God blesses me on a regular basis through our kids. I'm finding more and more if I take the time to listen you can almost hear the voice of God speaking through them. The little observations, the off-the-cuff comments, and spontaneous songs.
We were out and about enjoying a beautiful day yesterday (I hope you all got that opportunity). After supper we decided to take a little bike ride and finish off with a little ice cream. While we sat enjoying our treat Janae says - out of the blue - "we got to make some new Christians." Terri and I discussed where she might have heard this phrase and we couldn't say that we had ever discussed evangelism so specifically with our 2 year old. Terri had explained that when I was in India I was helping to tell other people about Jesus but never talked about "making new Christians."
It's pretty motivating when your toddler expresses this kind of desire. It kind of makes you say, "Yeah, you're right sweetheart. We do need to make some new Christians." Coupled with studying the gospel of Luke, God has been encouraging and nudging me to take more courage, push on with more enthusiasm and really make the most of the days ahead. I pray He's doing that for you as well. If not, maybe you need to spend an afternoon or two with Janae the "evanga-kid."
This weekend had many other blessings as well. I know I've said it on many occasions but I'm not sure if I've ever included it on my blog - it's also been pretty awesome to see how God is working in the lives of the youth Terri and I are privileged to work with in our church. If you guys haven't taken the opportunity recently I encourage you to ask them what God is doing in their lives.
About the weekend... After their experience on the spring break missions trip a couple of the guys from my small group really wanted to share the challenge and blessing of giving roses to prostitutes with the rest of the group. I was blown away at the reception the idea got. Usually when it comes time to plan our small group times the guys want to do things like go-kart racing, eating, watching movies and that sort of thing. Last time when we sat down to plan one of them blurted out, "let's do something mission-ie or something." That's youth talk for doing something with some lasting significance. The idea of giving roses to prostitutes was one they really wanted to do as they knew many of them would need to embrace fears and preconceptions and do something to encourage some of the most discouraged people in our society.
Yet again it was quite an evening. We were greeted by a man with no pants saying, "they like it when you don't wear pants." Nearing met with a metal pipe (I guess some of the larger members of the group can be a little intimidating). Evaded and sworn at but thoroughly blessed by those who allowed us to get close enough to share the love of Christ with them. Obviously there's a story behind all these incidents and I assure you we were in no immediate danger as the stories may imply - just they all turned out to be the nearly humorously sad examples of how an invisible barrier of a couple blocks can keep you so sheltered (humorously sad - it's like when you are so grieve that you let out a little laugh because it's so sad that things can be a certain way that you really expect someone to jump out and say, "just kidding, the world's not actually like this).
The greatest blessing for me was to hear the conversations in the van before, during and following our evening. These guys are getting it! There beginning to see that there's more to life than cars, cell phones, ipods and video games. If you haven't also done so I encourage you to stop by and encourage Cory as he's given AMAZING leadership to this group. I guarantee you'll be blessed when he shares a little more about some of the other youth and how they are beginning to get it.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Prayer Request
Hello again friends!
I want to tell you about a friend of mine and fellow co-labourer with CCI in India. His name is Paul. Many of you have heard Ter and I share at length about Pastor Paul dedication and commitment to ministry and certainly the work of CCI in India. At first this news frustrated me then as God soften my heart I began to see that it wasn't so clear who needed the prayer more Pastor Paul or us.
The news is that Pastor Paul has been experiencing some difficulty with high blood pressure. His systolic pressure was edging 240 (that's about twice what it should be which is really quite serious). Antony insisted that he take some time off and relax. Pastor Paul assured him the sure way to kill him was to make him sit on the sidelines. If he took time off he said his blood pressure would go even higher.
When I first heard these things I was a little aggravated at how stubborn some people could be. Then I really began to think about it. These guys really meant it when they told God that they wanted to give their whole lives to Him. This is who they are. It seems when you ask someone to stop being who they (ministers of the Gospel) are you really are doing something worse than killing them - you take away the meaning to life. I realize most people will disagree with me and I probably would too if hadn't met someone like Pastor Paul. I see what guys like these accomplish in one week and it's a lot more then people like me do in a lifetime. Is that what God does with people who are willing to really surrender their lives? So is what he is doing really that foolish? It certainly would be if his life was his own but what if he is already "dead" in his own mind.
