Sojourner

Fulfillment of a Promise

2007-07-29T20:16:00.001-07:00

Our first LightHouse missionary with friends at Chiba University

Today was a really sweet day at church. We had a visiting missionary from Japan, and were commissioning Sam, who will be heading to Burkina Faso next week.

We also had updates on Adam, who has been serving in Japan all Summer, and Sean, who will be leaving for Iraq soon.

This afternoon I went back in my blog archive and pulled out this paragraph from a previous post. It was written in July last year, during one of those points where my heart just cried out for MORE. I had been on my face, pleading with God to show us the next step.

"I would love to find a group of believers who just want to come together, read straight Scripture, and discuss what it says. I want to pray and worship together for as long as the Holy Spirit leads. I want to hear testimonies of God's amazing power, and talk about our wonderful, magnificent, indescribable GOD!!!! I want to pour our hearts out on behalf of the nations, and intercede with tears and pleading for the unreached. I want to see the Holy Spirit move in power, and rejoice as lost souls come to Christ."

It is strange to read that now, and realize those words were written three months before LightHouse Church even existed. And yet that prayer has become a reality.

In the past nine months, we have seen every one of those things come to pass. We have experienced that level of fellowship, hunger for God's Word, and worship. Three people have come to Christ, and we have experienced the joy of baptizing new believers. We sent out our first missionary and are preparing to send two more. We've prayed for hours, studies for hours, wept for the lost, and rejoiced together in what God is doing. We've watched one house church grow into two--and God raise up amazing young leaders in John and Seth to head up those groups.

And now we are witnessing a whole new stage in the church, which goes above and beyond what we had dreamed of.

A few weeks ago, Adam had asked the church to get up and pray at 5:30 a.m.--covering him and praying for his Japanese friends by name as he finally got the opportunity to share Christ with them.

God heard our prayers! Two of those girls have accepted Christ(including the shorter girl in the picture above), and one has even been baptized. I can't explain the joy of seeing the "next generation." I remember when Adam became a believer, and what an amazing journey it has been to watch God radically transform his life. Now we are seeing the fruit of Adam's life and ministry.

Sean, who will be leaving soon for Iraq, also came to a personal relationship with Christ just a couple of years ago. We have seen God grow him into a strong, faithful leader, with a heart for the Middle East. Already we have seen the fruit of Sean's life as well, and are excited about what the future holds for him.

Adam told us this weekend that he believes that he is being called to Japan permanently. We'll miss him, but are excited to watch God's plan for him unfold.

We get him back for at least a semester before he goes career. He's already told us that he wants to challenge the church with fervent, active, gut-wrenching intercessory prayer. I can't wait. Bring it on, Adam. : )

2007-07-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

This video was created by two girls for a social studies class. The organization mentioned is not legitimate, but the crisis is very real. Powerful video.

Rare and Beautiful Treasures

2007-06-12T19:36:00.001-07:00

My two precious treasures

One of my favorite possessions is a little green plaque that stands on my entertainment center. The words on it are priceless: "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24: 3-4.

I love that thing. It's really special to me--and not just because my Mom gave it to me. I love it because it reminds me of a valuable principle.

Occasionally I'll look around my house and acknowledge that "Better Homes and Gardens" is never going to feature us. That doesn't often bother me, but every now and then I'll start to imagine what it would be like to have fine furnishings, a housekeeper and an interior decorator. Those feelings usually follow some event that makes me aware of what I'm "missing out on."

This time is was an exquisite bridal shower, held in a gorgeous home and perfectly presented down to the themed and matching hors d'oeuvres. I walked away almost breathless. It was like a fairy tale.

By the time I got home, I was immersed in a full-blown mental drama. Step 1.......Self-pity. "If I didn't have to be in ministry, then I could afford to have a cute house." Step 2......rationalization. "It wouldn't hurt to just spend a little more on decorations. I don't think God expects us to spend everything we have on Him, does He?"

Step 3.......anger. "It's just not fair! Everybody else has pretty things except me. I don't even want to be a missionary anymore!"

Step 4.....my life is in such despair! It's totally hopeless! I'm going to bed!

But as I lay there in absolute dejection, I notice the beautiful Thomas Kinkade picture hanging on my wall. It actually isn't a picture, but rather a jigsaw puzzle made into a picture. It was lovingly pieced and glued together by one of our college students, who wrote a note on the back and framed it. She is now serving in a far-off country, sharing Christ with an unreached people group. I wouldn't trade that picture for anything.

Next to it is a sketch of Jesus' face.....a drawing I made after a really sweet and intense time of fellowship alone with God. Just looking at it brings back those warm and tender feelings that come when God touches my heart in that most intimate and personal way.

Under that sits my nightstand--a hand-me-down from my grandparents. Inside it is my grandmother's Bible--right where it has lived for as long as I can remember.

I have so many wonderful memories of that Bible.....watching Mamaw read it on the couch early in the morning when I got up.... of her carrying it to church each Sunday..... and teaching the ladies in her Bible Study (which she did almost up to the day she died). But my favorite memory is how every morning she would set it on the table, right next to my grandfather's plate, and before we began to eat we would start the day in the Word of God.

That worn Bible, with it's ragged cover and tattered pages is one of my greatest treasures. Next to it I have some of my Dad's prayer journals.....written during trying years on the mission field. Inside are gut-wrenching, honest prayers filled with joy, pain, thanksgiving, and even questioning. Those journals are priceless.

There are so many heirlooms that I've gained from my godly heritage......riches far greater than any material inheritance I could ever receive.

I notice a scripture verse scribbled on a scrap of paper and taped above the light switch in my room. That's something handed down from my Mom, too. I remember finding memory verses stuck all around our house when I was little--on the mirror, the back of the door, above the kitchen sink.....wherever she was likely to be spending a lot of time. The amazing thing is that I still remember many of those verses!

As I study the items in my house, I realize what a vast storehouse of riches are all around me. International dolls cover the mantle, and prayer maps are taped to the dining room wall....symbols of a desire to see God's glory spread throughout the nations.

Pictures of my kids smile back at me from every room. What a sacred gift they are to me!

One wall of my kitchen is entirely covered with painting, drawings, and sculptings.....all made by my children. On my refrigerator are letters that Living has sent from Tanzania, along with photos of all the people who have touched our lives.

Even our old, dilapidated furniture is priceless in its own way. As a child, I loved to hear my parents tell of how God miraculously provided the items in our house--and usually just in the nick of time! Now we have our own stories to tell--of a couch given to us by a dear friend when we literally had nothing to sit on, and a table found by students and brought to us when we first arrived in Pennsylvania. I can't think of a single piece of furniture we've actually had to buy. That's how amazing God has been to us!!!

When people come to our house, they may see rooms filled with hodge-podge, mismatched decorations. But from where I sit, I see a home overflowing with rare and beautiful treasures. So.......I think I'll just keep things the way they are. Martha Stewart......eat your heart out!

Wow! It's been a while!

2007-06-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. But so much has been happening here in Pittsburgh that I don't even know where to begin. Here's a picture of our first day as a church meeting in the new space.

Sometimes I feel like we're on a whitewater raft going down adventure river. The way is winding and pitched, making the journey thrilling and even a little scary. We never know what to expect, or what may be waiting for us around the next bend. But we wouldn't trade it for anything.

For example.....who would have thought three years ago that we'd not only have an established campus ministry, but also be planting a church in Oakland? Or that we'd be sending out our first two missionaries.......borrowing the PBC baptistry three different times.......moving into the Connections coffeehouse for large group worship......and starting multiple house churches.......in just eight months of being a church?

We look back and are still amazed. Only God could have done this. We have no idea how our support money keeps coming in, apart from the faithfulness of God. We had no clue how to start a campus ministry OR a church.....and yet God continues to grow and build them both. We didn't even know if we would like this city.....and yet we've fallen in love with Pittsburgh and our community.

Thanks for all your prayers. Thanks for fighting for us. There have been some tough moments. But as we look back and see what God has done, we can't help but be thankful.

"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:9)

Latest images coming out of Zimbabwe

2007-03-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Keep praying for the people of Zimbabwe. Several people, including women and students, have been detained, beaten up in police custody, and denied adequate medical care. Tensions continue to mount, as does police presence in the streets of the main cities.

2007-03-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

The news coming out of Zimbabwe is not good. Each report just gets a little worse.

Here is the latest update

Tensions mount in Zimbabwe

2007-03-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, because this International Day of Prayer for Zimbabwe (www.prayzimbabwe.org) has taken what little time I have beyond campus, church plant and family.

But I am pleading with you to get everyone praying that you can. Tensions continue to mount in Zimbabwe, and already the situation is beginning to turn violent.

Here is a press release issued today by the U.S. State Department.

U.S. Government statement on Zimbabwe Government Arrests Opposition Leaders

Press Statement
Sean McCormack
Washington, DC

March 11, 2007

Zimbabwe Government Arrests Opposition Leaders

The United States Government condemns the brutal and unwarranted actions of the Government of Zimbabwe March 11 in attacking its citizens peacefully gathered
to exercise their legitimate democratic rights at a prayer meeting in the
Harare suburb of Highfield.

The Embassy reports that one person was killed, a number were injured, and over 100 were arrested. Police have refused to inform lawyers of the whereabouts of
those arrested, including Movement for Democratic Change leaders Morgan
Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara; and Lovemore Madhuku, head of the National
Constitutional Assembly.

We hold President Robert Mugabe and the Government of Zimbabwe accountable for
the government’s actions today, and for the safety and well-being of
those in custody. We call for the immediate release of those detained, and for
the provision of medical treatment for those injured.

2007/181

Guest Blogger--Ashleigh Dozier

2007-02-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

I met Ashleigh two years ago, when she and several of her sorority sisters from Texas A & M came to serve with us here in Pittsburgh. Ashleigh's heart for the Lord and love for kids was evident from the second she got here.

I wanted to share with you a recent email I got from her, because it just blessed my heart so much. She has now graduated from A & M and is teaching inner city kids.

Ashleigh with some of the kids she worked with on her mission trip to Rio Grande

Today I was reminded of His grace and love for EVERYONE. It is my job to not only love on my kids that so desperately need it, but to guide them. "Love them like Jesus...Carry Them to Him. His yoke is easy. His burden is light. We don't need the answers to all of life's questions. Just tell them He loves them. Stay by their side and love them like Jesus"

Over the past day He has started to open my eyes to a new ministry approach. Anxious???...Yes I am. Overwhelmed??? You bet cha. Trusting in Him???...completely. I am nothing and He is all. He is all knowing, all powerful, always present, always active, and always in control. He is love. He is joy...and...He is peace. Without Him...my life would be meaningless. He is my hope, my friend, but most of all He is my savior.

As a believer I am called to be a light to this dark world. He has called me to take up my cross and follow Him no matter what the cost is. He's reminded me how much I really do need Him along with the rest of the world.

I want to know Him. Not just know who he is, what he's like, what's he's done. I want to KNOW him. I want my kids to KNOW him.

My heart breaks for those kids who have given up hope. Who don't see the light. Who don't know him and feel helpless. And I anger because on countless occassions I do nothing to show His grace and mercy to them. I should be living it. I should be pouring Him out in all situations to them.

Do I? No......not all the time! I let myself get in the way. I also hurt because I want to take those babies who don't ever hear I love you and aren't held and love them.I want to because He does.

I want my girls out there that don't feel loved and beautiful to know that they are. To know that they are more precious than rubies. They are His creation. He wants them to be called His daughters... Princesses of the Most High. I want them to walk away from bad situations and relationships and walk into His arms! Strive to be Proverbs 31 women.

I want the guys to grow into young men of Him. Not young men of the street who turn to violence and crime to feel a sense of belonging, power, and fufillment. Because of this hurt and this anger I am determined to step it up like He has called me to do and to challenge you to do the same. We can train up a generation for Christ if we set ourselves aside and just run hard after Him....live radically and SERVE.

We must Know Him and make Him Known!

But the coolest part about the whole deal is that we really aren't doing anything. He is doing it all and just using us to do it. What an honor to be used by Him. To get to be His hands and feet...not because we have done anything to deserve that, but simply because He wanted it to be that way. He is sovereign, majestic and loving. Just my thoughts :). Pray it up!

Hood Kids

hood kids

but good kids

not bad kids

just misunderstood kids

watch mom shoot up

and dad shoot bullets

and combat the words

that scream I'm useless

I'm not

just hot

and mad at dad who split

and mom who took him back

even though he split

her lip the third time

I watch from the sideline

and grow full of hate

from parents' guidelines

and you, pastor

push me faster

to hate

taking our crumbs to fill

you already full plate

your frock is stained

you mock the name

of He who commissioned

cuz you're more concerned

with titles and pensions

don't forget the babies

don't be so lazy

cuz I need you greatly

it's not about parking spots

and who pays a lot

but who gives a lot

and who prays a lot

for me

the lost sheep

but nobody's looked for me

don't you know God made

the Good Book for me?

but I need direction

some protection

much affection

not rejection

I.NEED.YOU

man of God

woman of God

be of God

and keep your eyes peeled

for real

we're crying

and dying

but still trying

though momma ignores us

and daddy abuses us

I'm sure that God still

wants to use us

when momma doesn't hug us

and daddy slugs us

I'm confident that God

still loves us

cuz I'm a hood kid

but a good kid

not a bad kid

just misunderstood kid

and I need your help

before it's too late

and I walk the same path

that my parents made

look at us

behind the chain linked fence

pain wrenched kids

such tainted kids

who were struck

but never fainted kids

we live hellish lives

but can be saintly kids

if you just TRY!

until then

we'll continue to die

continue to cry

the hood kids

that no one really cares about

it's so obvious that no one

really cares about 'em.

Will YOU care for him? Will YOU love her when she doesn't act quite right? Will YOU be patient and affectionate towards him? Will YOU hug her and her parents? Will YOU do whatever it takes to present the Truth in a way he can understand and grasp?

Will YOU at least try?

Update on Pastors

2007-02-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Keep praying for the Zimbabwean pastors, that they will not have to go to trial.

But also be praising the Lord for what He has done through this situation!!!

I just got a report that one of the pastors, while in detention, led all of his cellmates to the Lord, before requesting to be moved to a new cell. Apparently the scene was much like something you would have seen in Acts--with people singing, praying together, and praising God.

What Satan intended for harm, God used for his glory!!!!

Pastors Detained in Zimbabwe

2007-01-30T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here's the story coming out of www.Zimbabwejournalists.com.

HARARE - Eight Zimbabwean church leaders have been released on bail after being detained for allegedly holding an illegal political meeting in a church on the evening of 26 January 2007, said officials siad today.

The church leaders were charged with breaching a section of the criminal law codification act outlawing political gatherings without police permission, for the meeting held in the town of Kadoma, southwest of the capital, Harare - as previously reported on Ekklesia.

Pastor Lucky Moyo, a spokesperson for the Christian Alliance, a coalition of mainly Pentecostal churches campaigning for good governance, said: "The pastors have been finally released today on 100,000 dollars bail each."

Magistrate Remigius Jemwa remanded the case to 5 March 2007. Pastor Moyo said: "The Christian Alliance had organised the meeting ... to launch a chapter in Kadoma. It was attended by scores of Christians from across denominations. The meeting was for Christians who felt they cannot remain silent while the country burns with companies closing, inflation hitting everyone hard and the majority of the people are suffering."

The cleric added: "We are not aligned to any political party and we don't mind who rules this country as long as they are accountable and respect the rights of all citizens. We are just against the prevailing situation characterised by looting and misgovernance."

Meanwhile, leading civil rights activist Lovemore Madhuku, chair of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), was arrested in Harare over a brief protest last week against plans by the ruling party to extend President Robert Mugabe’s term by another two years in 2008.

The NCA said: "Madhuku is currently detained at Harare central police station, where he is being interrogated by police assistant commissioner Bothwell Mugariri."

Zimbabwe is in the throes of chronic economic crises with four-digit inflation, massive joblessness and at least 80 per cent of the population living below the poverty threshold.

Please pray for these pastors and their families. Not only is the cost of bail a hardship, but the authorities can be ruthless to anyone who is labeled as oppositional.

International Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe

2007-01-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

This excerpt is from an article by Zimbabwean journalist RW Johnson, published on January 7th, 2007.

SUFFER the little children is a phrase never far from your mind in today's Zimbabwe. The horde of painfully thin street kids milling around you at traffic lights is almost the least of it: in a population now down to 11million or less, there are an estimated 1.3 million orphans.

Go to one of the overflowing cemeteries in Bulawayo or Beit Bridge, and you are struck by the long lines of tiny graves for babies and toddlers.
Hyena attacks on humans, previously unheard of, are increasingly common.

"So many babies, not all of them dead, are being dumped in the bush that hyenas have developed a taste for human flesh," a game ranger said.

A staggering 42,000 women died in childbirth last year, compared with fewer than 1000 a decade ago.

A vast human cull is under way in Zimbabwe, and the majority of deaths are a direct result of government policies.

Ignored by the UN, it is a genocide perhaps 10 times greater than Darfur's and more than twice as large as Rwanda's.

(You can read the remainder of the article here.)

The crisis in Zimbabwe has escalated to an unimaginable point. We MUST do something to help the victims of this humanitarian travesty.

UNICEF is reporting that almost 1 in 4 children are now AIDS orphans.
The inflation rate is estimated at around 1200 percent.
Unemployment is over 80 percent, forcing citizens to desperate measures such as illegal mining.
Controversial land reform and forced eviction programs have left thousands of people homeless, displaced, or dead.
Food shortages are a growing problem.
Medicine is in short supply, hospitals are in crisis, and now doctors have been on strike for the past two months. Average life expectancy has dropped to a meager 36 years.
Laws restricting humanitarian organizations are keeping much-needed assistance from the people.
Prime Minister Robert Mugabe was named the world's 4th worst dictator by Parade magazine. Political corruption and governmental abuses are rampant.
Economist ranked Zimbabwe as dead last internationally in quality of life.

Please consider joining us for an

International Day of Prayer and Fasting for Zimbabwe
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
We need to get the word out to as many people as possible!!! Prayer can change the course of a nation. Prayer can heal a broken people.

If you are interested in being part of this event, please let me know as soon as possible. We need people to help with publicity and mobilization. For more information, contact jkikicherry@hotmail.com.

A new year, a new generation

2007-01-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Just this week I heard of a young lady who is planning to convert from Christianity to Islam. She is actually the third student I know who has done so, and all three grew up in church.

Sometimes I wonder what the future holds for our kids. My concern is compounded when I read articles like this one from PBS and this one from the Guttmacher Institute.

