September 12, 2010

Memory Monday

I'm feeling a bit ambitious this week as I attempt to tackle four verses.

However, when reading this passage over the weekend, I was completely struck by the simplicity yet life changing message of these four verses.

Luke 21:1-4

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.

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It's not out of His character to ask for everything.
- Francis Chan in Forgotten God

Kingdom Come, Uganda

A friend of mine I went to college with is Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He and his lead staff recently returned from a trip to Uganda and this is what they came back with. Take a seat and watch this, its worth the time.

Kingdom Come, Part 2: Uganda

The Blind Side

Jeremiah and I went on a date recently and saw the new movie, The Blind Side.

We both really like it and highly recommend it.

This true story of a wealthy Memphis family and the son they adopted was based on the 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. With powerful performances the film is uplifting and holds some truly touching moments but is (refreshingly) not gushy or saccharine.

Be sure to watch the trailer.

For further reading, check out Family Man, a WORLD article about the book and the movie.

ThankFull Week (Active Contentment)

Jeremiah and I did a contentment experiment last year that really taught us a lot.

I am reflecting on what we have fleshed out this year regarding being content.

And yes, this does relate to Thanksgiving.

I have learned that one does not just will oneself to be content. I can't tell myself "I am content" and...poof! It happens.

(If it worked that way I would next try telling Ezra "you are potty trained!" Ha!)

Like with all sin, when struggling with discontentment, one simply doesn't just remove the discontent. It has to be replaced with something else.

I have learned that contentment is gained by being actively and intentionally generous and thankful.

When I am focused on all that the Lord has blessed me with I cannot help but be content. When I am actively being thankful I cannot help but be overwhelmed with the goodness of the Lord. When I realize all that I have to be thankful for I cannot help but want to share with others.

Pastor Clay spoke a few weeks ago on the subject of biblical finances. He used an illuminating illustration on how when we are comparing ourselves to others in the aspect of "goodness" we always compare ourselves to people "below" us on the goodness scope...murderers, adulterers, etc. However, when we compare ourselves to others in the aspect of what we "have" we always compare ourselves to people "above" us on the possession scale...people with more cars, clothes, etc.

If we can retrain our minds to look at all we have been given and blessed with and have in our lives we cannot help but be thankful.

In turn, true thankfulness breeds generosity.

Generosity breeds contentment.

May your Thanksgiving this year bring about true contentment.

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Philippians 4:11-13

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

What About You?

Its the Holiday Season again. Its hard to believe it is actually that time of year again. The older I get the faster the years seem to go. The commercials have a Christmas tone, the leaves are all but gone from the trees, and the weather has actually turned colder. I love the Holidays. As I sit back and think about all that has happened this year I am overwhelmed with the blessings God has given me. I am truly thankful for what He has done in my life. I am honored by His blessings and the grace He has shown my family, but I am not satisfied.

I don't mean that I am not satisfied with what he given me, what I mean is that I am not satisfied with my relationship with Him. I am not satisfied with my current level of intimacy with the Savior, I am not satisfied with my apathetic attitude when I spend time with my Lord, I am not satisfied with my compartmentalized holiness, I am not satisfied with my "convenient" love of my neighbor. I am not satisfied with a life that makes sense.

I have two choices. I can be happy with not being satisfied or I can do something about it. I believe that the direction I choose shows my true character and the actual amount of genuine love and gratitude I have towards my Savior. Its so easy for me to clap, say a hearty amen, and talk about a good message on Sunday, but its a completely different thing to actually act on it. I am reminded of the early church's response after they heard Peter preach. They didn't visit the buffet and talk, they didn't hurry home to catch the kickoff, they didn't critique the message as it applied to the lives of people they knew, they looked at each other and asked "what shall we do?" They knew that the message of Christ, the hope of the Gospel, the love of God demands action. Demands life change. Demands obedience.

What about us? Where do we stand? Which path with we choose? Obedience to the Word of God is not radical Christianity.

'nough said

Passion 2010

College Students Only: Register Here

A Whole New World

I remember when the movie Aladdin came out. That was a great movie. It had everything...good, bad, tigers, parrots, Robin Williams, etc. It had a great song too. A Whole New World, they sang it on the magic carpet ride. Anyway, as my wife and I wade through the adoption process a whole new world has been opened up to me. I big, beautiful, incredible world. I wrote in an earlier post about how the adoption process has helped me realize how incredible God is to "adopt" us into His family.