So that's where the great dilemma of the prayer request lies. I want Pastor Paul to be happy and healthy but I know the happy part comes more from being who God called him to be and I don't know what to think about the healthy part. That always seems to be in God's hands doesn't it either way doesn't it. I know a lot of people who "take better care of themselves" that have more health issues than a guy like Pastor Paul.
I must say I admire Pastor Paul. I think of the legacy he'll leave someday (and I think God's got a few more tasks for him yet) and I must admit I'd rather have a story like this... coming to the end going full speed, doing something that means something, totally spent and exhausted but still struggling to do more. The last place I want to go is while I'm asleep (isn't that what most North Americans really wnat) or in a hospital bed.
Lord, make me more committed like Pastor Paul. Let my life mean something just like his does. Let me live in a way that those who stand on the side line call me a fool for running at the pace I do and the people who run with me turn to you looking for the strength to run like Pastor Paul does. I ask You to have Your hand on Paul for the sake of his family, friends and church but take his life and use it for the sake of Your kingdom. Amen.
I want to tell you about a friend of mine and fellow co-labourer with CCI in India. His name is Paul. Many of you have heard Ter and I share at length about Pastor Paul dedication and commitment to ministry and certainly the work of CCI in India. At first this news frustrated me then as God soften my heart I began to see that it wasn't so clear who needed the prayer more Pastor Paul or us.
The news is that Pastor Paul has been experiencing some difficulty with high blood pressure. His systolic pressure was edging 240 (that's about twice what it should be which is really quite serious). Antony insisted that he take some time off and relax. Pastor Paul assured him the sure way to kill him was to make him sit on the sidelines. If he took time off he said his blood pressure would go even higher.
When I first heard these things I was a little aggravated at how stubborn some people could be. Then I really began to think about it. These guys really meant it when they told God that they wanted to give their whole lives to Him. This is who they are. It seems when you ask someone to stop being who they (ministers of the Gospel) are you really are doing something worse than killing them - you take away the meaning to life. I realize most people will disagree with me and I probably would too if hadn't met someone like Pastor Paul. I see what guys like these accomplish in one week and it's a lot more then people like me do in a lifetime. Is that what God does with people who are willing to really surrender their lives? So is what he is doing really that foolish? It certainly would be if his life was his own but what if he is already "dead" in his own mind.
So that's where the great dilemma of the prayer request lies. I want Pastor Paul to be happy and healthy but I know the happy part comes more from being who God called him to be and I don't know what to think about the healthy part. That always seems to be in God's hands doesn't it either way doesn't it. I know a lot of people who "take better care of themselves" that have more health issues than a guy like Pastor Paul.
I must say I admire Pastor Paul. I think of the legacy he'll leave someday (and I think God's got a few more tasks for him yet) and I must admit I'd rather have a story like this... coming to the end going full speed, doing something that means something, totally spent and exhausted but still struggling to do more. The last place I want to go is while I'm asleep (isn't that what most North Americans really wnat) or in a hospital bed.
Lord, make me more committed like Pastor Paul. Let my life mean something just like his does. Let me live in a way that those who stand on the side line call me a fool for running at the pace I do and the people who run with me turn to you looking for the strength to run like Pastor Paul does. I ask You to have Your hand on Paul for the sake of his family, friends and church but take his life and use it for the sake of Your kingdom. Amen.
Again - A Long Time
So every once in a while I check the site meter on our blog to see if anyone still has faith and/or patience with me. Thank you so much to the handful of people who haven't given up on this blog.
It wasn't too long ago that I had started a blog entry. I had some wonderful news about how the Lord blessed us with some new wheels. Unfortunately I live in a PC world and my computer froze and I lost the entry before I was able to publish it. So here's the 3 week old version.
Our mazda has been a wonderful car for us over the past number of years. It's taken us pretty well where ever we went. I can't say I can ever remember it complaining about the distance we asked it to take us. Faithfully it just went. However, several months ago it did let us know that we had been served with numerous trouble free kilometers and that we owed some serious payback. At that time I consulted a trusty car doctor to assess the situation. Unfortunately the projected bill had a few too many digits and we decided to beg a few more kilometers from our trusted mazda friend. As faithfully as ever the mazda agreed.