But in the midst of it all, there is a generation of students who are standing strong. In the past three weeks, over 50,000 college students have assembled to worship and glorify God. Here are videos from Urbana (Dec. 27-31, 2006, St. Louis), Passion (Jan. 1-4, Atlanta) and West Coast Prayer Rumble (Jan. 4-6, San Diego). (Okay, those videos are not showing up for some reason. But you can find them all on You Tube. I'll keep trying, but am challenged in this area.)

Oh Lord, I pray that you will raise up from this generation a people set apart for you. I ask that they will die to self-idolatry, to prosperity and the distractions of the world. May they be pure and holy and zealous for your name. May they take the message of your glorious grace, no matter what the cost, to every nation, tribe and tongue. For Your Name, and Your Renown, are the desire of our souls.

Anna's Band Concert

2006-12-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Anna had her annual Christmas band concert last night. It was so fun! Next year Joshua will be there with her. It's hard to believe she is already in Middle School. Here she is with three of her best friends and her saxaphone.

Doug and Joshua being enthralled by the music.

And this is what happens when you leave Kiki and Joshua unattended in a car for too long with a digital camera. We're thinking of making a calendar and calling it "Random acts of Boredom."

Goodness of the Lord and an incredible gift

2006-12-13T09:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who have written and called to check up on me. I appreciate it more than you realize.

I just haven't wanted to post in a while. The past couple of months has been like spiritual boot camp. So many good things have been happening--with the new church, students accepting Christ, and new relationships forming regularly.

But on a personal level, I've just been exhausted. God has been stripping away my pride, idolatry, and weaning me of my need for other's approval. I've been forced to rely on Him alone. That has not been easy for this sanguine people-pleaser.

I've lost the desire to interact with anyone. I have really felt "different", "radical" and alone. Not only does our calling set us apart as freaks, but I have been feeling my "third-culture" ness more than ever before.

It always seems worse this time of year, during the holiday season. The whole consumeristic, excessive materialism within American culture will always be a struggle for me.

I grew up in the midst of dire poverty, and those images are burned on my heart. The contrast of my two cultures is hard to reconcile at times.

One recent source of refreshment for me, though, was the day we spent at the mission downtown, feeding the homeless and serving alongside the young men in the "cognitive renewal" program. These young men--once trapped in the bondage of addiction--are now voluntarily serving others and sharing the love of Christ.

I think God not only commands us, but has put something in us that longs to take care of the poor, the orphaned and the widow. As our hearts begin to beat in tune with His,we are compelled to serve. Left neglected, that void cries out to be filled.

I love our ministry at CMU. But I am constantly surrounded by the gifted, privileged and superior. Even our neighborhood is filled with the spiritually lost, but affluent. I long to be with the socially disadvantaged--to be the hands and feet of Christ in a practical way.

And I miss Africa--the people, sights, sounds, and smells. I long to hear the joyful singing and dancing at church, and smell the wonderful aroma of mealie-meal porridge over an open fire. I miss the children's bright smiles and joyful innocence.

Through these past few weeks, God has given me a promise in the words of Psalm 27. I have repeatedly read that passage--especially the last two verses.

Psa 27:13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
Psa 27:14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

God is so good, and so faithful. Yesterday He truly refreshed my soul.

My husband gave me my Christmas present a little early. It could not have been more perfect, and encouraged me in such a powerful way.

Guess what he gave me? A sponsorship, through Compassion International, for the most precious little guy in all of Africa. He is five years old, lives in Tanzania, and loves soccer just as much as I do!!!

And guess what his name is??? LIVING!!!! I can now say I have truly seen the "goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living." : )

I can't wait to learn more about Living's life. In some ways, his childhood and mine are probably similar. But in other ways they are tragically different.

Does he like to eat guavas straight off the tree, and kick around a rag ball in the backyard? Has he ever climbed a baobab tree to pick a gourd, and broken it open to eat the sour fruit inside? Does he catch red velvet spiders after it rains? Does he watch the men play Mancala in the shelter by the road, or tease the ant lions until they come up out of their traps and grab onto his stick?

Does he help the older boys herd cattle and carry water from the well? Does he have his own knob-kerrie to fend against snakes and predators? Does he love the booming African thunderstorms, and the sound of the raindrops drumming on the tin roof? Does he ever walk down to the local store, and buy a hot bottle of coke and a piece of candy? Or does his family even have the few shillings to buy him a treat?

Does he ever go to bed hungry, or wonder what happened to his father? Does he have shoes to wear to school, and a sweater for those chilly mornings? Has he ever owned his own box of crayons, or notepad, or pencils? Has he heard that Jesus loves him? Does he know God has has a plan for his life?

One day I hope that I will get a chance to take my own family back to Africa. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get to meet this little guy as well. If I do, I want to be able to tell him in his heart language that he is loved and prayed for every day.

Thank you, Doug, for an amazing Christmas present. And thank you, Abba, for your goodness.

Smart People

2006-11-08T18:44:00.000-08:00

One thing I love about working at CMU is that every day is unpredictable.

Today we were standing at the hot chocolate table, when J.W. calmly stated, "Look. There's Dennis Quaid."

Sure enough--there he was--walking his white lab puppy on the lawn in front of the CFA building.

Turns out they are filming the movie "Smart People" this week on campus. Apparently Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church are also on site.

We walked over and watched them shoot one scene of the movie. They will be at CMU until next Tuesday or Wednesday, filming scenes at several locations on campus.

Just as we were packing up to leave in the late afternoon, Dennis walked right past us on his way to dinner. The funny thing is.....on our campus nobody really cares about celebrities, so people seldom react.

In fact, I heard today that they've had some difficulty getting students to be extras. Apparently one responded by saying, "I'm not sure. How much of a time commitment would that be? I don't want it to cut into my studying."

And so goes another weird and wonderful day at CMU. I love it.

Birth Announcements!

2006-11-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

This weekend brought big news around here! Two of our former CrossSeekers, Ed and Becky Fillipih, delivered their first child. Katie was born bright and early on Friday morning.

But later that day, there was another new birth. Danyelle was sitting in her dorm room, reading her Bible, when suddenly God opened her eyes to the full reality of who He was. Right there, alone with God, Danyelle believed and was born into new life in Christ.

We have been praying for her for so many months. There is lots of rejoicing going on within our group right now!!! This is joy on top of joy after Andy's decision just a few weeks ago.

It is so fun to get to witness God transforming the lives of college students. We've also noticed a pattern emerging in how God has worked. Without exception, we have seen each of these elements in the lives of our students who have accepted Christ.

1. Persistent, tearful, gut-wrenching intercession--When the Holy Spirit places a name of a friend or family member on the heart of one of our Christian students, our whole group begins to pray earnestly for that person. We believe James 5:16, which says our prayers are "powerful and effective."

2. Genuine, sacrificial relationships--intellectual arguments do not convince students of the truth of God's Word. It is transparent, authentic Christian living, and friendship extended in love that they find attractive.

3. Getting into God's Word--every single time it has been the Word of God and the revelation of the Holy Spirit that ultimately brings students to belief. His Word is "powerful and effective, and sharper than any two-edged sword." In fact, most of the students have ended up being alone with God, reading His Word, when they finally made the decision to believe in Christ. But that was preceded by months of reading the Bible, participating in small group, and meeting one-on-one with Christians.

4. Total life change and rapid discipleship--when students have spent months in God's Word before believing in Him, they have fallen in love with His Word by the time they come to faith. It has been amazing to watch the pace at which these students grow, and to see the radical change that occurs in their life and countenance. They are typically already entrenched in a small group, and surrounded by other believers who are encouraging/supporting them in their new walk. They read their Bibles--both Old and New Testaments. And they are, without exception, incredible evangelists. At the point where they finally come to belief, they are so convinced that they are willing to share their testimony boldly. They are also quickly grown into strong leaders, and are so grateful for the prayers lifted up on their behalf, that they tend to be powerful intercessors as well.

We don't get to see huge numbers of people coming to faith in Christ here, and the work is often lonely, exhausting and just plain tough. But the depth of what God is doing here is so precious. We get to be around radical young Christians, and it is way cool.

It's funny--on campus we've been dubbed the "Jesus freaks" or the "radical Christian hot chocolate people". But it's amazing how many of the same people who label us also want to hang out with us, or seek out our students to "talk to" when they are in trouble. The beauty of Christ is foreign but attractive to them.

Pray for our group. There are so many names still on our "lost friends" list. We need committed, faithful intercessors to fight with us on their behalf. Sometimes we get weary, and wonder "when, God???" But we cannot leave the battle. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."--Ephesians 6:12

There is Power in the Name

2006-11-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

I love stories like this one. God is so clearly with us through all that He asks us to endure.

This is such a powerful reminder, too, of the importance of intercessory prayer. When I was reading it, I immediately thought of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians.

2Co 1:9-11

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.

He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

As I was with Moses.......

2006-11-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

God often takes us back to promises He has given in the past, to remind us of His faithfulness.

He did that just a few weeks after we returned to Oklahoma from Pennsylvania. I was wrestling with God again over the call to CMU. I gave Him every excuse in the book as to why I could not go:

"Lord, I can't go to a smart school. You know I'm a dingbat. I can't carry on conversations with techies!!!"

"You know I will never be able to drive in a big city like that!!"

"My parents just retired in the States! I need to be near them!"

But God spoke again, loudly and clearly, through a scripture from our Daily Bread promise box. I pulled the card out that morning, and the words almost jumped off the page at me.

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." --Joshua 3:7c

God was clearly reminding me of His faithfulness, through the exact same verse that had impacted me on our vision trip.

Just a few days ago He did it again. We have been receiving boxes and boxes of "Christmas in August" stuff from churches all over the United States. My favorite part of those packages are the handmade cards from all the little kids.

It had been a particularly tough week (in the midst of a difficult season) when the mail carrier arrived at the door one morning with a package from a little church down South. I was emotionally drained and spiritually exhausted that day, and had cried out to God for some encouragement. What happened next blew me away.

As I cut open the box, there was a little purple card laying on the very top. It had star and flower cutouts pasted on it, as well as a "Daily Bread" card. Guess what verse was on the card?

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee." --Joshua 3:7c

I opened the card. Inside, someone had scribbled in black marker: "We are thinking of you and praying for you. Don't forget--God is always with you."

That was the only card--amidst the 1,000+ we have received--which had a daily bread card pasted to it. I truly believe that card was from God to me, because I needed to hear Him that very day.

That card is now taped to my refrigerator. It's a reminder that I serve a very present and personal God who provides for my deepest needs.

Psalm 36:5-9

"Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light."

Pour Down Like Rain

2006-10-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

This week is the fourth anniversary of our vision trip to PA. It was on October 24, 2002, that we arrived in Harrisburg amidst snow flurries and falling leaves.

At that point, we were just praying and seeking God's direction--whatever that might be. I was secretly hoping that He would let us stay in Oklahoma City. I loved working at the Children's Home, and being so close to my parents--who had finally retired on American soil.

But God had a different plan. That night, as freezing rain pelted the roof of the mission house, my heart began to change. Here is my journal entry from that day:

God woke me up about 3am, and began speaking to me. The words of a Mercy Me song were playing in my head.

"Word of God speak.
Would you pour down like rain.
Washing my eyes to see Your Majesty.
To be still and know that You're in this place.
Please let me stay and rest in your Holiness.
Word of God speak."

Scripture verses began to pop in my head. Most of them were about God's character and faithfulness. Praise songs played in my mind, and I had a really sweet time of intimate fellowship with the Lord.

God spoke very clearly. "I am in this place." In my heart I understood that He was at work in Pennsylvania, and I suddenly had an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment.

In my quiet time, I had just started the book of Joshua. That second morning in PA, I read what was already one of my favorite passages of scripture.

Joshua 1:5-9 "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

In the past when I have read that passage, it's the "be strong and courageous", "meditate on the Word" and "the Lord is with you" messages that I notice.

But this time verse 5 seemed to jump off the page at me. "Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you." For the rest of the day, as we drove through York and Shippensburg looking at campuses, those words were in the forefront of my mind.

I understood how God had been with Moses. I had just finished reading through the account of the wanderings in the desert. God was ever-present, interceding, faithful, forgiving, compassionate, but also HOLY in those accounts. The thought that He could abide with us in the same manner blew me away.

I filed that thought away to mull over later.

We looked at various campuses in the Central PA area, but it was not until three days later in Pittsburgh that we knew we were home. Here's my entry from the 27th.

We really liked the CMU campus. Something just felt right about it. Pittsburgh was pretty, too. I would be scared to death of driving here, but would get used to it, I'm sure. I really like the bridges and all the tall, skinny houses. I'm scared to death today, but excited at the same time!

And here we are now.....four years later.....settled and established in the place where God has called us.

Looking back, it's incredible to see how God orchestrated it all.

March, 2003--went to support school in Topeka, Kansas. Felt like God further confirmed our calling through one of our team leaders, who was from Pittsburgh, and had been saved while in college. His Jewish family had totally disowned him after his conversion, but Ellis went on into full-time ministry and is now impacting college ministers all over the United States through Campus Crusade.

September 1, 2003--It became clear that we needed to make our calling public, and focus full-time on support raising. We quit our jobs and spent the next weeks intensely praying and visiting prospective supporters.

October, 2003--Doug moved to Pittsburgh to find us a house. He came home right before Thanksgiving.

December 28th, 2003--after a hurried Christmas that we barely even remember--we loaded up the moving van and drove to Pennsylvania. Amazingly, we were at 80% of our support!!! I can't even tell you how it came in--it's like God just put it in our account Himself.

December 31, 2003--closed on a home I had just seen for the first time.

January, 2004--Moved in amidst 28 straight days of snow and freezing rain. Had our first CrossSeekers worship time on campus, and started meeting with our intern, Chris Massa.

But when we walked into our first meeting at CMU, I felt really out of place. There were only 12 students there--all male--most of them graduate students--and all engineers. My first thought was, "How will I ever fit into this environment?"

March, 2004--We realized that we were not going to be able to do campus ministry the way it had been done when we were in college. So we scrapped all of our agendas, and just began praying that God would send 8 core leaders to build upon.

2004-2005 school year--it was amazing what God did. One by one, those leaders simply walked through the door and told us that God had led them to be part of our group. It certainly wasn't anything that we were doing. Jarrod said that he actually hated our meetings at first, but came out of obedience to God. : )

2005-2006--we just stand in awe of what God has done. Our group has grown, and reflects a diversity and broad spectrum of campus life (no longer just male, graduate engineers--although we still have some of those who are key leaders in our group and who we are so thankful for!!!) We have been privileged to see students come to Christ, and others grow deeper in their walk. We've seen them gain a heart for missions and a passion for unreached people groups. We've had opportunities to serve, both in our own community and overseas. Our small groups are thriving. The students are passionate about reaching their lost friends. God is at work on our campus.

October 29, 2006--we start the new church plant in Oakland. We'll be meeting in John and Amanda's apartment, and starting with 12 core members.

November, 2006-eternity--can't wait to see what God has planned. : )

WOW!!! Even though these past four years have had tough points, too, I can only be grateful that God has allowed us to be part of what He is doing in Pittsburgh.

Isa 64:3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
Isa 64:4 From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.

What I'm learning from the Qur'an

2006-10-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

One of our Muslim friends gave us a copy of the Qur'an last week. It has been interesting to read it, and it has given me a deeper love and concern for my friends.

There was a time when I would not have felt comfortable reading it, or even having one in my home. But I have realized three things: 1) Our Bible is the living, active Word of God---this is simply a book. I don't need to be afraid of it 2) "Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:1-6) and 3) Reading it helps me better understand, and so be better able to pray for, communicate with and serve my Muslim friends.

What I have discovered so far has made me sad. When you read the Qur'an, it is a very binding set of laws. Adam and I were discussing it, and both had the same impression. He asked, "where is the evidence of love? I see strong teachings about judgement and mercy, but where is the love from God to man?"

When Adam asked one of our Muslim friends that question, our friend seemed to indicate that love only exists between a man and a woman. Even phileo love, between brothers, was a somewhat foreign concept to him.

He was explaining how Allah is a reactive God. If we extend a hand towards him, then he will extend an arm back towards us. If we walk towards him, he will run towards us. It is very dependent on works and our ability to be "good enough". Their very lives are ruled by daily legalistic practices, and they are constantly held in the tension between their good and bad deeds. No matter how loyal and good they strive to be, they still also have no assurance that they will "make it" to paradise. (with one exception, which is the killing of infidels. I think I actually understand better about that, but don't want to discuss it in this post.)

As our friend stated, "we live in a balance between fear and hope."

Just studying the Qur'an has made me incredulously grateful for our God. He is so good, and his love endures forever!!!! When I see Him contrasted against the gods of other religions, I realize what an incredible and incomprehensible gift He has given us.

I also have a fuller understanding of the magnitude of His sacrifice. No other religion has a god who was willing to humble Himself to the point of becoming one of us. And yet He went beyond that, and gave His very life on our behalf!!! Why would He continue to love us that much, when we fall so short? How can He be so Holy, and yet also so merciful?

Thanks be to God, for His indescribable Gift.

Letter from Adam

2006-10-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

The picture is refusing to show up--I'll try again later. For now, this represents Adam's face. : )

Yesterday was our regular lemonade table in the middle of campus. That is always the highlight of my week, because it is the time we really get to engage in some deep conversations with students who are not believers.

But this year I have had another joy, in getting to watch our intern, Adam, interacting with students. It was only 13 months ago that Adam himself found a personal relationship with Christ.

I can't tell you how fun it is just to be around him and watch God working through him. Adam has absorbed the Word and grown faster than anyone I've ever known. He is sold out, and has a passion for reaching the nations. He was one of five students who spent Spring Break ministering in Peru (in the picture above he is with one of the men he met there.) Adam definitely has the gift of evangelism!!!

I asked him if he would write something for my blog. Here it is:

The difference between knowing God
and knowing about God

A few years ago, I used to know about God. I knew what the bible said He did: that He came to die for our sins and reconcile us back to Himself. I knew that He asked us: 1) not to sin, 2) to love others and to be good to them, 3) to love
Him most of all.
I dutifully went to church every Sunday morning and tried to be good to others because it was what I was supposed to do. In appearance, it may have looked like I really loved God, I think I even fooled myself.

But truthfully, it was a chore for me, I couldn't wait to put in my hours and forget about Him for the week. His commandments were things I had to do. I did not enjoy my time that was spent doing godly things. I would rather have been elsewhere, doing what I wanted to do.
In church, when we were supposed to be in His presence, my thoughts drifted to "How much longer" or "this is so boring". What would I have done if I would have had to put up with this "bordem" for all eternity?

That changed a little over a year ago; now I know God. I know why He needed to come and die for us. I desire to be with Him at all times now. Being with Him on Sunday morning is one thing I now look forward to as an essential part of the week.
In fact, I don't even have to wait til Sunday morning anymore, I can be with Him 24/7. It is no longer out of duty that I follow His commandments, but because I want to follow them and to serve Him.
I wait eagerly for the day when in heaven I am able to be with Him for all eternity. Now that I know Him, I know that I truly love Him.

