and sometimes like villains, for "we are no better than pots of earthenware to contain this treasure [the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ] and this proves that such transcendent power does not come from us, but is God's alone" (2 Cor 4:7 NEB)

We are not always sure where the horizon is. We would not know which end is up if it were not for the shimmering pathway of light falling on the white sea. The One who laid earth's foundations and settled its dimensions knows where the lines are drawn. He gives all the light we need for trust and for obedience." -- Elisabeth Elliot, "Through Gates of Splendor"

On being single

This post was prompted by a late night conversation with Bets... After which we both decided to blog on singleness soon. I figure I'll start, and put the pressure on her! I have the advantage since I'm not working at the moment and have a bit more free time on my hands.

I'm not one to define my life by being in a relationship, and to be honest relationships intimidate me at times. But I'd be lying if I said I expected to be single at this point in my life. I want so badly to have a Godly marriage and raise a Christian family, and declare with my loved ones that "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." But that hasn't happened yet. And I could sit here and mull over the agonizing question of "Why?", as I often do with my few remaining single friends. But the answers to that question will get me nowhere. The fact of the matter is that it simply hasn't fit with God's timing yet. He is preparing me and He is preparing my future husband (if that is in His plan for my life), and so I must wait patiently and yet expectantly for that time to come. At Breakaway last semester, Ben encouraged singles to recognize and take advantage of the time they have right now, time to serve Christ, to go on mission trips, to take Perspectives, to get really plugged in at a church. Because once you're married and have kids, your life changes and you don't have the luxury of time. Since hearing him say that, my focus has shifted from trying to make the rest of my life fit on a tidy timetable, to simply finding opportunities to follow, serve, and grow in Christ. To appreciate where God has placed me right now and love Him. I'm not saying I've been successful at it, just that I'm trying to keep a better perspective on things.

Another thing that has been floating in my head lately is based on a story one of my friends told me long ago: "A man was very anxious to find his wife and get married. One day, as he was wrestling with why he was still single, he asked to be given some kind of hope that he would one day be married. The next day, he received a photo in the mail of two people on their wedding day. As he took a closer look, he realized that he himself was the man in the photo, but he looked very different. He had a gotee, instead of the long beard he was sporting at the time. He was more athletic and more tan. This made him realize that he wasn't prepared for marriage yet. So, he started becoming the person he was in the picture. He trimmed his beard, started exercising, and started working outdoors more often. Over time, he began to look exactly like he did in the picture and he was ready to find the woman of his dreams. So he kept the photo in his wallet, and again began to search for his wife. One day, he finally saw someone off in the distance who caught his eye. He pulled out the picture and compared. Sure enough, she was the woman in the photo. He was so excited to finally have found the one he waited so long for! Except as he took a closer look at the photo, he noticed that she didn't quite look like the photo yet. In the photo, her hair was very long and she wore contacts. This woman he found had short hair with glasses. He had finally found the woman, but she herself was not ready yet."

This is where my friend ended the story. I desparately wanted to ask "Well, what happened? Did he wait for her, or did he get tired of waiting and find someone else?" I never got an answer to my question. Mainly because it's just a story, you can create your own ending, but as for me, I hope that he waited, no matter how long it took her to be ready. That he enjoyed the time he had to watch her become the woman for him.

We've been reading John in Wednesday night Bible study. Chapter 2 is the story about the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine. When his mother requests him to do something, Jesus replies with "My time has not yet come." What amazes me is that he doesn't just say that and sit back down. "Nope sorry, I'm here for bigger and better things than wine, so I'm just going to wait until those opportunities arise" No, he still goes ahead and takes action, performs the simple miracle and brings honor to His name and His God in doing so. This is a huge lesson for me. So to my single friends out there, your time for marriage might not have come just yet, but that doesn't mean we should just sit back and wait. No, take the advice from the Breakaway talk and from Christ's example, and find something you can do right here, right now, to glorify Christ, to serve Him, and in the process allow God to mold your future in accordance with His timing and plans. And more importantly, realize that your relationship with Christ and the hope of your salvation is of paramount priority over any relationship or hope of a husband!

New Tunes

I finally bought Aaron Shust's new album, because I am absolutely in love with his song "My Savior My God" mainly for the opening line:

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior.