In our home study interview my wife and I were asked how we planned on dealing with some of the issues we could face with our adopted child(ren). Since they will be coming to a whole new world pretty much. After we answered, I began to think how this process really does resemble and sinner's adoption into the Kingdom of God. How it really is a whole new world we are entering into.

The word that keeps coming to mind is grace. The grace of God that is so prevalent as we work through our attachment issues, our need cycles, our insecurities. Just like my child(ren) will do with their new family.

Its amazing what God does for us. I am thrilled not only to be adopting my new child(ren) into the family, but to have more new worlds opened to me that reveal the depth, the height, weight, and the beauty of the Father's love for me.

Scribbled Reminder

My wife posted this on our family blog and I thought it was great! Enjoy!

While doing my quiet time last week I turned the page in my journal to start a new entry.

Only, the page wasn't blank...

I talked with Ella later in the day and asked if she had written in my journal.

Her reply: Yea, I was just writing to God like you!

I'm glad to have her follow my footsteps in this area...but I was reminded once again of how closely my children are watching me. Everything I do is under their scrutiny. Even at their young ages. Even when I think it will go unnoticed.

They notice.

The Beauty of Adoption

For the past few years my wife and I have been praying for direction about adoption. We have always wanted to adopt a child (or two) into our home. While we didn't need to pray about inviting an orphan into our home and making them a part of our family, we wanted to be wise about where we adopted from and when. I am happy to say that we are starting the process this month. To our surprise, Andy Johnson, our children’s pastor, and his family are also on the road to adoption! We aren't in this alone!

As we start gathering and collecting for our home study, I can’t help but wonder if God felt the same way when he adopted me into his family. Did he have the same excitement and pride? Did he wait with great anticipation as I knelt and gave my life to him? I bet he did, and more. When you have children it opens up your eyes to how much God loves us as his children. You realize how deeply he must love us because of how deeply you love your children. It’s no different when you adopt.

Your adoption into God’s family is made clear. You can’t help but fall to your knees and thank him for giving you a hope and a home. Adoption is one of the most beautiful things we can do, and it is one the most incredible miracles God does for us.

The Facts of Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

80% of its population live under the poverty line.

Over 54% of its people live in abject poverty.

It has been classified as a 5th world country: Not only experiencing negative growth, but showing negative potential for growth.

In other words it is seen as having no hope.

But. (a very big but)

We know better. There is always hope.

Hope found in a big God. The love of a big God.

The love that compels missionaries like Sherrie Faussie and Dorothy Pearce to spend their entire lives sharing that love with the Haitian people.

Love that should compel us to always keep the "least of these" in the forefront of our hearts.

In the welcoming page of Sherry Faussies website she shares her mission statement. You'll want to check it out. Here are the highlights of what her ministry is doing:

Everything we do points people towards accepting Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Love is not just telling, love is doing.

1. The children are hungry, so we feed them.

2. The children are sick, we give medicines.

3. The children are uneducated, so we provide education.

4. The children need churches, so we train pastors.

5. Children need good parents, so we teach parenting classes.

6. The young adults need job training, so we want to provide vocational classes.

7. The adults are illiterate, so we teach them how to read.

Dorothy Pearce runs an infant rescue and orphanage. She is taking in the children that the hospitals and other orphanages turn down. Children that suffer from incurable diseases.

I think what she is doing is best communicated by sharing the story of one of her children.

Let me introduce you to Johnny.

He has Aids and TB. He came to the Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue program in May of 2008. He showed immediate improvement at first just from receiving love and 3 meals a day.

Today though, his immune system is crashing. He cannot start his Aids medicines until he finishes his TB treatment.

He was the only Haitian child we met that did not smile. Ever.

We tried.

Despite his lack of smile, Johnny is being cared for, taken to the doctors, and loved.

Dorothy knows that there is no guarantee for Johnny to live.

She has in fact had several of the children in her care die to Aids.

But they died being held and loved and cried for.

You can read more of her story (and the other children in her care) here.