In Christ,

Adam

When Taking a Stand Hurts

2006-10-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

This has not been a fun week. There have been several different situations occur that have forced me way out of my comfort zone and caused me to have to stand in very lonely and difficult positions. I absolutely HATE confrontation or hurting anyone's feelings.

1. There was an issue with my Bible Study. I have so been enjoying that group and the fellowship of other women. But we started a new series this week, and it was simply not truth. In fact, the man whose book we are studying is a Universalist.

So I had to take a tough stand and confront what I believe is heresy. It has made me a very unpopular person, and a very lonely one. Even though I have tried to be respectful and as gentle as possible, I dared to question a beloved teacher, and then had to take it to a higher authority. So my name is mud.

I also lost my outlet for fellowship and study with other women.

2. One of my dear friends in ministry is currently making some decisions that go against God's principles. I have tried to be honest with her, and am concerned that she is on a fast track to a lot of pain, hurt, and possibly the end of her ministry.

However, I seem to be the only one counseling her against pursuing the relationship with this man. Even though others have concerns, no one wants to hurt her feelings.

It has caused a barrier between us, and makes me sad. Not only that, but I feel like it will ultimately hurt her ministry and the lives that God has given her stewardship of. The Lord puts boundaries in place to protect us and to guard His Holiness. When we violate that, there are consequences.

3. I learned this week that one of my own mentors, and a man I deeply respect, resigned from his church after confessing to a moral shortcoming.

I believe that in this case he could be biblically restored, and the situation can lead to a powerful testimony of the grace of God. But my fear is that it won't happen.

Ministers are just as human and as susceptible to falling as anyone else. Most people will acknowledge that.

But few churches create a healthy or safe climate for those who are struggling. There is no way to find healthy accountability when they first begin to slip, and no place to find restoration when they do fall. We have built a culture of condemnation.

I personally will not condemn or shame this man, and chose to remove myself from some conversations as a result.

I am sad and grieved for him and his family, because I know that he truly loves the Lord, and that he has been used powerfully in the lives of many people through the years. I can only imagine how much he is beating himself up over all of this, and admire his character in coming forward when he could easily have continued to hide the sin.

I also know that "but for the grace of God go I." All of us deal with temptation and struggles of the flesh.

4. I've had to tell some people who I love that their deepest conviction is a lie.

I struggle with this, because so many of my friends are not Christians. Many of them subscribe to other world religions. They are devout in their beliefs, and very dedicated in the practice of their faith. Yet so, so lost.

Tomorrow night one of those friends is coming to dinner. He is a wonderful person whose company we truly enjoy, and also a devout Muslim. On Sunday we will be spending time with another couple who are in a similiar position.

A popular mindset here in Pittsburgh is the notion that "as long as a person is truly SEEKING, and is devout in their faith, then God will surely have mercy on them and allow them into heaven."

But that is simply not Biblical. There is no other name on earth by which men may be saved.

Do you know how hard it is to answer a friend when they ask, "So you believe that I will go to hell, because I don't serve YOUR God?" It would be so much more comfortable, and so much easier, to say, "God is so loving and merciful that He will forgive anyway, as long as you truly are seeking."

But we cannot water down the truth. If we believe in the inerrant, infallible Word of God, then there is no compromise.

Even when it hurts.

A Lost Virtue?

2006-09-27T04:41:00.000-07:00

Something we have been discussing recently in our home is the virtue of honor. What does it mean to truly "honor God"? What does it mean to honor those around us, beginning with our family?

I love my daughter Anna's description. She said, "it means to act kind and loving towards someone, and pray for them, even when they are getting on your last nerve."

Sadly, I think American society is lacking in honor. Even the church and the home are missing this crucial element. I am speaking personally on this--I wish we exhibited more honor within my own immediate family.

But as a society, we no longer seem to respect our elders, or extend kindness to others, or greet strangers on the street. We have become an individualistic, me-centered culture.

But what does God say about honor? Here are just a few of the verses we came across:

Pro 3:9 Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;
Pro 3:10 So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Pro 3:35 The wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.

Pro 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.

Pro 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength, And the honor of old men is their gray hair.

Pro 21:21 He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness and honor.

Pro 22:4 The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches, honor and life.

Pro 29:23 A man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

Isa 29:13 Then the Lord said, "Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isa 29:14 Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed."

Exo 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Lev 19:32 'You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.

Mal 2:2 "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of hosts, "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

Luk 14:10 "But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

Joh 5:22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
Joh 5:23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Rom 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Rom 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Rom 12:10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Rom 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,
Rom 12:13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
Rom 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

1Ti 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1Ti 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed;

1Pe 2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

What is your definition of "honor"? What are some insights you have on this topic? Any other verses to share?

Spiritual Warfare and Training

2006-09-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Our sending church back in Oklahoma City--Southern Hills--has started a study that I am so incredibly excited about.

It is called 90 Days Through the Bible and gets people digging into the Word of God.

I am so proud to have come from a church who understands the "first things." The Bible is living, active and powerful. It changes lives, heals and transforms. It is our spiritual weapon, and our source of peace. It does not return void.

Psalm 119:165 "Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble."

Cry of my heart

2006-09-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such an amazing day on campus, that I am struggling to put it into words. It was one of those intense, God-orchestrated times.

We had just set up our lemonade table, when Khalid and Mohuiddin came along and camped out next to us. They are two students who we already know well, and they were putting up a booth for the Muslim Student Association.

We were able to spend the next six hours of the day fellowshipping and hanging out with several members of their group. Many of them we already had friendships with.

We talked about God and Islam and Christianity. We clowned around, discussed life in general and just enjoyed each other's company. There was an openness and ease that was refreshing. We were able to ask honest questions and genuinely learn from one another.

At one point in the day, I was in a deep conversation with a guy named Mohamed when my Israeli friend, Shary, came along. She is someone who I have not seen in a long time, and I was eager to hear about the group of Jewish American students she took on their Birthright trip to Israel this Summer.

(I also love the fact that an Israeli Jew, an Egyptian Muslim and an American Christian were standing in the middle of campus together!)

Through the course of the day, we had many incredible opportunities, which I won't share in detail on a public forum. But it was clear that God is actively at work on our campus.

The day was so full of meaningful conversations that we didn't even have time to eat lunch. I managed to get down three crackers at one point between dialogues, but that was it.

As I was driving home I could hardly contain my excitement. But at the same time my heart was heavy.

It hurts to love people with a veil over their eyes. It's painful to plead for the souls of your friends, not knowing their ultimate destiny. All I can do is cling to the hope that God, in His mercy, will open their eyes and hearts to see the deity of Jesus.

You know what is interesting, though? God has given me a passion and love for the "people of the book" that I did not have before coming to Pittsburgh. In fact, if you had asked me how I felt about both the Muslims and the Jews just a few years ago, I would have said that I hoped to never be called to live with either one. Both have a reputation for their religous zeal and ruthlessness. My assumption has always been that they were so set in their beliefs that they would never listen to someone like me.

But God has softened my heart. Two things happened Monday which just confirm that fact.

I decided to stop by the University Center that morning, before meeting with a student. As I walked in, I noticed a little Jewish boy, about 2 or 3 years old, playing at his mother's feet. His dark hair curled around the edges of his kippah, and his huge brown eyes were deep and innocent.

I wanted to run up and just pray over him, to plead with God that this family would be part of the remnant who recognized that the Messiah had come. That morning I had read Romans 9 and 10--the passage which speaks of Paul's desire to see the salvation of the Jews.

The words of Romans 10:1-2 rang out in my heart. "Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge."

I echo those words, but my prayer does not stop there. It extends to all the descendants of Abraham. Even though Isaac and Ishmael were sons of Abraham--called the "friend of God"--their children no longer have a relationship with Him.

Monday evening Doug and I watched the movie "United 93". The whole movie was intense. But one scene hit me really hard, and for reasons you might not expect.

It was the point in the story where everyone on board the plane realized that they were going to die. The passengers frantically recited the Lord's Prayer, while the terrorists passionately prayed to Allah. Again, I thought about Paul's words--"they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge."

A few years ago, I would have only felt anger towards men who could commit such a heinous act. But today, my heart breaks for a people deceived by the darkness. I am sad for them. They are so sincere, yet misguided in their pursuit of righteousness.

But I cling to this hope. I know that God is love. I know that He is merciful. He changes lives. He alone is God.

Psalm 146:8-10 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous;
The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.
The LORD will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

Invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind

2006-09-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday at Bible Study God clearly spoke to me again. We were in Luke 14, and had just gotten to the parable of the feast.
Luke 14:12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When
you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or
your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return
and that will be your repayment.
Luke 14:13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind........

Suddenly God smacked me over the head. BAM!!!! I saw the answer to what has been troubling me about the church over the past several months.

Those of you who know me, realize that I have longed for a place to really dig deep into the Word and fellowship with other Christians. I yearn to openly discuss, question and dialogue about the richness of the Bible and the wonders of our God. I want to be with hungry people.

I have been increasingly disgruntled at not being able to find that place. I want to go deeper than a few verses, Sunday School answers and "self-help Christianity". I need to be with those who can be real and transparent about their struggles, yet who recognize that through the power of Him who lives within us, we can navigate the complexities of life. I want to be in an "iron-sharpens-iron" environment, where we can share the joy of peeling back the layers of God's Word and discover precious nuggets of truth together.

I have, in my despair, asked "Lord, do you not care that I have a place to grow....to refresh...to be in fellowship....and to find accountability? How can I lead others when I have no place to refill???"

But I have been looking in the wrong place.

"invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind..."

Yesterday I saw my city with fresh eyes. I live every day among the spiritually poor, crippled, lame and blind. I have very few in my world who are "seasoned" Christians, or who have ever had the opportunity to be discipled or to study the Word. Most of the people around me do not even have a personal relationship with Christ.

But if I get truly gut-level honest with myself, I don't really want to spend my time in the insulation of the church walls.

In this parable, it goes on to tell how the invited guests who already knew the host made excuses not to come. Unfortunately, they took their relationship with him for granted, and did not feel an urgency to come to the feast.

By contrast, those with great need were hungry. Coming to the table was a privilege for them, and they came with eagerness and excitement.

I immediately thought of Adam. One of my favorite things in the whole world is just to spend time talking with him. I love his questions. I love his depth. I love his childlike faith.

It is refreshing just to be around him. I can't explain how amazing it is to watch him share his faith on Wednesdays at the table. That kid is a walking sponge, and he is devouring the truth of the Word. In his one short year of being a Christian, he has reached a point where I now seek counsel from him, because his perspective is so fresh and spirit-driven.

I thought about how much of my life has been spent attending church-related events. While they have their merit, that's not where my heart lies. I want to feast and fellowship with the poor, crippled, lame and blind!!! How fun to be around people who recognize the invitation to the meal as a privilege, honor and blessing.

I realize that my calling is to invite the hungry to the table. And I believe through the power of the living, active Word of God, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I can be refreshed in that environment while discipling others. I don't need to find a group of "seasoned" Christians. I need to begin serving those who may not even yet know Who they are looking for.

My perspective has changed today. I realize what a blessing it is to be on a campus where I have endless opportunities. I get to interact with those blinded by false religion, crippled by church abuse, and poor in spirit because they never had the opportunity to grow in their faith.

We live in a neighborhood and go to school with lost, hurting, poor souls longing for answers. I shop at a store, and eat at restaurants, and go to sporting events with people who are spiritually empty.

And what a refreshment my Bible Study is!!! I love the fact that there is a curiosity and innocence and freedom from pre-conceived "churchiology". This last week sincere questions were raised on everything from extreme unction to Katherine Kuhlman and Islam!!!

Lord, I thank you for the blessing of being able to freely feast on your Word. Thank you for our daily bread. Draw the hungry to your table, and let them find the satisfaction that only comes from knowing you.

Divine appointments

2006-09-21T03:55:00.000-07:00

I love it when God orchestrates divine appointments. It happened to me on Monday.

I started this week realizing that I was not on top of my game spiritually. I know God is GOD, and at the core of my spirit, that belief has not wavered. But I am disillusioned right now with "church", and wrestling with my own position on some spiritual issues.

So walking down Forbes on Monday, I told God, "It's going to have to be all you and your Holy Spirit today. In my weakness, reveal your strength."

At that very point, God said to me, "I need you to talk to Ray." Ray is the mail carrier who works on Forbes, and I really don't bump into him that often. God would have to make that happen if he wanted us to talk.

I was also a little unsettled by the thought of dialoguing with him when I wasn't feeling particularly spiritual. I enjoy our conversations, but he is very intellectual, and can be blunt and intimidating. Ray was raised in a traditional religion, but got burned and left as a young teen. He would now probably call himself more Unitarian.

But as I got to the bottom of Forbes, I saw him. And he clearly was headed towards me.

We ended up talking through his entire lunch break, but it was such a good conversation. God recently brought a priest and some others into his life who are stirring up questions in his spirit. It was exciting to realize that there are multiple dimensions of God's activity occuring--including many that I will never even know. I am simply one small piece of the bigger plan for Ray's life.

We had more to talk about that we had time, so we ended the conversation with a promise to pick it up again on campus in the near future. He knows where our office is in the University Center, so hopefully we can dialogue again soon.

The coolest part is that it was TOTALLY God speaking through me that morning. My mind and my flesh could never have come up with the things that were said. It is so cool when God does that.

Continue to pray for Ray. I believe that God is working in him, and has an incredible plan for his life. I don't know that I will ever get to see the unfolding of it. So much of what we do is the initial seed planting. But God in His goodness continues to allow imperfect people like me to be part of carrying his incredible story to a lost and dying world. What a privilege!!!

2Co 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Co 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

A Father's Blessing

2006-09-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

I was recently reading in 2 Samuel 6, when this verse struck me, "Then David came back to give a blessing to his family" (2 Sam. 6:20a).

If you remember, it was right after they had gone and retrieved the ark of God, and had just finished an incredible time of worship.

I find it interesting that David's priority after such an intense spiritual experience was to go and bless his family.

One of my former pastors, Rex Holt, would pray a "Father's Blessing" over his kids each night at bedtime. It was straight scripture, and I believe had a powerful impact on them growing up.

Do any of you practice a "Father's Blessing", and if so, how exactly do you go about it? I am intrigued by this concept, and would love to hear from you.

Our New Addition

2006-09-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we added a new member to our family. She is a sweetie! We're pretty sure that she is all beagle. Our neighbor looked at her and said she has the markings of a purebred dog, even though we got her from a rescue.

The hardest part was leaving with her. The mother beagle happened to be in a cage beside where our car was parked. When she saw her puppy, she ran to the fence, stuck her nose through, and was whimpering for her little one. It almost broke my heart.

We haven't given her a name yet, because our family can't come to a consensus on anything. So for now, it's just "little girl." She's a snuggler who likes nothing better than to sit on your lap and have her head scratched.

But she's also a typical toddler. Into everything, and it all goes in the mouth. We've suddenly realized how non-babyproofed our house has become.

Thankfully, she's a really easy and smart dog, who already sleeps through the night, loves her crate, and is catching on to housetraining. We had two new firsts this morning--leash training and a bath (neither of which she was real fond of.)

All of you in the Pittsburgh area are more than welcome to come meet her. She LOVES people!!!

Our City is Mourning

2006-09-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

I am grieving today with my fellow Pittsburghers over the loss of our Mayor, Bob O'Connor. If there is anything that could be said about this man, it is that he LOVED this city and gave his life to serving her.

He was "the People's Mayor"--and loved nothing more than walking the streets downtown, mingling with citizens, or eating in a restaurant up on Forbes. He had huge dreams and ambitions for this city, to restore her to the glory days that she previously knew.

When he spoke about Pittsburgh, his whole face would light up. He had dreamed of being mayor of our city for most of his life. That dream finally came true last November, when on his third attempt he was elected mayor.

One reason he has been such a good mayor, is that he is truly a Pittsburgher. In his lifetime has worked in a steel mill and in the family restaurant, served over a decade on city council, and even became a Eucharistic minister of the Catholic church so that he could serve communion to residents in senior care centers. He initiated the "Redd Up" campaign to clean up our downtown area, and had a strategy to bring economic health back to Pittsburgh.

Mayor O'Connor did not expect to hold such a short term in office. When he went to the hospital in July with flu-like symptoms, he had no idea that he would be diagnosed with brain cancer and succumb so quickly to the illness.

Our whole city has been in prayer for the O'Connor family these past few weeks. I've often wondered where he stood with God, and prayed that He knew the Lord as his Savior. I know that he was a devout Catholic whose son is a priest. However, only God knows the heart of a man.

But I've learned so much from the example of Mayor O'Connor. I hope that I can have as much passion, joy and allegiance to the city of my King as Mayor O'Connor did for Pittsburgh. It has given me a new desire to "get back to Kingdom purposes" and lay aside the messy distractions that have been in my way.

I don't know how much time I will have on this earth, either. But at the end of my life, when I get to heaven, I want to hear "she was a loyal citizen of the King."

Redd up, yens. We've got Kingdom purposes to fulfill.

Stained Glass Masquerade

2006-08-31T12:42:00.001-07:00

Apparently the topic of my last few posts struck a chord. I have received emails from several people who feel the same way.

Interestingly enough, most of them are missionaries or former missionaries.

There is a Casting Crowns song out right now that speaks volumes. It's called "Stained Glass Masquerade", and is on their Lifesong album.

But these words hit me between the eyes. Here's an excerpt from the song:

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

So what do you think is the answer? Why do we seem to struggle so much to find that genuine connection and transparent fellowship? Do you think it has to do with the individualism and busyness of the American culture? Or is it something else?

Whoa

2006-08-30T04:59:00.000-07:00

I had an overwhelming experience yesterday. And I'm still processing it. But I also have a sense of hope through this that I haven't had in a long time.

This has been a tough season of my life. We have been so isolated here in the ministry.

I've also been really questioning my call as a woman in ministry. Even though I know what God Himself has told me, I also hear the voice of leaders in our denomination telling me that I can't be who I am called to be. So I live under that constant tension, confusion and pressure.

Those who know me well will tell you I have not been myself for a while. So yesterday I decided to join a Bible Study group that was recommended by a local counselor. It meets on Tuesdays, which is my day off campus.

But what I found at this study caught me off guard. First of all, the teacher was this dear, funny lady who has been in full-time ministry for over 21 years. She also happens to be 84 years old, and talks about God in such a warm, personal way that it's as if He is standing next to her in the room.

The group ranged in age from early 20s through senior adults. But there was something unique about them from the moment I walked in. They were so REAL and transparent. Each lady was at a different point in her journey, but it was so clear that they were deeply in love with Christ and had a reverence for the Word of God.