So began the hunt of a suitable rrrrreplacement. The word is hard to say because the mazda has been with us for a good number of years and it has taken us on many adventures. But alas, it's still just a hunk of metal and we knew there were many more out there.
Not wanting to rush it a major purchase Terri and I drove several dealers crazy with ridiculous offers and several more kilometers of test driving. I just couldn't understand, doesn't scripture say that we're to ask God for our daily bread? So why did they always remind us that their family needed to eat?
Now there is a very long and somewhat funny story how the vehicle we are now driving came to us. Do you believe your children could speak something to you that might be directed from God? He used a donkey in the Bible on one occasion. Why not a cute little girl? Well, the short of it is I think God's got a pretty good sense of humor because Janae "chose" this van and got us a really good deal. After looking at it (certainly driving yet another dealer crazy) we decided to go and have lunch and pray. Again we wanted to be sure that God was providing this van and that we were not just wanting something newer and nicer so we decided on a number that we felt was responsible and economical and then we made a "God is this a You thing" deduction to that number.
So with our figure in mind we returned to the the dealer. I felt pretty silly even before I opened my mouth - it really was a ridiculous offer. Well I felt even silly after I opened my mouth. We got the "are you serious or are you heavily medicated look" from the dealer. He began to write it up as before taxes and fees. We assured him that that was the amount, the TOTAL amount. And with that we began to pack up. Obviously we have been selfish and God was telling us to trust Him to carry our car a little (or a lot) further.
Reluctantly he wrote up the offer and shook his head a lot. After a long process of negotiation we drove away with our new van (and for $200 under the ridiculous number - don't tell the dealer he could have squeezed us for it!) Now, everyone says don't shop after you've bought but I just needed to know how God blessed us so I did a little research and I can confidently say God blessed us!
More to come...
It wasn't too long ago that I had started a blog entry. I had some wonderful news about how the Lord blessed us with some new wheels. Unfortunately I live in a PC world and my computer froze and I lost the entry before I was able to publish it. So here's the 3 week old version.
Our mazda has been a wonderful car for us over the past number of years. It's taken us pretty well where ever we went. I can't say I can ever remember it complaining about the distance we asked it to take us. Faithfully it just went. However, several months ago it did let us know that we had been served with numerous trouble free kilometers and that we owed some serious payback. At that time I consulted a trusty car doctor to assess the situation. Unfortunately the projected bill had a few too many digits and we decided to beg a few more kilometers from our trusted mazda friend. As faithfully as ever the mazda agreed.
So began the hunt of a suitable rrrrreplacement. The word is hard to say because the mazda has been with us for a good number of years and it has taken us on many adventures. But alas, it's still just a hunk of metal and we knew there were many more out there.
Not wanting to rush it a major purchase Terri and I drove several dealers crazy with ridiculous offers and several more kilometers of test driving. I just couldn't understand, doesn't scripture say that we're to ask God for our daily bread? So why did they always remind us that their family needed to eat?
Now there is a very long and somewhat funny story how the vehicle we are now driving came to us. Do you believe your children could speak something to you that might be directed from God? He used a donkey in the Bible on one occasion. Why not a cute little girl? Well, the short of it is I think God's got a pretty good sense of humor because Janae "chose" this van and got us a really good deal. After looking at it (certainly driving yet another dealer crazy) we decided to go and have lunch and pray. Again we wanted to be sure that God was providing this van and that we were not just wanting something newer and nicer so we decided on a number that we felt was responsible and economical and then we made a "God is this a You thing" deduction to that number.
So with our figure in mind we returned to the the dealer. I felt pretty silly even before I opened my mouth - it really was a ridiculous offer. Well I felt even silly after I opened my mouth. We got the "are you serious or are you heavily medicated look" from the dealer. He began to write it up as before taxes and fees. We assured him that that was the amount, the TOTAL amount. And with that we began to pack up. Obviously we have been selfish and God was telling us to trust Him to carry our car a little (or a lot) further.
Reluctantly he wrote up the offer and shook his head a lot. After a long process of negotiation we drove away with our new van (and for $200 under the ridiculous number - don't tell the dealer he could have squeezed us for it!) Now, everyone says don't shop after you've bought but I just needed to know how God blessed us so I did a little research and I can confidently say God blessed us!
More to come...
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