Two very different stories of ministry. One facilitates hundreds of children. The other just a dozen or so. Both being so vitally used for the glory of God.

I am convinced that nothing is gained when money is just thrown into Haiti or other poverty stricken countries. Real change. Life change. Change big enough for a whole country comes only with the heart change that Christ brings.

That need for a heart change is best communicated by telling of Gods love and doing Gods love.

Matthew 25:40

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Now, my question to you...

What are you doing?

Haiti: Days Two and Three

Click here to read about days two and three here in Haiti.

Haiti: Day One

Click here to read about our first day.

Operation Haiti

Please be in prayer for our Haiti missions team as they minister this week in the city of Gonaives.

Check back in next week for pictures and a full update!

Haiti: Packing Party

We had our packing party for Haiti last night.

A big thank you to the college students and team members that showed up to help us out!

Our mission:

Try to fit all of this...

Into this...

While keeping up with these...

And staying within the dreaded 50lb limit...

While we didn't get everything packed (having too much stuff is a great problem to have!) we are packed to our limit and the surplus items will be shipped to the next team going down.

I was very impressed at the quality of items donated. Nothing was used or "cheap"...and every item reflected the value of the people they are going to.

Way to go Grey Stone for all the generosity you showed and rising to the challenge!

What do you want on your tombstone?

I remember when Tombstone pizzas were popular. My family had more than one dinner around one of those store bought wonders. Then they came out with rising crust which was well worth the extra cost. They used to run these cheesy western commercials for their pizza where someone always asked "What do you want on your tombstone?" Of course we would think about the wonderful assortment of toppings that we could enjoy.

Unless you live on the moon, you have heard of the passing of Michael Jackson. When his memorial was held, thousands of people watched and bought tickets to be a part of it. It was a media frenzy. There were cameras everywhere interviewing people with tickets who held them like newborn babies afraid of dropping them. It was sad in so many ways.

There is a short story at the end of Acts chapter 9 about a disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas). This story usually gets swallowed up by the story of Saul's conversion, but it is, in my opinion, the more powerful of the two stories.

Dorcas was a woman who got it. She cared for her neighbors. The Scripture reads that she was always doing charitable works. When she became ill and died, Peter was called to come. This is where the story gets good. Peter showed up and all the widows came to him wearing the clothes that Dorcas had made for them.

There was no media frenzy, there were no kings, princes, or rulers at her deathbed, there was no one of worldly esteem there...just those whom Dorcas cared for. Thats it. She lived a life more worthy of a media frenzy than any star or starlet. She got it. She lived out her faith in a way that literally put clothes on peoples backs. And she couldn't run the local thrift store to buy used t-shirts for 65 cents and think she was doing people a favor, she had to make these clothes. Thread by thread she shared the love of Christ.

Who will be at your deathbed when you pass? Will people outside your family know? Will they care? Will you be missed? Will anyone be there that you helped clothe? Helped find Christ?

What do you want on your tombstone?

The Gift of Perspective

One of my great friends, Stephen Snyder, just got back from South Africa where he spent a few weeks helping missionaries in a squatter camp. You can read more about it here.

He shared a bit of his trip to our students last Wednesday night and one part of his story really struck home with me.

He told the story of a young man, about 17, who he got to know while he was there. This young man had been through more than any old man would want to. He was on his own. He had seen his aunt burned alive by a group of men, he had been abused by his dad, and he was now completely on his own.

Stephen shared how this young man called him over one night and asked Stephen if there was anything he could pray about for him. Needless to say Stephen was floored. This young man asked to pray for Stephen. Unbelievable.

You know what this young man wants more than anything? To learn to read so he can read the Bible. Unreal. This kid has seen more than many of us will in our entire lives and he simply wants to know Christ more.

One thing I have learned in my short life is this… perspective is everything. I get physically sick sometimes at the things we get upset about. The pressures we crack under. We have no idea what hardship is. We have no idea what it is to be starving, yet we say that we are everyday we eat lunch late.

So the next time we update our facebook status with how our worlds our falling apart because we had a bad day, our friends have hurt us, or our relationships don’t work out, remember this. There is a young man in South Africa who wants to learn to read so he can know Christ more.