They were also not afraid to speak openly and freely. There were questions asked and statements made that I had never heard in a Bible Study before. Raw, genuine questions like, "why does the Bible teach that premarital sex is wrong?"

I realized that most of these women had come to Christ later in lives and were free from the influences of church culture. Since they were at all different stages of their walk, and did not know yet how to play the Christian "game", there were no questions/comments that were off limits. It was SOOOO refreshing.

It also occurred to me that they had not yet been given the list of "THOU SHALT NOTS FOR WOMEN" that those of us who have grown up in church have lived under. Every single woman in that room was plugged into ministry of some sort, even though they were all wives and mothers and some were even fairly new believers. There was no wrestling with "Can I do this if I'm female?" or "should I wait until I'm more grounded in my faith?" There was this general attitude of "how can I keep from sharing what God has done in my life?!!!!"

We were studying the parable of the Good Samaritan. We had just passed the part where the man was beaten up, and began discussing the role of the thieves in the story. We all agreed that they represent satan, who has come to "steal, kill and to destroy." We discussed how satan's goal is to defeat us and keep us from fulfilling God's call on our life.

But the next part hit me between the eyes. The teacher said, "Did you notice where the next source of pain comes from, though? Who ignored the man when he was at his point of greatest need? How often do you see the Law and the Church abandoning the hurting Christian?"

That did it. I started to sob. Thirty seven years of deep wounds started to come out. That was me. I have felt such pain from my church and denomination.

I realized these women have a freedom in Christ that I don't. They don't even have a concept of what I mean when I speak of the bondage I feel as a woman in the church. I couldn't even really voice it. I just sobbed.

Do you know what they did next, though? They did not treat me like a freak for breaking down. They didn't scold me for being too emotional or for stating that church authorities can be hurtful and mean.

They surrounded me and laid hands on me and prayed for me.

I can't tell you what that was like.

I realized something yesterday. We didn't spend the majority of our time in there talking about the opinions of biblical authorities, or the accomplishments of noted personalities, or church doctrine, or programs, or church history, or philosophy.

We talked about God. We discussed how amazing, wonderful, loving, graceful, kind, patient, creative and personal He is. And when our eyes were looking up, rather than vertical, there was such freedom in Christ, not bondage.

I'm still not really sure what happened yesterday. My head is still spinning. But I want what those women have. And I want to find that freedom to be who I am called to be by my Lord and Savior.

"You can't leave God out of prayer"

2006-08-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was preparing dinner, Joshua came in with an intense look on his face. "Mommy," he said. "I think I'm going to put a note in my teacher's 'I have a problem' box."

I stopped cooking to give him my full attention. "One of our spelling words this week is 'pray' ", he explained, "and the definition that we were given for it is 'to hope very much.' That's just wrong. You can't leave God out of prayer."

Later in the evening, he decided to also write the publisher of his spelling book. So I helped him find the contact info and send an email.

Here's what he wrote:

Dear Houghton-Mifflin:

One of my spelling words this week is
"pray". Your Reading Vocabulary book says that it means "to hope very much."

That's wrong. To pray is to talk to God. Webster's dictionary even
defines it as "to talk to God."

Thanks.

Joshua

Son, I have another definition for you. It's the word "conviction", and it means "to have the courage to stand up for what you believe."

We're proud of you, kiddo.

Middle School Woes

2006-08-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

Anna started Middle School yesterday. And apparently the world also came to an end.

I put a very tearful kid to bed last night. It was hard to see her like that.

Anna is such an incredible daughter. She is sweet, charming, loving, and fun. She is very self-sufficient, with a creative flair (she made the cake in this picture all by herself) and has her Daddy's ability to stretch a dollar insanely far.

But two things she is not: a morning person, or a big fan of change. So a 6:30 bus, and 12 periods of classes have literally rocked her world.

I tried to encourage her by telling her my Middle School horror stories. After all....I survived it and am proof that there is life beyond 6th grade.

I remember my first day at McArthur Middle School in Jonesboro, AR. It was 7th grade, and we'd just come back to the States on furlough.

I realized immediately it was going to be a challenge. There should be boot camp for things like combination locks, opening milk cartons, and dealing with 8th grade boys who burp and throw spit balls.

But the most horrific moment came when I walked into English. From the back of the room Jim, EVIL Jim, stated, "aren't you that kid who wet her pants back in 3rd grade?"

YES, I wet my pants in 3rd grade. It was our last furlough, and my first day EVER in public school. The math teacher was a total meanie who warned us that we had better not interrupt her teaching with any trivia. When I realized I needed to go to the restroom, I was too afraid to raise my hand. I just sat there, frozen, as the yellow puddle under my chair grew bigger and bigger.

So that lovely announcement from Jim kicked off my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad first day in Middle School. And I came out of it still breathing, and even managed to make some friends in the process.

Do any of you have some words of wisdom or stories that you could share with Anna of how you survived the "tween" years?

Getting Older

2006-08-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

This month my big brother and my supervisor both turn 40. It's made me very conscious of how suddenly we've arrived at "middle age." So in honor of Mark and Jerome, here's a little article taken from www.seniorresource.com. Enjoy!

NINETEEN THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME 50 YEARS TO LEARN By Dave Barry

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. And when God, who created the entire universe with all of its glories, decides to deliver a message to humanity, He WILL NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

6. You should not confuse your career with your life.

7. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

8. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

9. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

10. Never lick a steak knife.

11. Take out the fortune before you eat the cookie.

12. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

13. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

14. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

15. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

16. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

17. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

18. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

19. Your friends love you anyway.

Walking to the Sky

2006-08-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

There's a sculpture on our campus that just intrigues me. You can read more about it here.

What story in the Bible does it remind you of? It amazes me how civilization never learns. We still believe that we our own accomplishments will be our salvation.

Yesterday was international orientation. It was their first day on campus. I watched as a mosaic of people, from various races and multiple nations, paused at the base of the sculpture to look up into the sky.

I wondered what each of their stories were. I wanted to ask, "What are you really searching for? Do you know HIM--the One?"

Pray for our campus as we get ready to begin a new year. Once again, we have the opportunity to impact the world from our little base in Oakland. Pray that we would make the most of every opportunity.

I think of the words of David and of the people of Israel:

1Ch 16:23-35
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and joy are in His place.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array.

Tremble before Him, all the earth; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."

Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD; For He is coming to judge the earth.

O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.

Then say, "Save us, O God of our salvation, And gather us and deliver us from the nations, To give thanks to Your holy name, And glory in Your praise."

I've been tagged

2006-08-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by both Tim Sweatman and Rob Slagle, so I guess I had better respond.

I had recently sworn off books, having assumed I fulfilled my quota of them last year. Somewhere between McManus and Sproul I think I blew a fuse, so had gone back to my standard reading level--things like the "Adventures of Calvin and Hobbes" and Strongbad's emails.

But here goes nothing.

1. One book that changed your life: It's really a bible study rather than a book, but it was the Covenant study by Kay Arthur. Not only did the topic significantly impact me, but it was also where I learned the inductive Bible study method. Another great Bible Study that has recently impacted me is "Believing God" by Beth Moore.
One book that influenced me at a crucial time in my life was "The Sacred Romance" by Curtis and Eldredge.
2. One book that you've read more than once: "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by W. Philip Keller. I love anything by him. Another one of his that I've read multiple times is "What is the Father Like?" One I really want is "Rabboni: Which is to say, Master."
3. One book that you'd want on a desert island: "Primitive Living, Self-Sufficiency, and Survival Skills: A Field Guide to Primitive Living Skills"
by Thomas J. Elpel
4. One book that made you laugh: "The #1 Ladies Detective Agency" by Alexander Mcall Smith. Not only is it true to African culture, it's just cute.
5. One book that made you cry: "A Child Named 'It'" by Dave Pelzer. In some ways I wish it had never been written. But it is the reality of child abuse.
6. One book that you wish you had written: "The Kneeling Christian" by an unknown Christian
7. One book you wish had never been written: "101 Uses for a Dead Cat" by Simon Bond
8. One book that you are currently reading: Just finished "Israel, My Beloved" by Kay Arthur, and now reading "Boundaries" by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend.
9. One book that you've been meaning to read: "Rees Howells, Intercessor" by Norman Grubb.

I tag James Touchton, Kelly Reed and Jerome Stockert.

Road Trip---Need Your Help

2006-08-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

One of the pivotal events in our ministry each year has been the Passion conference which is held during the Winter break. Not only has it had a huge impact on our students, but has shaped our entire ministry.

The past two years it has been held in Nashville, and we've taken 12 and 21 students respectively. Local churches there in Tennessee have been kind enough to let our group sleep in their gym or family life center, which has enabled us to keep the price for students at an affordable rate.

But this year Passion moved to Atlanta! So we are needing to find a place to stay on the way down (since it will be an 11+ hour trip for us) and church in that area who would be willing to let us stay in their facilities. We may possibly be combining with the Penn State group as well, and we'll probably bring around 20 students each.

All we really need are shower/bathroom facilities and a floor to crash on. If you know of anyone who might can help us, then please let us know ASAP.

Our housing needs for P07:

Two nights stay in a gym/family life center with showers - somewhere along the I-77 corridor in North Carolina, or anywhere from Winston/Salem to Charlotte (on the way to Atlanta).
1st night we would arrive in the evening of 12/31 and depart the morning of 1/1
2nd night we would arrive in the late afternoon/evening of 1/4 and depart the morning of 1/5

Three nights stay in a gym/family life center with showers - anywhere in the Atlanta area - preferably near the Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta
We would be arriving in the afternoon of 1/1, and departing the morning of 1/4

Loneliness

2006-08-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to Dave Hunt's "Until That Day" cd, and there is a song on it that resonates with me.

It's called "Lonely", and the words are as follows.

Your stars above me
Reach out to hold me
Your waves are singing me to sleep
And in the stillness, you say you
love me
Within the whispers of your breeze.

But I'm so lonely, I'm so lonely, I'm so lonely

I know you're with me
You never leave me
I know you're right here by my
side
I know what I know
Should make me happy
But I can't convince
myself tonight

'Cause I'm so lonely, I'm so lonely, I'm so
lonely.....

Why is it that we can have a deep, intimate relationship with God, and yet still feel so lonely? Why--if God is the "fullness of Him who fills everything in every way" do we still need human connection so much?

Why is it so difficult to make those true friendships, especially in Christian circles? It seems like we can be surrounded by people, yet never get past the plastic facades. Even in family relationships, there are barriers to intimacy.

Is it just that we are a broken people, and will never be whole until we get to heaven? Is it just that we are "not of this world", and that need for community will never be satisfied until we are with Him? Why do we still struggle so much with loneliness........?

Sad Loss for Arkansas

2006-08-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

My mom called today to tell me that KATV Sports Director Paul Eels was killed in a car accident Monday night.

I had the privilege of knowing Paul for a Summer, and he was as genuine in person as he comes across on television.

I did my internship at Channel 7 (KATV) in Little Rock while I was in college. I learned quickly what a hedonistic and brutal world broadcasting can be.

But Paul was always cheerful, and a constant encourager. He never took himself too seriously, and did not have the big head you would expect someone known as the "Voice of the Razorbacks" to display.

He was great to us interns--and was incredibly patient, even when we messed up. I remember one night I had been cussed out by a producer for a glitch in the teleprompter that night. I was close to tears, and very much aware of my status as "bottom of the food chain." Paul put a very fatherly hand on my shoulder, and told me not to let it get to me. Ironically, HE was the one who my mistake had hurt--it occurred during the sports segment.

I did not realize that he was a Christian until recently, just because we never talked about it. But Jeff, a sports reporter under Paul, was open about his faith, and there was a stark contrast between the spirit of the sports department and the rest of the station.

It was so cool to discover that Paul had also loved the Lord. It just read this article from "Spirit" magazine, and was excited to hear from others how he has been a key player in planting New Life Church, which has multiple campuses in the Little Rock area.

My prayers are with his family, and I hurt for them. Arkansas lost a very kind, fun and noble man this week. TOUCHDOWN ARKANSAS!!!

Tears for Asia

2006-08-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

This story on the IMB website really touched my heart. It's exciting to hear about leaders whose hearts are tender enough to cry for the nations.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of criticism, argument, and negativity within our denomination.

However, this stuff pumps me up and gets me excited about getting back in the trenches. I love the testimonies from the field--stories of how God is at work in our leadership, and how we are unified in a passion to reach the lost.

I'm ready to hear the praises. Do you have any stories of how God has worked where you are, or spoken into your life recently? Let's celebrate the good things He has done.

Dare to Be a Daniel--Great Resource for Kids!

2006-08-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

There is a great resource that has recently been put out by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. It is called Dare to Be a Daniel and is a great way for teaching kids how to share their faith.

It can be used by the child as an online study, or parents can order a free kit to use at home. We are doing both.

Not only does it teach key scriptures and principles of evangelism, it also builds confidence, and there is even an online message board where kids can share with one another.

Update from Julianna

2006-08-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hey, everybody! Thanks for your prayers for my family. We got a response from one church, who can help us with a one-time gift. We appreciate that!

But we've got a lot of ground to cover here in Philly, so please keep praying for God to provide for us.

Our goal is to eventually have the majority of financial support throughout our region coming from local churches and individuals.

As all of our ministries throughout Pennsylvania grow, and as our students continue to catch a vision for what we are doing, that will naturally develop. Our stronger, more established campus ministries are also getting to a point where they can partner with and support the work on new campuses.

But in the interim period, we are going to need some short-term support from individuals and churches outside of our region.

One cool thing about our Pennsylvania/South Jersey team is that we really want our ministries to reflect the culture that we live and work in. That means we want our team to be as diverse as the society around us. For example, the Pittsburgh team should be a cross-section of the Pittsburgh culture, the Philly team a cross-section of the Philly culture, etc.

We are getting there, but also have a ways to go. Half of our campus ministry team in PA/SJ are either native to Pennsylvania, or went to college here and were active in our campus ministries as students. Twelve of our 34 staff members were students in one of our ministries while in college.

We also have an international component to our ministries, and want to cultivate that even more. We have staff who grew up in Russia, Moldova, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Canada, Turkey and the foreign states of Alaska, North Dakota and Texas. : )

Please continue to pray for collegiate ministry in Pennsylvania and South Jersey. Pray especially that God would continue to call out workers, and supporters to provide for them. The harvest here is plentiful, and there are doors open all around us. But we need more laborers and more ministry partners.

Ministry Opportunity--Letter from Julianna

2006-07-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is a couple who work on our campus ministry team. Our CrossSeeker group has adopted them as well, and are partnering with their ministry on the other side of the state.

One of the cool things that God has been doing recently is calling native Pennsylvanians to serve here in our own state. That is really exciting!!! But it also presents a challenge, because our Baptist churches are small, and financial resources are spread so thin.

So we are appealing to you guys to get the word out about the Mussers. They need some churches or individuals to come alongside and partner with them financially in the work at Drexel. Even if you aren't able to help at the moment, then please pass the word along to others. This is an amazing opportunity to get in on the ground level of a new work with limitless potential. Please pray seriously about being part of Brian and Jennifer's support team!!!

Hi. My name is Julianna Musser. I live in Levittown, Pennsylvania.

This is my Mommy and Daddy--Brian and Jennifer. They are Mission Service Corps missionaries with the North American Mission Board. They work at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Kiki thinks I'm one of the most charming little gals she has ever met. She and Doug also love my parents and believe in their ministry.

My parents are native Pennsylvanians. They fell in love while they were students at Messiah College in Grantham. They got married in 2001. While Daddy was in college, he went to Mexico and spent a semester there doing missions. God began at that point to call him into ministry.

But everything really started happening last year. Mommy and Daddy realized that God wanted them to become campus ministers at Drexel. They both had great jobs(my parents are VERY smart!) but were willing to give them up to follow God's call. Daddy was a lab manager and research assistant doing studies on the AIDS virus. Mommy was a Counseling Specialist in the Philadelphia school district.

They quit their jobs, and began raising support. THEN GUESS WHAT???? I decided to make my entrance into the world. Mommy had a tough pregnancy, too, which made things a little harder.

I am writing to ask for your help. Our churches here in Pennsylvania are pretty little. Most of them struggle to even pay their pastors. We don't have the abundance of resources that many of you in the Bible Belt do. We need some more churches and people to partner with us.

My friends Anna and Joshua told me that you were really nice and that I should let you know about my family. They said that you guys can seriously PRAY!!!! My family needs prayer right now. We need to get more support. This month got a little tight, and Mommy wasn't sure how we were going to pay our bills. But God provided at the last minute, like He always does. He is so good to us!!!

Things are going well at Drexel. Daddy started a weekly Bible Study back in March. There is a picture below of him meeting with some of the students. He also got to take some students to Zambia this Summer for a mission trip. Our interns, Alex and Yelena, went with him on that trip. There is a picture of the whole team below, and of them ministering to the people they met in Zambia.

My Mommy didn't go to Africa, because she stayed home to take care of me. But she is also an important part of the ministry at Drexel. We believe that God has called us as a family to do this.

Would you please pray for us? Also, if any of you feel like God is leading you to partner with us, you can email my Daddy at peaceandpower@comcast.net.

One last thing-- would let your churches, sunday school classes, friends, cousins, distant relatives, etc. know about us?

Thank you!

Julianna.

When Sermon Illustrations Backfire!!!

2006-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

A friend just emailed this to me. I thought it was so cute that I needed to post it.

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate cans.
The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.
At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration?

A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said,
"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

Why Men Dont' Ask for Directions

2006-07-25T14:27:00.000-07:00


This is why is not safe to ask for directions.

Women in Ministry

2006-07-24T07:30:00.001-07:00

James 4:7a "Submit therefore to God..."

When I saw that the topic of Women in Ministry had resurfaced in the SBC, I cringed. I have a lot of history with that particular subject.

But God has been doing cool stuff in my heart just in the past two years in regard to that. If you go back and read some of my comments on the original Lifeway Younger Leaders board (but please don't!) then you will see how far I've come. God has been doing some major renovation.

There was a point where I had concluded that most Christian men, especially those in ministry positions, were misogynists. I have seen and experienced harsh, arrogant, and disrespectful treatment toward women that is not honoring to God.

It used to upset me when this topic was brought up at all--not because I believe women should be ordained (I don't) but because I felt it has been used to prohibit women from participating in legitimate ministries to which God has called them. I have also seen it abused by self-centered, proud individuals who are seeking to puff up their own self esteem.

For example, I had a friend in college who was an incredible preacher, and who I really respected as a minister. But one day I saw him with his wife, and to be honest, he was a complete jerk to her. It totally floored me. How could a man be such a wonderful leader in the church, but so abusive in his own home?