I try to figure this world and God's will out, but the more I try, the more confused and frustrated I get. I simply don't have the ability to understand it all. I cannot sit here and tell you what my life will be like in 5 years, or where He will lead me. But I rest assured that He will lead me and teach me each day, one step at a time. Based on what I've been learning lately and where my heart is, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me. And I can confidently say that wherever I end up, it will be God at work in me and in my life. Not by my own efforts, but purely as a result of the grace and mercy of my Creator.

Aaron has a very catchy section in song #10 of his CD:
Be at rest once more my soul for the Lord has been good to you
Be at rest once more, oh my soul
Be at rest once more my soul for the Lord has been good to you
Be at rest once more, be at rest once more.

The combo of the lyrics and the music get stuck in my head and I find myself singing that part over and over again. But the lyrics "once more" got me thinking. Have our souls ever been at rest? Should they be? Can they be? If that means confident of salvation, yes. But what exactly does it mean for a soul to be at rest? Ultimately, I don't think that will happen until Judgment Day when our souls will be forever in God's presence. I dunno.

Phones

I'm horrible with cell phones... I just took mine out of the washer tonight... Doh! Back to the Sprint Store we go... I should *seriously* consider getting that equipment replacement plan. Here's my history with phones since 2000:

- Kept in back pocket & sat on it too much until antennea gave up.
- Dropped in cranberry juice. Phones don't like cranberry juice as much as I do.
- Dropped on tile floor. Phones and tiles don't mix.
- Dropped in toilet (don't worry, it hadn't been used)
- Washed in washer

You'd think I'd learn!

Feet

Playing dodgeball on a tennis court late at night: fun. Doing it barefoot: not so intelligent. I have a new found respect for my foot, now that it is utterly useless, with a 2"x4" blister across the ball of my foot. I'm not a wuss when it comes to pain, but I'll be honest, this thing hurts. If you've never tried walking without using the ball of your foot, you should give it a shot. The best I can do is some type of ganster limp.

There's nothing like being sick or injured to make you appreciate being healthy. And then when you get healthy again, you tend to take it for granted. But hey, spending goofy time with friends, pretending that I'll never have to grow up, was worth it, so I'm not complaining.

Time

"At the end of the day, there's never enough time." Especially if you try to get enough sleep each night. I just don't know how people do it. But I did my best to squeeze as much as I could into this Friday. And it just got me thinking about time, and how precious it is. Are you the type that thinks you have all the time in the world to get around to things, or do you think there's never enough time to get everything we want done?

I've been thinking about this concept lately. Now that I'm preparing for the big move, I've been trying to see as many friends as I can. But why did it have to take leaving to get me to schedule a weekend to hang out with my Austin friends and my Houston friends, or plan an adventure to New Braunsfels, or see my family? These people have always been important to me, but when you think you have all the time in the world, it's easy to put things off. I'm gonna miss Texas, and all my friends down here who know me and whom I've shared many a laugh with and plenty enough tears.

So then I think about how the Day of the Lord will come "like a thief in the night." And I wonder if we truly understand that concept, or if we get distracted by our daily lives. In the grand scheme of things, we are running out of time. Every second counts. How do we hold on to that sense of urgency when the world is telling us to build a stable, safe and secure life for ourself?

Hymns

Sandra McCracken has a new album out that is old hymns, set to new music. More info of this type can be found at http://www.igracemusic.com.

I liked this comment about one of the hymns:
“The line 'Whate’er I need in Jesus dwells, and there it dwells for me.' is a powerful reminder of the fact that what we are often looking to idols to get (peace, hope, security etc.) we already have in Jesus! Getting this truth on your heart is the key to letting go of our idols and turning to Jesus."

Man, how true that is. Why do we search for our own answers, when all we need and all that could ever satisfy is found in Christ? How easy it is to forget that God has our best interests in mind, and more importantly, His best interests in mind. The next time you find yourself complaining about your life and going after idols, take a step back and realize that true peace, true hope, true security, is found in Christ and Christ alone. Not money, not jobs, not fame, not relationships, not cars, looks, or even intelligence. It's hard to truly understand that, but until we do, we'll be like hamsters, stuck in a cage, spinning our wheels, and getting nowhere.

Roadtrip Ideas?

I just found out that Tiff can come with me on my roadtrip to the new job! Whoop! If any of y'all have ideas for fun things to do on a road trip or good topics of conversation to pass the time in the car, post 'em here. I think I'm bringing a video camera, and I'm all about being silly...