So I was not surprised later, in class, when he began speaking against the ordination of women, and how man was made to serve God, but the woman was made to serve man. He made it very clear that he believed women were "lesser" in the eyes of God.

That attitude, which was not unique to this one man, caused me to overcompensate in the other direction. I began LOOKING for evidence that a woman should be ordained, simply because I'd seen the mistreatment of women in regard to this topic.

But to be honest, I didn't find the evidence I was looking for. I still believe that there is a lot of freedom for women in ministry, but that does not include the role of pastor.

What I did find, though, was an overwhelming confirmation from my Lord and Savior that I am not inferior in His eyes. HE determines my value, not man.

And I'm okay with not ever being a preacher. I can't ever be President of the United States, either. (I wasn't born in this country). But I don't think that makes me a "lesser" American, or makes my civic responsibility lower than that of any other citizen. And I'm certainly not going to make a public outcry about being discriminated against, or about my rights being suppressed.

In the same way, I don't think not being able to be a pastor makes me inferior to a man spiritually. On the contrary--God Himself has shown me in my personal time with Him that I have incredible worth, value and purpose in His eyes. He also has a unique, special role for me in ministry that only I can fill. And I LOVE that!!!

All through my Bible, you will occasionally find a little heart drawn by a particular passage. That is a passage of scripture where God has spoken to me on a very deep and intimate level regarding this issue. I know who God says I am. And really, that's all that matters.

I have two friends who are both ordained female ministers. I love them both, and enjoy being with them any opportunity I get. I like their personailities, think they are really fun to be around. They even teach me lots of things about life.

I'm not going to disassociate with them, or lecture them on their proper role in the body of Christ. Why should I? Just because we have doctrinal differences doesn't mean we can't be good friends. Their beliefs don't affect our ability to fellowship with and enjoy one another's company. And they are not going to "contaminate" me in any way, either.

I think that much of the pain and hurt surrounding this issue could be alleviated if the body of Christ took Mark 12:28-31 seriously. Submit to God and His Word daily, and honor one another. So many problems would just not exist if we could put self aside and value the other person for who Christ says they are.

Hilarious Video

2006-07-22T08:01:00.000-07:00


Funny Comedy - A Reporter tries to file a report about soldiers burning weed in an open field but the smoke starts to mess him up. - fun funny laugh laughter humor comedy

Fun LIttle S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g Exercise

2006-07-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

If you want a perspective-stretching exercise, related to my last post, then go to the blog search engine, and google "grew up Southern Baptist", "former Southern Baptist", or "in a Baptist church."

It's a little disturbing to read some of those stories, and how many of our youth who walked an aisle and were baptized still have no idea what it really means to have a relationship with God.

I did that little exercise this morning, and even found some former SBCers now immersed in Wicca, paganism, universalism, and all kinds of eastern mysticism. There are also some who are pretty bitter at God, and some sad stories of church abuse. A couple of preacher's/missionary kids, too.

DISCLAIMER: a couple of the sites had raw content, so proceed with caution.

Hurting Body, Indifferent Church???

2006-07-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

I have been following with great interest the discussion surrounding Henderson Hills and their position on baptism and membership. And to be honest, I think they are asking some good questions.

It is complex, but a lot of people have been contributing valuable insights on the subject. (One of my favorites is Paul Burleson's ).

Everyone involved seems to agree that baptism (by immersion) is doctrinally correct for Southern Baptists, as well as a vitally important step of obedience following a person's decision to accept Christ.

That's not really the issue. The question causing the controversy is whether baptism is a necessary requirement for church membership.

It's the age old "chicken and the egg" question from a Christian perspective--belief/belong or belong/belief. And since official membership in a local church is not addressed biblically, it becomes another one of those topics where biblical/historical/traditional lines all seem to be blur into varying interpretations.

But that is not the point of my post. I read the most recent post by Dennis Newkirk, the pastor of HHBC, and was saddened by what I found. He has really been beaten up, and sounds discouraged. That picture he posted on his site speaks volumes.

Here is a man who has been crushed for simply daring to ask some relevant questions.

He has been hurt by fellow Christians whose careless words reflect careless hearts. We all need to stop and ask ourselves: is it more important to be "right", or to be godly?

We would do well to remember the warning of Proverbs Pro 12:18. "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Please hear me out, and don't bombard me with doctrinal dissertations concerning baptism and membership. I'm not endorsing one position or another, because I'm still contemplating the issue myself.

But here's what I DO know. 1 Cor. 12 tells us that if we are in Christ, we are all members of one body. It also tells us that when one member of the body is hurting, it affects the whole body, because that member is a connected, valuable part of the whole. Dennis apparently recognized this hurt within his own church family, and felt it merited his attention. It is a topic that is very worthy of discussion.

Whether we want to admit it or not, this IS a genuine barrier for many people, and there is deep pain associated with the baptism/membership issue. We cannot assume that everyone grew up within the same religious culture and tradition that we experienced. We need to start putting ourselves in other's shoes.

There are fellow brothers and sisters, in the North, East, West, and yes, even the South, who have been deeply hurt by this issue. And no matter where we stand on the issue itself, if it affects part of the body, it affects us.

Allow me to share a story with you.

I have a dear friend who is a godly, amazing woman. But she grew up in a different denomination, and came to a relationship with Christ in that church. She decided to follow Christ in baptism, because she recognized that it was an important step of obedience in her walk with Christ. Her baptism was a very rich, meaningful experience for her, and was done with the intent of honoring and bringing glory to her Lord.

So she was stunned, years later, when she attempted to join an SBC church, and they told her she would have to be re-baptized, because she had been sprinkled rather than immersed.

With tears in her eyes, she explained why she adamantly objected to doing so. To be re-baptized now would be for the purposes of membership into an SBC church, rather than as a public confession of her salvation. To her, it negates her original act of obedience and cheapens the true meaning of baptism.

So she remains in a church where she faithfully attends and actively participates, while feeling like a "second-class citizen" because of the membership issue. To make matters worse, she has received a lot of pressure from well-meaning Baptists to "just get re-baptized and put the whole issue behind her."

For her, it is not a matter of disobedience, but rather of principle.

This is not an isolated story. Each of us probably knows someone who has a similar testimony. And if you have ever heard them speak about it, then you have seen the pain in their face and the depth of emotion that accompanies this topic.

I'm not saying that we should alter doctrine to keep people happy. There is a definite time to stand for truth. But there is also a definite time to stand for love. We need to be actively seeking wisdom, while respecting those around us.

Love is patient. It is humble. It puts the other person first. Love listens. Love seeks understanding. It is gentle, honorable and kind.

Jesus did not expect the people he encountered on the street, or even his own disciples, to have instantaneously "arrived". He discipled them, allowing them to gradually learn spiritual principles. We see multiple examples of where he used questions, stories or experiences to help them grow into an understanding of truth. He allowed them to grow at their own pace within a safe environment.

I have a hard time believing that if Jesus were here today, He would say, "If those people don't like our doctrine, they can just go find a different church." He would have listened to those who were hurting. He would have sought understanding. He would have prayed and searched for God's will in the matter. And He would have responded with kindness and respect.

Some of the comments I have read recently from one Christian to another are quite frankly sickening. There is no love exhibited, no honor shown, no attempt to esteem others more highly or love our neighbor as ourselves.

No matter what opinions we may have, the biblical guidelines on relating to one another are clear.

1Th 5:11-15 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,
and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.
We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

Rom 12:10-13 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Rom 15:5-7 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

1Pe 1:22-23 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

Ramblings of a future pet owner

2006-07-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's 2:31 a.m. and I can't sleep. So I'm writing rambling posts on non-theological topics in the wee hours of the morning. Bear that in mind as you read this.

I'm anxious about tomorrow. That's when we'll find out if we have a shot at dog ownership.

I never thought I would be this stressed out. I'm usually not this emotional about an animal--especially one I don't even really know. When we decided to take the plunge and adopt a pet, I thought it would simply be a matter of going down to the local shelter, selecting a dog we liked, and taking it home.

But oh no, no. Not in America. Did you know that there is an application process, background check, and sometimes even a home visit? I had no idea that the process was this grueling. All day long I've been thinking, "what if they don't think we'd be good owners? What if our home is not good enough? What if the dog doesn't seem to like us?"

I also made the mistake of getting my heart set on a particular pet. She is an 8 month old labrador/dachshund mix named "Crickett." I had a Labradox (or Doxador, as Doug prefers to call her) when I was a kid. Crickett happens to look a lot like her, and seems to have much of the same disposition.

The problem is that another family is ahead of us in the application process. They will be spending time with Crickett tomorrow, in view of adoption.

So we are playing the waiting game. Part of me wonders if it is okay to pray about something like this. Does God care about our pet desires? Is that like asking him to help your team win a football game? Is it fair to ask Him to make another family not want her?

What do you think? Is it okay to pray about the little things in life, even if they have no theological bearings whatsoever?

Either way, I know that it will all work out in the end. But in case God does care about it, I might just say a little prayer, too. : )

An Eight-Cow Wife

2006-07-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

I read a recent post over on "Dorcas' site" that got me thinking. It is titled "If I Had Only Known..." and brings up the value and responsibility of a woman.

Rather than state my personal opionion on the topic, I would like to share a story that greatly impacted me a few years ago. It is taken from "Winning in the Land of Giants" (Youth Edition), by Dr. William Mitchell--an excellent study which we have gone through both with the kids at the Children's Home, and with our college students.

Long ago, in a primitive culture, it was required that before they married, the young men had to bargain with the girl's father for her. The fathers of the village demanded payment for their daughters generally in the form of cows. Three cows could buy an above-average wife, and four or five cows a very beautiful wife!

Johnny, the brightest, strongest, and most handsome man in the village loved Sarita. Sarita most henerously could have been described as being plain. She was not truly ugly, but neither attractive. She was shy. She was also older than most girls at the time of marriage.

The villagers' loved to gossip about the bargaining price of a girl. Some said Johnny might offer two or three cows. Others said Sarita's father might take one cow since nobody else was interested in her.

Johnny went to meet with Sarita's father and offered eight cows for her.

Everyone was astonished. That was the highest price ever paid for a bride in their village! Soon, Johnny herded eight cows to his future father-in-law. The wedding was held the same evening.

Time passed, Sarita changed. Her eyes dazzled, and she moved and spoke with striking grace and poise. People who came to the village and had never seen Sarita before remarked that she was the region's most beautiful woman.

Much later, someone asked Johnny why he paid such a high price for her. Why offer eight cows when he could have had her as his wife for less? Did he make such an offer to make her happy?

"Yes, I wanted her to be happy, but I wanted more than that. The most important thing that changes a woman is how she thinks about herself. Sarita believed she was worth nothing. Now she knows she is worth more than any other woman in the village." Johnny concluded, "I loved Sarita and no other woman. And I wanted to marry her. But I also wanted an eight-cow wife."

from Winning in the Land of Giants, p. 43

Fantastic Surprise!!!

2006-07-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

This whole past year I have been concerned about a student who seemed to have fallen off the map. Joshua Boston was active with our group all throughout the previous year, and had even applied to be a small group leader.

So we were understandably concerned when he did not show up at school this past year. I had interacted with him a couple of times through the Summer, when he had requested info on some mission opportunities. I even wrote a recommendation for him, but did not hear back, so assumed he had decided not to do Summer missions.

But then when I tried to reach him this past Fall, both his email and cell phone accounts had become inactive.

I have been concerned for and praying my heart out all year for Joshua. So I was so excited to get an email from him on Friday. And I just had to laugh when I read it. Here's what it said.

It's been a while, I know, and I'm sorry about basically leaving you completely in the dark. I don't exactly have a cell phone right now, but my Andrew account is back online. The basic story is that I followed up on that email you had forwarded last year from the IMB and Mike Lopez, and recently returned from the one-year trip to Wales. By the way, that was fantastic, but I'm glad to be home.

We've had a missionary from our CrossSeeker group in Europe this past year--and didn't even know it!!!

I just wish we could have been praying for and supporting him while he was there. But I am so thankful that we'll be getting him back for '06-'07. Since he took this past year off, he'll now be around CMU for a year longer than expected. Hey, Joshua.....about that small group leader position........ : )

The SBCs Forgotten Missionaries

2006-07-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Our support-raising trips are always interesting, and we can never know what to expect. But this year has been particularly challenging.

We're used to the typical disconnect when it comes to missions, and the gratuitous, "it's nice what you're doing for those kids in Philadelphia." : )

But this year, it was difficult to even get into churches to speak. I had one pastor tell me not mention what we did in Pittsburgh, because he did not want us "competing" with the church's existing missions programs. (and that was a church I helped plant while in college!!!)

We also were challenged in aspects of our ministry. One man objected to us "interacting with homosexuals." Another lady was appalled that we would "allow non-Christians to come to our group." She was concerned that they might tarnish our Christian doctrine if they were allowed to participate!!!

To be honest, it's really frustrating to be so misunderstood by your own denomination. It would be easier for us to be trying to raise support in a denomination that did NOT have a Cooperative Program, because other denominations see support-raising as a normal component of mission work.

Doug and I are actually doing pretty well financially, compared to many of our peers. We are running at about 80% of where we need to be.

But we have many MSC friends who are struggling to make ends meet, especially those who work in the Bible Belt. It's tough to hear what they go through. Our churches simply don't understand the concept of self-supported SBC missions.

So I'd like to dispel some of the common myths about Mission Service Corps that we hear over and over and over again.

1. "Mission Service Corps is not a Southern Baptist program." On the contrary. It was formed 29 years ago as an avenue for missionaries to be able to go to areas where there would otherwise be no work. It falls under the umbrella of NAMB, and makes up a majority of the NAMB missionaries. It is totally and completely a Southern Baptist mission program, even though it requires that missionaries raise their own support. Doug and I learned about Mission Service Corps from official NAMB representatives, when they recruited us at Glorieta.

2. "NAMB takes a portion of money given to MSC missionaries for administrative purposes." 100% of the money designated for a specific MSC missionary goes to that missionary. NAMB processes the money and keeps it in a designated account, then pays it out in the form of a regular paycheck. But ALL of the money given for the missionary makes it to the missionary.

3. "Giving to Mission Service Corps hurts the Cooperative Program and special offerings such as Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong." In a "recent NAMB study" reports from the vast majority of association sponsors and state conventions indicated that MSC giving either did not affect or enhanced support of the Cooperative Program. 43% stated that giving to Annie Armstrong and Lottie Moon actually increased because of MSC support. Mission Service Corps generates roughly $36 million annually for missions support.

4. "There are no checks and balances with the MSC system." We have a NAMB appointed supervisor, NAMB authorities, and fill out regular NAMB paperwork just like other Southern Baptist missionaries. MSC missionaries must apply and be appointed by NAMB. Our money is channelled through NAMB, and they take care of much of the paperwork for us. There are numerous sources of accountability within the system.

5. "People apply to MSC when they don't qualify for other traditional SBC mission programs." I have not even heard of one case where this is true. A good number of MSC missionaries choose to go through Mission Servie Corps because they are called to a specific region or type of work that has no Cooperative Program funding or position. This is particularly true in College Ministry. Many campus ministers outside the Bible Belt have to raise their own financial support, because there is just no traditional funding available.

I want to make one last appeal, on behalf of MSC missionaries all over the country. Please give MSC missionaries a chance to share their stories in your churches. MSC missionaries are dependent on funding by individuals and churches in order to survive. It is incredibly difficult to build a support base when Southern Baptist churches will not even allow MSC personnel an opportunity to speak. Mission Service Corps people are often the forgotten missionaries of the SBC. Yet God is using them all over this nation, and they need your support and prayers just as much as traditional missionaries.

What if?????...........

2006-07-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

There is a question that has been bothering me for months now, and I have been hesitant to ask it. But I would really like to hear some of your responses to it, so I'm going to stick my neck out and ask anyway.

Where WOULD we be today if the Conservative Resurgence had not happened?

I have been chastised for not having a deep gratitude and appreciation for this group of men (even though I was 10 years old in 1979.) To be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm supposed to have these indebted feelings towards them.

The statement has been made, "imagine where we would be now if those men had not taken this stand!!!!"

But where WOULD we be???? What is the answer to that????

I have a hard time believing that our whole Southern Baptist Convention would have slid down the slippery slope to liberalism.

I think of my heroes within the SBC, starting with my parents. Their authority is the Word of God, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. I hardly see them jumping on a bandwagon of liberalism simply because other members within an organization chose to do so. And that goes for so many of the men and women I have known well over the last 37 years.

They are deeply grounded and rooted. I just have a hard time believing that such a large organization of believers, who have individual relationships with God, would have suddenly become tainted with liberal theology. Or that they would have corporately forsaken the Word that they had stood on all of their lives.

Call me naive, but I believe that God can HIMSELF protect the integrity and authority of His Word, as He has done for centuries. I believe that even if a huge number of Southern Baptists had gone astray, there would still have remained a good number who adhered to the inerrancy of the scripture.

And I question whether God would have used the same methods that certain men have used in order to protect the authority of His Word. Some of the things that have happened just do not seem to gel with the character of a Holy God.

I'm going to ask a tough question here, and please read it with the spirit that is intended. Is it possible that the Conservative Resurgence could have had right motives, but utilized ungodly methods for upholding the inerrancy of the Word? Kind of like Abram, when He got ahead of God's plan by sleeping with Hagar?

For months I have wrestled with this, asking myself, "Am I off base somewhere for not seeing these guys as the salvation of my denomination???" I struggle with some of the things that have been done by these men, especially "bringing down" other people. Even if those who were "disciplined" were teaching a false theology, and needed to be corrected, was there not a more Biblical, kind and loving way of doing so? Those chastised men and women were our brothers and sisters in Christ!!!! I just can't believe that Jesus would have used some of the same methods or condoned all the things that were done in the name of purifying our denomination.

Do you know what I honestly think? That I would be in the same place that I am theologically today--with or without the Conservative Resurgence.

My family, my mentors and the people who have invested in my spiritually through the years all upheld a deep reverence for Scripture and faith in the inerrancy of God's Word. I believe they would have still taught me TRUTH.

I also believe in the POWER of the Word of God to sustain itself. It is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Where do you think we would be today without the Conservative Resurgence??? I would love to hear from people on both sides of this issue, because I am honestly trying to understand the huge difference in perspectives.

Hero of the Faith

2006-07-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Baba Cain Velemu. I came across it while going through the picture trunk tonight.

Baba Cain is one of my lifelong heroes. He was a deacon at our Chininyetu church, and served as the preacher whenever he was needed. He also worked on the Sanyati mission station.

Baba Cain was a very close friend with Uncle Archie Dunaway, who was murdered by terrorists in 1978. After Uncle Archie was killed and the mission was evacuated, it was Baba Cain who came to the station and ensured that the work continue in the absence of our missionaries.

Baba Cain was one of the warmest, gentlest, kindest people you could ever meet. I was just a little girl, but he would always make a point to come over to greet me. He made all of us kids feel important, and he seemed genuinely excited to see each person he encountered through the day. Missionaries and nationals alike loved and respected Baba Cain.

The only thing he seemed to love more than people was his Lord. He was passionate about the gospel and excited about sharing the story of his God. He had a deep faith and a strong, humble spirit.

So it was a sad day when we learned that Baba Cain had been murdered. A band of terrorists captured him and ordered him to deny Christ. When he refused, they cut off his arms at the elbows, and his legs at the knees. Then they threw him in the river, taunting him with statements like, "let's see if Christians can swim" and "can your God save you now?"

We lost a great man that day. But I am sure that when he arrived in heaven, with his beaming smile and joyful spirit, Jesus was standing there to greet him. I have no doubt that he heard the words "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

Baba Cain, you have not been forgotten. Your influence and your legacy live on to this day.

A trip down memory lane

2006-07-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Mufundisi Mutasa baptizing a new convert near Sasame in 1973 (I'm the kid in the red hat.)

Mark relaxing in a tree (1968)

In our backyard in Sasame

We are getting ready for a Schleiff family reunion this coming weekend, so I've been helping Mom go through old photos and put together some memories.

It has been fun. We opened some trunks that have been stored for most of my life, and found some pictures from when I was little. We could not get film in the bush of Rhodesia, so pictures from that era are few and far between.

I discovered that I cost a whopping 2 pounds and 80 shillings when I was born (if I had been a boy, then I would have cost even more. Circumcisions were 10 shillings each.) There was also a recipe to make the formula I was given as a baby, as well as congratulatory letters from the Richmond office of the Foreign Mission Board.

We found an FMB report showing total missionaries on the field, churches planted, etc. from 1948-1973. It is amazing how far we have come in just over 50 years. There was a picture of Gordon Fort from his teenage years, WMU uniforms, Commission magazines and enough FMB memorabilia to fill a museum someday. We had a good laugh going through it all.

One other fascinating find was a Sunday School Board quarterly from July-August-September 1918. My great-grandfather carried it with him during World War I.

And there are hundreds--maybe thousands--of native artifacts. An ancient camel bell Dad picked up in the desert of Afghanistan, jewelry made by unreached tribespeople, Shona hymnals, and about 20+ more trunks with souvenirs from around the world. This house is a WMU Director's dream.

Well, I've gotta run. I've got a few thousand more slides to go through, and we can't find a working carousel. So it may be a while until I post again. : )

Lost and Homesick in the Bible Belt

2006-07-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

We just spent the last few days in Branson with both sets of our parents. Doug's father has some time-share property, and took us all there for some R & R. We did have a great visit with our parents, and some much-needed away time with our kids. But the experience also had a profound effect on our perspective of the Bible Belt.

On our second day there, we warily agreed to attend one of the resort's sales presentations. It would give my father-in-law a discount on his annual maintenance fees, and we would receive free tickets to Silver Dollar City.

But God had a different purpose and agenda for the meeting. We came away from that experience with broken hearts, and new desire to pray for the people trapped in the entertainment industry.

Our morning started with a group workshop that was really just a series of off-colored jokes. I cringed when the presenter bragged about the fact that he was a "good Southern Baptist."

Then the individual, high-pressure sales pitch began. Our sales rep, Crystal, was brand new on the job--a single Mom who had moved from Arkansas in a desperate attempt to provide a living for her family. She shared with us how life had really knocked her around.

Then her supervisor, Jim, came over to talk to us. He began telling us how his grandfather had been an alcoholic Southern Baptist judge who would read the Bible to him one minute, then beat the tar out of him the next. The pain and bitterness in Jim's voice was tangible. He is an alcoholic himself, but rattled off a list of good deeds that he still tries to do in order to stay in good standing with God. They were both so lost and so empty.

We left that experience with sad and heavy hearts for both Jim and Crystal. Doug was so moved that he went and spent some time alone just praying for them.

The religious climate in the Bible Belt is really not that different from the religious climate up north where we are. People are just as lost, except that they have a warped sense of God and Christianity also mixed into their crazy worldview.

It was ironic to be surrounded by Christian stores, Christian t-shirts, Christian shows, and churches on every block, yet still in the midst of lostness and depravity. The story of God was nothing but cultural wallpaper to so many of the people immersed in it.

We ate dinner one night at a pizza parlor, and a group of teenagers came and sat at the table next to us. They were talking about shooting up drugs, and how the pain of the needle was worth it when you got your "high." It was so disheartening to listen to them.

But then the real shocker came. One boy turned to the friend next to him and said, "I thought you used to be real involved in your church and stuff." The other boy's reply was disheartening, "Yeah, I was. But I've gotten away from all of that. My sister is still into it, though. She doesn't like a lot of what I'm doing." They all had a good laugh at that, and I wanted to cry.

I have felt so out-of-place on this trip. I'm tired of plastic Christianity. I'm weary of pre-packaged, slick, marketed religion. I'm tired of discussions about Christian books and church politics and the latest programs.

I would love to find a group of believers who just want to come together, read straight Scripture, and discuss what it says. I want to pray and worship together for as long as the Holy Spirit leads. I want to hear testimonies of God's amazing power, and talk about our wonderful, magnificent, indescribable GOD!!!! I want to pour our hearts out on behalf of the nations, and intercede with tears and pleading for the unreached. I want to see the Holy Spirit move in power, and rejoice as lost souls come to Christ.

Last week we were visiting with one of our former college students, and he said, "sometimes I just get so homesick for heaven. I want to REALLY see Christ glorified. I want to worship with people from every nation, praising God corporately and being truly excited about God and His Word."

I couldn't agree more. Our son Joshua echoed the cry of my heart over a meal recently. He said, "Jesus, please help the missionaries and each of us do our jobs so that people all over the world can come to know you and you can hurry up and come back. We're ready to be with you."

Amen, Joshua, AMEN.

A New Law

2006-06-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

Isn't this video by Derek Webb so true?

Right now we are traveling around the country, speaking in several different churches and Christian venues, and meet so many with their blindfolds on. Sometimes we wonder why we even try to share the story of God's activity with the church, because so many don't get it or don't care.

But there is a remnant that DO see and DO care, and they transcend generational and denominational boundaries.

Last night we got to be part of just such a group, and it was so refreshing. We went to the "Midrash" service at Fusion--a church plant in Oklahoma City (www.fusionokc.com).

God is really moving in this little group of believers. Their members are so hungry for radical Christian living. They are desperate to reach the unreached, and are heading to the Himalayas in a couple of weeks to put feet to their passion. They live to see Christ glorified throughout the nations, beginning in dowtown Oklahoma City.

We were eating dinner with their pastor last night. He was sharing how it sometimes gets messy, and it is not safe. But it is oh, so cool to see people living lives that are sold out for Christ. We enjoyed being with these kindred spirits who have taken their blindfolds off and are allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them into new and unfamiliar territory.

Sabras of the New Jerusalem

2006-06-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

The Summer before my Senior year of high school, my parents took me to Jerusalem. It was my graduation present, because I had always wanted to visit the Holy Land.

We were able to stay in a hospice in Old Jerusalem, right on the Via Dolorosa. Our rooms were actually above the Lithostrotos, where Jesus was sentenced.

It was on that trip that I met my first "Sabra." A "Sabra" is a Jew born in Israel.

Being a Sabra is an honor that carries with it both a birthright and responsibility. The name is taken from the word for "prickly pear", a fruit which has a tough, prickly outside, but is soft and sweet on the inside. Native-born Israelis are often compared to this fruit. Their tragic history has caused them to become tough and a little harsh on the outside, yet if you can get beyond the hard exterior you will discover a warmer, softer side.

Sabras are born with a national identity unlike that of any other. They love their country and are proud of their heritage. There is an understanding that they are to guard, defend, and protect Israel above all else. They are fierce patriots, and their citizenship takes precedence over their individuality. Many of them are farmers, and connected to the ground itself. They feel a responsibility to cultivate and nourish the land with which they have been entrusted.

They all serve in their military for at least two years. No one is exempt--both men and women serve in the armed forces. Each of them is assigned a weapon, which they must guard at all costs. It becomes their constant companion for the duration of the time that it is in their possession.

I recently found a great analogy in scripture to this concept of being a "Sabra." I was reading Psalm 87, and as I got to verse 4, it hit me. All of us who are born into Christ are Sabras of the New Jerusalem, and citizens of Zion!!!

Psa 87:2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
Psa 87:3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah.
Psa 87:4 "I shall mention Rahab and Babylon among those who know Me; Behold, Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there.'"
Psa 87:5 But of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; And the Most High Himself will establish her.
Psa 87:6 The LORD will count when He registers the peoples, "This one was born there." Selah.

Notice the nations which are mentioned in verse 4. The present-day locations would be Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Sudan. Those are Muslim nations today!!!

So in a sense, every single one of us who have come to faith in Christ, regardless of what nation we come from, what language we speak, and what background we have, are "Sabras" of the city of Zion. Our citizenship carries with it a birthright and a national identity, as well as a responsibility to uphold the honor of our country. We were born to fulfill the purposes of our King.

We are also to be faithful members of the military of our nation, and to maintain and carry our weapon at all times. We are to be prepared to defend our faith, and uphold the honor and glory of our King at all cost. Our lives are not our own. We are Sabras of the New Jerusalem.

Message Rubs the Wrong Way

2006-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Doug speaking at the Younger Leaders session on Monday night

Today's blog comes from a very special guest--my husband, Doug. He is not a regular blogger, but wanted to write a post today. Doug was unable to attend the final session, because he was back at the hotel with our two exhausted and convention-weary children. However, he watched the entire service via webstreaming, as many of you did that evening.

Bobby Welch delivered a message that was somewhat offensive to many younger Baptists during the final session of the 2006 Southern Baptist Convention. There were a few things said that came across as jabs, but two stood out to me.

First, Bobby Welch was emphasizing the need for intentional personal evangelism. I totally agree! Yes, ALL of us (myself included) need to be more deliberate in sharing the redeeming story of Jesus Christ.

Bobby Welch then stated that people needed to quit spending so much time on blogs and web sites and get out there in the streets to share their faith. This was obviously a political comment directed toward the younger Baptist who network and communicate with each other through blogs. From his statement, it can be assumed that Bobby Welch, and possibly others, feel threatened by the free exchange of ideas shared amongst younger Baptist in the blogging world.

In some cases, what Bobby Welch said was true. I’m sure there are a few Baptists who spend way too much time blogging and rarely share their faith. Blogging could even be an idol for some. However, Bobby Welch failed to mention the multitude of other ways Southern Baptist waste time and neglect to share Christ with others.

Many of us are obsessed with leisure, entertainment, and easy living. We have an unholy and egocentric worldview of ourselves, our resources, and our time. Our lifestyles rarely differ from the culture at large. God’s Word teaches that we are no longer our own, but that we belong to Christ. Our lives should be consumed by His purposes. Our time and resources should be totally yielded to God.

In addition to blogging less, maybe we should snap out of our hedonistic materialism and move away from our consumer lifestyle. Maybe we should go to fewer movies and stop watching TV for six hours a day. Maybe we should play less golf, go on fewer vacations, and stay out of the shopping mall. Maybe it’s time we cast down our idol of spectator sport, quit going into debt, and quit buying bigger houses and expensive cars. Maybe we need to quit being so self-absorbed, learn to die to self, and truly obey and follow Jesus Christ.

The second and most notable thing Bobby Welch said was “if you younger people leave the Southern Baptist Convention, you will be showing your ignorance”. Considering the context and the framing of this statement, his comment seemed to be based on two rather arrogant assumptions. The first assumption is that younger people are ignorant. The second assumption is that God is exclusively or preferably using Southern Baptists. And, that if one were to leave the Southern Baptist Convention, then it would be their loss.

While I could relatively care less about the first assumption, the second assumption is rather dangerous, and quite frankly prideful and dead wrong! God is working all around the world in multiple ways and through multiple groups of people. While I see God working through Southern Baptist, I also see God working outside of the Southern Baptist Convention. Just take a good look at many of the para-church organizations, some of the non-SBC mission agencies, and the church in places such as China and South Korea. Southern Baptists are a very small part of God’s total redemptive work. To assume otherwise indicates a dramatic underestimation of God and His power.

For me, I choose to be Southern Baptist, I agree with Southern Baptist doctrine, and I know God has called me to serve Him through the Southern Baptist denomination. However, if I were to leave the Southern Baptist Convention, I assure you it would not be because of ignorance. It would be because God is leading in a new way and I’m choosing to follow Him. But, some other younger Baptists may leave the convention because they continue to be disrespected, disregarded, and not listened to by some of the older established leadership. Bobby Welch’s message illustrates my case and point.

A Slap in the Face

2006-06-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

All the excitement and hope we had felt Tuesday was completely deflated after the events at the convention yesterday. We felt totally misunderstood, misrepresented and misjudged.

The implications made by Bobby Welch in his final sermon were a slap in the face to all of us who blog.

His words were unfair and untrue. We are not spending all of our time blogging, and many of us have a deep passion for evangelism and compassion for the lost. If he had actually taken the time to read any of our blogs, then he would know that.

Much of what we write is iron-sharpening-iron stuff about church planting, discipleship, evangelism, or simply testimonies of celebration about what God has done. Many of the bloggers are missionaries.

We also have built a practical network of support and encouragement as ministers who feel alone and isolated much of the time in our ministries. We have not found solutions to meet those needs within the traditional avenues of the SBC. So we adapted and got together to be that resource for each other.

Let me give you practical examples of what I am talking about. Recently, the baby son of one of our bloggers was diagnosed with cancer. We have been able to pray with him and support him through surgery and the first round of chemo. Another blogger was being really beaten up in the church where he was serving, and was isolated and in despair. Others came to his side.

We have connected for missions opportunities. Kevin Bussey, and a team from his church, just returned from helping Jason Sampler gut houses in New Orleans. And I can testify personally, that in some tough moments these guys have called just to pray for us in big decisions that needed to be made, and even helped us financially.

Because we are Mission Service Corps, we don't get a penny of CP funding. But when we had a dream to take students on a Spring Break mission trip (for the first time EVER), it was fellow bloggers who prayed with us that God would raise the money needed if it was His will. Then some of them put words to their prayers by sending us checks. We were overwhelmed by the love and support of these guys. As a result, we were able to take students to both Peru and Quebec, and then this Summer we have five going overseas to serve.

Which is amazing when you remember that we are a 2 1/2 year old ministry on a secular, hedonistic campus. It has been because of the PRAYERS of these fellow ministers who stood in the trenches with us.

Now that we are realizing God is leading us to plant a church in Oakland, we turned again to our blogging friends. Many of them have been processing with us, praying, sending us material on church planting and giving us personal advice from their own experience. Two key bloggers in this area have been David Rogers in Spain, and Guy Muse in Ecuador. Their experience and wisdom about church planting has been invaluable to us.

Two others called to pray over us before a crucial meeting regarding the church plant.

To be brutally honest--I have never received that kind of hands-on support and direction from the "traditional" SBC channels. I have been referred to a lot of books and programs, most of which are completely irrelevant in our context. I have been blown off or ignored by many of the leadership from whom I've asked questions, simply because we are not "important enough" in the social circles of the SBC. The blogging community has been our lifeline, and they have lived out Acts 2 fellowship with us, even though it has been long-distance.

The SBC is going to have to wakeup and realize that our culture is changing and adapting, and we must keep up with the impact that technology is having on our society. The SBC did not invent blogging. It is an effective communication tool that has been around for years. Most of our students have been engaged in this form of social interaction since they were young teens.

Cyber connection among people is something we are just going to have to accept. It is going to exist in spite of what certain leaders of the SBC feel about it. Blogging, chat rooms, internet resourcing, message boards and web site development are entrenched forms of communication in our global culture. Rather than criticizing what we don't understand, we need to find the value in it and embrace ways to use it to further the gospel.

I have had three random college students connect with me through my blog. Each of them stumbled upon it while going through a major crisis in their life. One was suicidal. But for some reason they felt "safe" talking to me, and it has been an opportunity for me to minister to some hurting young women around the world.

I would also like to address another fallacy that was directed our way last night, and that is the implication that we are just seeking power within the convention.

THAT IS NOT TRUE. I know that many of these guys have had opportunities to serve in various capacities and have chosen not to at this time. I have turned down two opportunities this year myself, because I did not feel like God was leading in that direction.

The politics within the SBC makes us want to retch. This is NOT about power or position. This is about the integrity of the Word of God, and about keeping missionaries where they need to be to accomplish the task. We are taking a stand against unreasonable, narrowing parameters of cooperation, and proponents of getting back to the MAIN THING.

Finally, my support of Dr. Page was not to leverage influence, but because I felt he was the best man for the job. Let me give you reasons why I felt this way.

1. His support for missions and the Cooperative Program. Go to his church website and read everything connected with missions. Their program is extensive and is built on an Acts 1:8 principle. I knew that he would support missions in regions like ours outside the Bible Belt.

I'm also a believer in the cooperative program, even though I am one of the SBC missionaries who has to raise their own support because there are not enough CP dollars to go around. Dr. Page believes in getting back to the heart of cooperative missions.

2. He LISTENED to me. I wrote him an email when he was first nominated, and he replied the very next day. The other candidates did not even make themselves available to the grassroots people. Then Monday, when I happened to see Dr. Page at a restaurant, he walked up and introduced himself to me, and knew my name. He asked about our ministry in Pittsburgh. He is CLEARLY interested in the younger ministers within the SBC, and in hearing the challenges, needs and questions that we face as we try to serve in the trenches in some tough regions of the world.

3. Over and over and over again he has emphasized prayer. I have heard him admit that he does not have all the answers, but will continue to seek direction through prayer. I sense that he is a man who goes straight to GOD when a problem arises, rather than to the latest book, program or trend. He is a man who I believe can bring reconciliation between growing factions of the SBC, and bring back the unity we so desperately need. He is not a politician, and he has not used mean-spirited, underhanded means to gain this position. He has not stabbed any fellow brothers in the back to leverage himself to leadership. He has simply served where God has placed him, and now God is allowing him to be in a position to influence our convention.

I am a little knocked down today, but we will get back up. Because our GOD is bigger than the SBC. He is at work, and we are going to finish the task. It just may not be through the great and wonderful denomination that has been a foundation for all of my life. But HE WILL BE GLORIFIED, and WE WILL REACH THE LOST PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!!!

Radiant Faces, Radiant Lives

2006-06-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

I have been privileged to be around some amazing people these past few days. These individuals embody what I would like to be when I grow up. : ) They have qualities about them that are really special and worth far more than any title or position.

Take Steve Walker, for instance. Steve is a pastor in California, but within seconds of being around him, you will realize he is a man of prayer and passionate about missions. I was so touched Monday night when I got to witness an interaction between Steve and my Mom. They were talking about the people of Afghanistan, and their faces were glowing. They both reflected a love, concern and compassion for a people group clear on the other side of the world.

I witnessed much of the same thing in talking with Elaine Meador. She is the wife of Clyde Meador, VP of the International Mission Board. They both are amazing individuals. But Elaine has a sweetness and beauty that just radiate from her face. Her heart beats missions, and she is as real and transparent as can be. After talking with her, I found myself wanting to get on a plane and go work in Central Asia.

Then there is Bob Stith. Our relationship with Bob goes back a few years. We met at the Texas Motor Speedway, while serving in TxArm, a ministry to NASCAR fans. What I love about Bob is his passion for people. He is no respecter of persons, but sees value and beauty in every person he comes across. Bob and the TxArm team taught us how to meet people on their own territory.

Bob is a great listener, and genuinely hears the stories of the people he encounters. He seeks to find their "cultural heart language", and looks for a way to communicate value to each person he meets.

I saw him yesterday at a booth for his new ministry, which reaches out to those engaged in homosexual lifestyles or who are struggling with same-sex attraction. I am not surprised that Bob would be engaged in reaching such a tough segment of society.

As he was telling me about his organization, he clearly had a deep love and empathy for those held in bondage by this sin. Bob is one of those quiet spiritual giants. His name may never be well-known, but his faithfulness and impact will one day come to light. Bob has always been willing to serve with little recognition or feedback. His humility and selflessness reflect the true depth of his character.

Two of my favorite leaders in the whole SBC are David Waltz and Gail Hallman. I got hugs from both of them yesterday, and was reminded how blessed I am to get to know and learn from them. David is the Executive Director of our PA/SJ convention, and Gail is our Director of Mobilization. Both are warm, loving, passionate about missions, driven to reach the people God has entrusted to us, and so supportive of our team.

They are genuine, approachable, and real. One of the first things that David did yesterday was ask how things were going on our campus, and communicate his love and appreciation for us. Then he bent down and spent time talking to our kids. Davud and Gail are the real thing. We know that they pray for us, because they ask about specific topics weeks after we requested prayer. We are so grateful for the amazing leadership we have in Pennsylvania.

Another new friend is David Rogers. I have gotten to know and appreciate him from our little blog world, but got to meet him live and in color this week. He is every bit as warm and kind in person as he is online. I was impressed with his gentleness, and his sincere heart for the people of Spain. He is a person who could use his name for leverage, and could hold positions of power and influence. But instead he chooses to faithfully serve in the land where God has called him, and desires the approval of God far more than the approval of man.

Finally, the last person I would like to mention is John--an accountant who was working at the Guidestone booth. I did not know John before yesterday, but was deeply touched when he told me that he prays for us and our ministry in Pennsylvania. It gave me chill bumps to hear how this total stranger intercedes for us, and was so encouraging to know that there are people like John fighting for us even in those times when we feel isolated and alone. In the few minutes I spent talking to him, I knew immediately that he was a prayer warrior, and walked away knowing I had met a kindred spirit.

So what is the common denominator in all of these people? I was laying in bed last night, turning that question over in my head. And then it hit me.

Without fail, every one of these individuals have a powerful outward demeanor, because they have a deep inward relationship with God. They place a high priority on consistent, meaningful, private time with the Lord.

Seeing them has challenged me. I want to have that kind of devotional life. I want to BE a person whose face radiates because my heart has communed with God.

I know that I still have a ways to go in that area. I am not as disciplined as I would like to be, and often do seek the approval of others more than the approval of God. I don't pray as much as I would like and wish I was more patient, and gentle and loving.

But I'm on the journey. I am just thankful for these amazing people whose steps I can follow in and learn from.

What a Day!!!!

2006-06-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

Today was quite a day--filled with hope for our future, excitement over the general spirit and direction the SBC seems to be taking, and a sobriety at the realization of our shared responsibility.

Several things encouraged me about what happened today, so I'll tackle them one by one.

1. The proposal to invite the WMU to come under the umbrella of the SBC was shot down by messengers, and by a good margin. Let me tell you why I see that as significant. I love the WMU. I have a debt of gratitude to this wonderful organization of women. As a little girl, they taught me about the Cooperative Program and what it means to be Southern Baptist. When I was an MK in college, far away from home and so alone, it was WMU women who encouraged, hugged on me and brought me cookies. They instilled in me a passion to pray for our missionaries. To me, they are the heart of the SBC.

So I was concerned when the idea was proposed to take an organization that works so well, and that God has used so mightily, and bring it under the controls and constraints of another entity.
Apparently my fellow Southern Baptists agree, and they voted to leave the WMU alone. I am praising God today for that.

2. Dr. Frank Page being elected as the new SBC President. Dr. Page is a man who sees missions as priority. He not only voices that conviction, but puts words to action through the ministries of his church. And he is against narrowing the parameters of cooperation.

Today's vote spoke volumes. It told me that many of my fellow SBCers still see missions, and support of the Cooperative Program, as priorities. In spite of all the issues that have been on the table recently, when it comes down to it, our chief concern as a denomination remains the desire to take the gospel to every nation, tribe and tongue.

3. A hunger to get back to the things that count. I have been overwhelmed and greatly encouraged by conversations with fellow Southern Baptists this week. One thing I am hearing is a hunger for Christ to be glorified, and a desire to see all the nations come to Him. I have heard so many amazing and powerful testimonies of things God is doing all over the world. There is an excitement and anticipation that God is at work, and that the best is yet to come.

4. Validation of a new generation of Southern Baptists, coupled with words of wisdom from those who have blazed the trail before us. It has been so affirming to hear many respected leaders speak inclusively of the younger generations within the SBC. There seems to be a desire to adapt and change in order to be missional, and I sense that our leadership is listening to the concerns of the missionaries, pastors, and laypeople at the grassroots.

But I also appreciate their words of admonition and caution. Some of the best advice I have heard recently came from Dr. Iorg on Monday night. He warned of the danger of distractions, and recommended that we choose our words carefully and wisely. This week, numerous people have told me, "I read your blog." That humbled and scared me. I suddenly realized the awesome responsibility that our words carry. As ambassadors for Christ, we need to be so on guard that the things we say bring Him glory and not dishonor.

5. Emphasis on prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit. It was wonderful today to hear that IMB missionaries all over the world are joining us in prayer for the duration of the convention. Prayer is the key to everything.

Multiple times this week, in sermons that were preached and in conversations with individuals, there was an emphasis on prayer until. That means being obedient to go where God sends us, and then waiting for Him to reveal the next step rather than taking a pre-conceived program and trying to fit God around it. I am convinced that God will move in a powerful way through us when we become a people of earnest, persistent prayer, and when we get still enough to listen.

What an incredible, wonderful, exciting day. I can only respond by saying, "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Greensboro

2006-06-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we finally got to put faces with many of our fellow bloggers. What an amazing group!!!

These guys (and girls) are sharp, and really have a passion for the Lord. We were able to eat dinner with Marty and Sonya, Paul, Todd, Joel and Amy, David, Wes, Tim, Alan, and Kevin. (Sorry if I left anyone out. I'm a little tired this morning.) Dr. Frank Page also happened to be eating at the restaurant where we were, so we were able to speak to him for a minute as well.

Doug and I came away refreshed and excited about the future of our denomination. Even the program yesterday was great. Nelson Searcy, Kerry Shook and Erwin McManus all preached, while music was led by Shane & Shane, and the worship team from Johnson Ferry.

The Younger Leaders meeting was incredibly encouraging. I was so proud of Doug, too. : ) The tone that was conveyed by all of the men who spoke was that changes are happening in the convention, and that we are not alone in our desires for the denomination. There was a sweet spirit of fellowship and cooperation within the group. We are excited about getting to know many of these young leaders better, and being able to partner with some of them in ministry.

I also got to see five different friends from college at the meeting. That was pretty cool. It's so fun to see what all has happened in our lives in the past 16 years.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the course of the next two days, as we get down to all the business. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct the decisions that are made.

Final note: my one regret yesterday was that I did not get to meet Dorcas Hawker. I'm hoping I can track her down today, and we can go get a coke or something together.

Blast from the Past

2006-06-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

I still keep up with my friends from the American International School in Johannesburg through a shared message board.

Sometimes I get openly persecuted for my beliefs, and even just for what I am. Being in vocational ministry is not PC with this group. A couple of them believe it is absolutely bigoted to say there is only one way to God. Some are Buddhist, Bahai, Hindu, Mormon, Unitarian, Atheists and various other faiths. So I am clearly the minority in the bunch.

But we still connect through our shared memories of high school. So when a friend posted photos this week, we had fun looking through them and commenting on past events.

This one is of me in 10th grade, with my two constant companions, Chrissy and Kim. We were inseparable, and everyone called us the "Three Musketeers"!!!

I am thankful for these two. They were amazing friends to me, and provided me a "home away from home". Both came from strong Catholic families, so provided a good moral foundation for me and a "safe" place to go when I needed to retreat from the MK home. They were good girls, and we had so much fun together that we never even considered getting into trouble. I did, however, try my first taste of alcohol at Chrissy's house. I had a bad cold and her Mom insisted on giving me a shot of brandy. I remember thinking my throat was on fire!!!! : )

I went to Mass with them sometimes, and was privileged to be invited to Kim's confirmation. They were both military brats. Chrissy's dad was in the Navy, and Kim's dad was the Air Force attache and pilot for the embassy. Through them I was able to meet the Ambassador and lots of other important dignitaries. We also liked to hang out at the Marine house, especially for patriotic celebrations.

Their diplomatic immunity could be really convenient at times, too--especially since we lived in the throes of apartheid. When we wanted to take our "non-white" friends out to restricted eating establishments, all it took was a flash of the diplomatic pass, and nobody could refuse us service. I guess it was our way of protesting the racist system, and taking a political stand.

I was glad to find an appropriate way to protest. My best friend from Zimbabwe, Indira, was considered "non-white" under the standards of the South African government. That made me really, really angry. She and I would not have been allowed in most stores, restaurants or even neighborhoods together. Her uncle was murdered in a South African prison by RSA policemen after he was arrested for his involvement in a protest. (Indira's family were also personal friends of Nelson Mandela.)

So my political activism was in honor of my friend, as well as a stand against the moral injustice of the system.

But we also tried to do our part to help in non-political ways. We raised some money and went into Soweto to help with a humanitarian aid organization. I will never forget the despair of the people in the shanty towns, and the utter hopelessness in the eyes of the children. In actuality we probably placed ourselves in grave danger by going there. But God protected us, and those images impacted my life from that time on.

Pray for my friends from AISJ. They are spread all over the world, and most of them have everything that you could ever want from a worldly viewpoint. One is even a succesful actor in Hollywood, having appeared on shows like NYPD Blue. But they are so completely lost, and their personal lives are just empty. I can read the hollowness between the lines of their posts.

It breaks my heart sometimes to even think about them, and I will never give up hope. I am holding to the promise of James 5:16, that fervent prayer can accomplish much.

A Life that Counts

2006-06-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I told you how I had been able to reconnect with an old friend from Zimbabwe.

Today I received an exciting email. It was from a guy named Rob, who also knew the Drewitz boys. Here's what he had to say,

If you could put me in touch with them I would be very grateful as those two had an effect on me giving my life to the Lord, and they do not know it. I actually use them as an example of how we witness through our actions when nobody is looking or watching. I was.

I was an exchange student from Seattle, WA to Bulawayo that year and would be very grateful if you could give me an email address to get in touch with them.

What a precious email!!! The thing that struck me was the power of a quiet, consistent, Christlike life. I was trying to peg what quality the Drewitz boys had that was so exceptional. And then it hit me.

They HONOR others. And it is from the heart. I truly think they see value in everyone they meet. I know that one thing I have heard them say is, "everyone has something to contribute, no matter how small."

In a world that values being RIGHT, Stefan and Samuel value kindness even more.

As we prepare to leave for Greenboro tomorrow, this was a timely reminder for me. To be honest, I'm weary of the conflict and struggle and messiness within our convention. I have been meditating on 1 John 1:7 this morning. If we are all walking in the light, then why is our fellowship so broken? Lord, heal us!!!! Have mercy on us!!!

I agree with Steve Walker--my truest hopes for Greensboro are that God would get hold of our hearts, that we would be focused on Him, that there would be brokenness and unity, and that HE would be glorified in a way never seen before in our convention.

Lord, above all, teach me to honor others in the way that you would honor them. Let me be a channel of your love and kindness. And may my life bring glory to you. AMEN.

3 Days and Counting!!!!

2006-06-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday the World Cup begins with Germany playing Costa Rica. Later that same day, Poland will face off against Ecuador.

I can hardly wait!!! And I have to pack for Greensboro in the midst of all the excitement.

In addition, my all-time soccer hero, Pele, is going to be at the opening celebration. I doubt he'll be doing any of his famous bicycle kicks, but it is still really cool that he will be there.

The US will play their first game, against the Czech Republic, on Monday the 12th. And my second favorite team, Argentina, will kick off the Cup series by playing Cote d'Ivoire on Saturday the 10th.

There has already been some drama, though. Both Argentina and England have key players who are injured. The verdict is still out on whether either will be able to play. Lionel Messi is a top scorer for the Argentinian team, so I'm holding my breath on that one.

Are any of you soccer fans? Anyone else interested in doing brackets with me? (just for fun--no gambling involved.)

The Antichrist?

2006-06-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Kelly has a great post on his blog today. Check it out here.

My Place in the Big Picture

2006-06-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

A recent post on my friend Tim's blog got me thinking. Who am I? Have I accomplished what I had hoped by this stage in my life? Have I really found where I fit in the big picture?

It's strange--all my childhood I strove towards achieving this ultimate goal of adulthood, but upon reaching it, found it rather anti-climactic. I love being a Mom and really enjoy campus ministry. But on the inside, I question my capabilities sometimes.

I still don't even feel like a "grown-up". I keep waiting for this magic moment when I will finally arrive. That point where I have wisdom, maturity, can parent with grace and flair, and breeze through ministry knowing just exactly what to do and say in every situation. I had imagined that by 37 I would be further along than this.

But the truth is, I still spend a lot of my time crying "Help!!!" to God. I don't know exactly how to navigate through ministry. It's a day-to-day thing for me, and I spend a lot of time on my face seeking direction. I'm just thankful that He is a graceful, patient and very ever-present God. There is NO WAY I could ever have made it this far without Him.

Even in parenting, there are days I stop and look at my kids and think, "What was God thinking? Couldn't He have found someone more capable to be their mother? They deserve better!!!"

And like Tim, I struggle with pressure from the worldly standards for success. I also had high expectations for my future, and was serious about academics. As a woman, I have battled the added pressure to be skinny, charming, graceful and beautiful. (But unfortunately, I didn't come with the tall and svelte, socially elegant DNA package!!!)

I often find myself caught in the "significance" trap--looking for validation and approval from others. However, that hope will always dissapoint, because it is not the true source of our value. It only causes a downward spiral into self-deprecation.

In reality, the only opinion that really matters is GOD's opinion. He says we are chosen, dearly loved, called, forgiven, fearfully and wonderfully made, powerful, holy, righteous, valueable, capable, purposeful, precious, mighty, beautiful, rich, and destined for greatness. He has made us intentionally to accomplish a very specific task. We have an intricately designed personality, spirit and set of gifts that are totally unique and special. Nothing about us is accidental. We are not mistakes. We are amazing creations of an Almighty God, who will one day be fully complete and whole when we are united forever with Him in Heaven.

WOW!!! 'nuff said.

Blue Man Group

2006-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy the Blue Man Group. Not only do I like their unique sound, but they are always so creative and visually exciting.

But I have never gotten to see them in concert. I have heard that it is an amazing sensory experience.

We just found out they will be in Pittsburgh at the Mellon Arena on September 30. If there is any way posssible, I'm planning to be there.

Have any of you seen them? Any other Blue Man fans out there?

Mission M Possible

2006-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I came across a fantastic website this week, and connected with some guys who are doing great stuff with youth. I think they are really on to something here!

As a college minister, I'm excited about the prospect of getting youth like this coming to our universities. How incredible would it be to have strong Christian students, trained and equipped, intentionally coming to plant their lives as missional students on our campuses?

We hear from our college students all the time that they want more depth. They want comprehensive teaching and tools to help them dig into God's Word. They desire hands-on, practical, applicable discipleship. And they want to be mentored.

Most say they did not get that in their youth groups.
Many of them have told us they are tired of having church "marketed" to them. They see through the entertainment, the facades, and the glitzy little packages. This generation is willing to go anywhere and do anything for the things they believe in. They are passionate, courageous and strong. But we've been giving them milk when they want meat.

How cool would it be if we started getting youth coming to college, ready to plug into our campus ministries, who were already strong in discipleship and equipped with the knowledge of how to plant a church? Can you imagine the impact we could have on university campuses across the world?

I would encourage you to check out Mission M Possible

Let's get serious in our churches about equipping our youth. I believe Geoff Baggett is right--if we engage them at this level, I seriously doubt we will continue to see students dropping away from church at the rate they have been in the past decade.

Alternative Bumper Stickers

2006-06-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

I found this cartoon from Great Britain and thought it was hilarious.

Today as we were driving to church, Doug and I were taking note of all of the annoying bumper stickers: "Honk if you love Jesus", "Proud parent of an honor student", "You're lookin' at my kid's inheritance", etc.

So we started talking about alternative bumper stickers we would like to create. Here's some we came up with "Proud parent of a "D" student", "Honk if you're an idiot", and "My compact car didn't bury me in debt like your sports car."

One other fun sticker we would like to put on our little Toyota Echo: "When I grow up I want to be a Suburban."

What bumper stickers annoy you? And what alternatives/fun bumper stickers would you come up with?

Want a hot dog?

2006-06-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

Katie, who is a 10-year old GA in GA, sent me this picture of her dog, Peanut. I thought it was so cute that I had to post it.

Good News from a Distant Land

2006-06-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Downtown in Granna, Sweden

Last night, as I lay talking to God, I asked Him for some refreshment. This has been such a lonely year, and I was really feeling it yesterday.

God is so good! I woke up this morning, and had an email in my inbox from a very special childhood friend. His name is Stefan, and I have not seen or talked to him in 21 years. He and his wife Anette now live in Granna, Sweden.

Stefan and his brother Samuel were some of my best friends when we were teenagers in Zimbabwe. Their parents were Nazarene missionaries from Graaskarg, Sweden. The Drewitz boys, along with my good friend Bev and I, would laugh until it hurt. They were funny, and crazy, and embraced life with passion. They also loved God, and enjoyed having discussions about what they were learning in His word.

Their whole family was amazing. The best way to describe them is "warm and gentle." They had five kids, of which Stefan was the oldest--all with bright blue eyes, blonde hair and rosy cheeks. They were a very close, happy and loving family, and sang beautifully. They went to a different church, but would come and do specials at ours. It was like watching a scene from the "Sound of Music."

Stefan and I didn't really hang out with the same groups at school. But he was the kind of friend who I could pass in the hall, and he would always give me a huge smile and encouraging greeting. Then on weekends, when our youth groups would get together, we would pick up where we left off the week before.

And that's exactly what we're doing now. Even though 20 years have passed, we just caught up as if we'd never been apart. It is so cool to have some of those special people in life--who are loyal friends, even across miles and years.

God knew that I needed that reminder of His love and faithfulness. I am thanking Him today for this special blessing.

Proverbs 25:25 "Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land."

More Wedding Pics

2006-05-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Happy Couple

I wonder who'll be next.........?????

Beth dancing with the kids

Mr. Hollywood. Get used to seeing this face--it will be on the big screen soon.

Jarrod's toast as the best man

Linnea dancing with Elizabeth

Ted can cut a rug, too!

But Cassidy is too tired. Being a flower girl is hard work!!!

Time to dance....or like Adam, do the "Roxbury" theme.

Various groups of friends.....

That's all, folks!

The way a wedding should be

2006-05-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was really special for us. Joel-- who has been the leader of our campus ministry--got married!

His bride Sharon graduated from Muskingum college in Ohio, but we have been blessed to know and fall in love with her over the past two years as well. She is a beautiful, passionate, godly woman.

They have spent a lot of time at our house, and will always have a significant place in our lives.

Making it even more special was that Doug performed the wedding--his very first one ever!!!!!

The whole ceremony, from start to finish, was a celebration. It ended with Joel and Sharon leading the congregation in a time of worship.

But there were so many special aspects to this wedding, and is was truly a reflection of who Joel and Sharon are.

First, every one of the bridesmaids and groomsmen are not only joyful Christians, but all actively involved in ministry. Two are with Campus Crusade, another going overseas to serve this Summer, two involved in working with at-risk kids, and another in training for the mission field. All of them are leaders in their church and in their local campus ministries.

When it came time for the congregational singing, it was so cool to watch the bridal party truly worshipping!!!!! And at the reception, when the best man, Jarrod, gave his toast--he spoke about how there is a special beauty to a woman who loves Christ that is unlike any other beauty.

Several of our CrossSeekers were involved in the wedding or came as guests. One thing I love about them, anytime that we get together, is that they are full of JOY. These guys are so much fun. I realized again this weekend how blessed we are to know these special young men and women.

But another thing I noticed was how diverse Joel and Sharon's friends are. It was a blessing to see people from so many different backgrounds come to celebrate this day with them. Many of their friends are from other religious backgrounds, so it was a wonderful testimony of what a Christian wedding should look like.

And to make it even more special, they will be spending their honeymoon working with a Compassion International school in Peru. They will be there for two months, before they start their new jobs in Washington D.C.

They are also sponsoring a young man, Sylvestre, from the school in Peru. At the reception they had cards and magnets with his picture on the tables, and asked people to pray for him. They also had cards inviting other people to sponsor a needy child.

Joel and Sharon's hearts beat missions. Whether they end up going to the field someday, or staying in the States, I know that they will be involved in reaching every nation, tribe and tongue with the gospel. Because they have a passion to pray and give and go.......UNTIL HE COMES!!

Joel (far left) and the rest of the Peru team at the Compassion International school back in March.

Honoring the Sabbath

2006-05-25T04:16:00.000-07:00

I have been reading in Exodus as one of my quiet time passages, and recently read the part about being put to death for not honoring the Sabbath.

That got my attention. I know that we are not under the old law anymore. But it still seems to be a pretty significant principle throughout both the old and new testaments. There are two clear commands for that day: to worship and to rest.

I'm not so sure we really honor the sabbath in our society today. I started thinking about all the ways that the subtleties of the world have crept into our sabbath observance.

I'd like to say that I have never shopped on a Sunday. But I can't. It's just so easy to "run by the store and grab a gallon of milk." And what about eating out, which is something we do mainly on Sundays? Aren't we causing others to work on Sunday by doing so?

Then there is the issue of sporting events. In our area, as kids get older, most of the competitive sports leagues have games on Sunday afternoon. And it is definitely true for college-level athletes.

What about professional sports? We live in an NFL city. What about attending Steeler games? NASCAR races? Golf tournaments? Marathons?

Then there is the issue of church. How many of you find yourselves so busy on Sundays with meetings, choir practices, wedding/baby showers, lesson preparation and so many church events that it ends up being a day of exhaustion rather than a day of rest?

Another issue is movies, television, music and the internet. How careless are we with what we fill our minds with? Joke about? Do we "check out" of our spiritual mode after leaving church, and then assume we can do whatever we please?

Where do we draw the line? Have we, like the Israelites, become so "comfortable" with the culture around us that we have adopted their heathen practices? Are we breaking this commandment without even realizing it?

I don't have the answers. I am still asking these questions myself.

But as I've been reading through the Old Testament, it struck me how much things have stayed the same. The children of Israel went through cycles of following God wholeheartedly, then slowly slipping into the practices of the idolatrous culture around them. Sometimes when I read about their sin, I want to ask them, "how can you forget your God so easily, when you have SEEN His faithfulness, and He has provided for you over and over again?"

Yet aren't we exactly the same? We have seen His faithfulness, and He has provided daily for us. We also have something the Israelites did not have. We have the living, active Word of God to hold in our hands and to read and study personally. So we really are without excuse.

What do you think it means to honor the Sabbath? I would like to hear your thoughts.

Isaiah 58:13-14 "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Calling all you ordinary people!!!

2006-05-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am growing weary of the recent negativity in the blog-o-sphere. So I'm fighting back!!!!

I am officially declaring this a "nice" site (with a small sprinkling of "cheesy.")

You are welcome to comment (or even post!) here. This is an "I like everybody" website. That means you don't have to understand soteriology, or be ultra-educated, or have read the latest Bryan McClaren book or even have to like Starbucks to post on my site. (I'm sorry Kevin, but coffee-haters are people, too.)

I don't even care if your comments make sense, or if you like to end your sentences with multiple exclamation marks!!!!!!!!! I want this to be a safe place for everyone to come. Because You are special, and people like you!!!!!!!!

But Art and Dorcas tell me that all blogs should have rules. So here are mine:

1. If you have a pulse, you can post here.
2. If you don't have a pulse, you can still post here. (but I will be scared).
3. Play nice. (That means no slamming, YELLING, cussing, nastiness, deliberately blowing people off, condescending or "drive-by posting").
4. Optional rule: Sing, "It's love, it's love, it's love that makes the world go round...." as you type.
5. Your pictures don't have to be remotely related to your post content (see example above.)
6. You have the right to be "BA-leted" (must be read in a Strongbad voice) should you break these rules.
7. If you are like my friend Francie and not a fan of sentence structure or splling but would rather write your comments in one long stream-of-consciousness then you are still welcome at this site.

So.......in the interest of generating some positive conversation in the blog-o-sphere, here's a topic starter. Your answer can be a true story, totally random thoughts or a complete bunch of foo-feee. (oh, and new and original words are welcome here, too.......)

It was a seemingly ordinary day, until.............

Global Community

2006-05-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was speaking by Instant Messenger with a friend who lives in Mozambique. It was so refreshing for me to talk to another "kindred spirit", and to catch up on her life and family there on the field. Thanks, Angie!!! I really needed that.

As I finished speaking to her, I realized something. My best friends, those truly "kindred spirits" who I relate to on a heart level--are spread all over the world!!!! And it has to be that way, because we've all been commissioned to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

I have prayed so much for God to send me a couple of close friends here in Pittsburgh, and wondered why He has not answered that prayer. But in reality, He HAS answered my prayer--just not in the way I would have expected. Most of my friends may not be here physically, but we live in an age of technology where we can connect GLOBALLY.

So I am adapting my idea of what "community" looks like. And I need to say thanks to some people.

Joel and David--thanks for calling me all the way from conference in Seattle, and for your wisdom and prayers. You have no idea how much of an encouragement you were to all of us that day.

Guy--thanks for the great material you sent. Your example, and your faithfulness, have meant so much to us. This new direction we are taking is going to be unconventional and messy----but exciting!!!! Your affirmation means a lot. We would love to meet you guys sometime, when you're back in the States. Plus it would be cool for your Anna and Joshua to meet our Anna and Joshua. ; )

Vicky--thanks for the phone call. I really miss "girl" time, and miss getting to serve with you and Kelly. And can't stand that we're so far away from those sweet kids!!!! But we love hearing about your ministry, and are excited about your connection with the local college, too.

Dan and Rachael, Angie S., and Ron--thanks for stopping by my blog--and especially for the kind words about my parents. It encourages me to know that others love them, too!!!!

Our Pittsburgh church planting team--I really enjoyed the meeting and lunch with you. Wish we all saw each other more often. I am blessed to get to work alongside you guys.

Massa--thanks for your listening ear and servant heart. We would have been lost without you these past 2 1/2 years. We still owe you dinner and a family outing. Just name the time. : )

Francie--thanks for your fun voicemails and emails. You always make me smile.

Jason--thanks for keeping me posted about your ministry, and for making me laugh. : ) I appreciate the lightheartedness and need a break from all the intensity sometimes.

Steve W., Art, and Dan--thanks for the kind words of encouragement, and especially the prayers. : )

Paul--thanks for sharing your heart with us, and letting us be part of this new adventure in your family.

Adam--thanks for your words of appreciation to us. Your email made me cry. You will always have a special place in our hearts--you're one of our "kids" now. But we also look forward to our new relationship as teammates. Next year is going to be amazing.

Phm 1:4-7 "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,
and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you."

It's up!!!!

2006-05-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

All of you who know me well also know that for two years I have been waiting.....somewhat patiently.....for my punching bag to be put up here in our house in Pennsylvania. It was my birthday present when we first came to Pittsburgh, and the promise to hang it has been given to me for Christmas, an additional birthday and Mother's Day.

But today, the promise came to fruition!!!! Doug figured out a way to attach it to the "I" beam in the garage. So no more improvisation!!!! I no longer have to set it up, punch, set it up, punch, set it up, punch. :)

What a great day!!! And I can even find a verse that is applicable (I know it is a stretch. For all you literalists--I am having some fun here.)

Heb 6:15 And thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Servant Heart

2006-05-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

This picture was on the NAMB website, and we didn't even realize it!!! That's my Dad, Jerry Schleiff, in the foreground.

It was taken on one of the trips with his Arkansas Disaster Relief team--feeding those affected by the hurricane.

I wanted to share this picture because it characterizes my Dad. He has such a servant heart. One story in particular sticks out in my mind.

There was an epileptic man, Manyai, who lived near our mission station at Sessami. Manyai was a sweet man, but was too disabled to care for himself. He smelled of body odor and urine, and his beard was tangled and scraggly. The other villagers shunned him.

But every few months he would show up at our house, and after eating a good, hearty meal, he would submit to Dad for his annual bath. It literally took hours to wash the layers of dirt from Manyai, and to shave his matted hair and beard. It was such an labor of love. I will never forget the friendship between Dad and Manyai.

But my Dad is like that with everyone. As kids, if we ever needed anything, he would bend over backwards to meet that need. Each morning he would wake us up gently with a cup of tea and a backscratch. (That was usually followed by him coercing us into a morning run. He and I still enjoy going to the track together--and Dad will be 71 this year!!!)

Even now, he and Mom have people in their house constantly--especially college students. And the first words that you will hear out of Dad's mouth when someone walks through the door are, "Hey, can I get you anything?"

Mom and Dad just love people. They have adopted "kids" all over the world. After serving for 28 years in Zimbabwe, they had the opportunity to work at IMB headquarters in Virginia. But instead, they chose to go to Asia and spend 5 years as Member Care personnel--serving, encouraging and supporting other missionaries.

The amazing thing is that my Dad has had opportunities at various times in his life to take denominational positions that carry some prestige. When he was younger, he could have been on staff at a large church in Texas. But he has turned all of those down and opted for the mission field. It has meant working in some dangerous, tough places.

He has not had a high-profile life, but he has certainly had a rich and meaningful one. I don't believe we'll know the full impact of my parent's lives until we get to heaven. So much of it has been lived in quiet, servant-hearted anonymity. And I could not be prouder of them.

Tribute to Mom

2006-05-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my Mom's birthday, and I wanted to write a tribute to this very special woman. She has not only been an amazing mother, but a friend and mentor.

There are so many qualities I admire about her--especially that she loves the Lord and taught us about Him. When we were little, every morning we would walk by Mom's bed and see snuggled under the covers in her "turtle" position. She would be face down, with her knees pulled under her and Bible open, and her eyes closed in prayer.

I have often thought how Mom's "turtle" position, with covers pulled over her head, was much like Susanna Wesley's apron over her head. Both mothers had their own way of teaching that time with God took precedent over everything else.

Mom was a great teacher. She seized natural opportunities to show us about the qualities of God. I remember the first time she cut open an apple and showed us the star inside. And how she illustrated the story of Elijah and the widow by putting a marble in a jar of oil. She would hold the bottle up (causing the marble to block the oil from running out) and tell us how the widow's oil was running out. But then, God miraculously provided more oil!!!! (she would tip the bottle so the oil flowed around the marble.) I thought that was amazing. My Mom could do magical things.

She is also an loving nurturer. Every morning we would awaken to the aroma of breakfast, then go into the kitchen to get a hug and a cup of hot tea from Mom. Anyone who knows Barbara Schleiff knows that her love language is feeding people. Which was not an easy task when we lived in the bush. Everything had to be grown, picked and cooked from scratch!!!!

Mom is a lot of fun. She is spunky, and funny and loves to tease. She also has a slightly competitive edge, which usually comes out in board games. I remember many late nights of playing "Texas 42" or putting together a puzzle. And she loved to embarrass us at mission meeting by getting up and doing skits for the group.

Mom has some incredible faith. She has always lived by the principle, "If we really need it, God will provide." I remember one time we were way out on a dirt road in the bush, and had a flat tire. When Dad started to put on the spare, he discovered it also had a slow leak. We were not sure what we were going to do.

Then Mom pulled the bubble gum she was chewing out of her mouth, stuck it on the hole in the tire, and prayed, "Lord, you know we need to make it into town, so make this bubble gum hold." We actually made it those next several miles--over terribly rough roads--and into a service station!!!!

She also is a woman of prayer. One night, Dad was up late reading by candlelight as he often did. Suddenly, he noticed a cobra slithering into the bedroom. In a panic, he tossed his shoes at it, then the book.......then the candle. Uh-oh. Not a good move. Unsure what to do next, Dad leaned over and shook Mom awake. "Barbara. BARBARA. There's a cobra in the bedroom."

Mom woke up just enough to comprehend what Dad had said. Then she pulled the covers back over her head, and said, "Honey, I'm praying for you" and went back to sleep. (We never did find that cobra.)

Mom also is a woman of incredible courage. One incident that stands out in my mind was when we were living in Gweru right after the war was over. The city had a new mayor named Kombayi, and he was an evil and ruthless man. He had a gang of thugs that accompanied him wherever he went. People were severely "dealt with" if they crossed him.

Well, Mom felt like God told her in her quiet time one day to go and confront Kombayi for his actions. She also felt that she was supposed to present the gospel to him.

So after a week of prayer and fasting, Mom made an appointment with him.

I thought she had lost her mind, and when she walked out the door that morning to meet with him, I really felt like it might be the last time I saw my mother.

Kombayi did not accept Christ that day, even though Mom gave him a Bible with some very impressive passages highlighted (including some on sin and judgment.) However, one of the men who worked in his office was so moved by Mom's courage that he accepted Christ, and years later became a deacon in our church.

From that time on, though, whenever Kombayi saw my mother in town, he would cross the street and come over to greet her warmly (with all his thugs in tow.) She is the only person I know of who he treated with that kind of respect.

Mom's heart, though, is illustrated best in a conversation we had recently. She had really been missing having opportunities to share Christ. "I feel like I'm always around Christians now that we are retired, " she told me. "I just miss getting to tell people about Jesus."

She asked me to pray for her to build some relationships with lost people.

About two days later she called, all excited. One of the universities in town had called and asked if she could host some international students. When they arrived, there were two vans full of new students. Mom quickly discovered that most of them were not Christians.

She was in missionary heaven!!!! Since then, she has continued to build relationships with several of them, and even mentors three or four of the girls. She has started a Bible Study with the ones who were interested in learning about Christianity.

Mom's life has been a reflection of her favorite bible verse.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. "

Pittsburgh's religious climate--what does the future hold?

2006-05-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Bishop Donald Wuerl, head of the Pittsburgh diocese, was named by Pope Benedict XVI to be the new Archbishop of Washington D.C. The position is an incredible honor and many are speculating that he will one day be named a Cardinal.

His new role in D.C. will carry significant responsibilities with it. He is already being bombarded with questions regarding immigration, and whether communion should be administered to Senators who are pro-abortion.

This is huge news for our region. Over 800,000 people in Pittsburgh are Catholic.

But the Catholic church is also in crisis. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, on a given Sunday only 36 percent of parishioners attend mass. The number of active attenders has fallen significantly. Just a few years ago the number of practicing Catholics in Pittsburgh numbered more than a million.

Bishop Wuerl's top assistant, Auxiliary Bishop Paul J. Bradley, sees the falloff in Mass attendance, and the influence of "The Da Vinci Code," as hints of a church-wide problem in faith.

"Not unlike other parts of the church in the United States and other parts of the world, there's a growing number of nominal Catholics, fewer practicing Catholics," he said. "It's a reflection of where we are that a particular movie could affect a person's faith perspective."

And there is a shortage of priests as well. Only one man was ordained this year.

So how does this affect our city? There is no doubt that Bishop Wuerl, with his charismatic personality and sharp intellect, influenced more than the religious climate of this region. The political and social climates have also been shaped by his leadership. The Catholic church is so strong locally that it is often referred to as "the church", and news from the diocese is reported regularly in the mainstream media.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the days ahead--both in Washington and here in Pittsburgh. It will likely be several months before a new bishop is selected for Pittsburgh. That nomination comes directly from Pope Benedict XVI.

You may be asking why I would write a post on this, especially since I am Protestant.

But those of you living in regions where Catholicism is the predominate religion can understand. Most of my neighbors and friends are Catholic. This affects them significantly, so it affects me, too. We live in a culture that is very much influenced by the Catholic church, and these changes will impact our entire city.

Please be praying for the city of Pittsburgh in the days ahead. Be praying for those people who are struggling with faith and wondering how God and religion fit into their lives. Bishop Wuerl allowed a lot of inter-denominational freedom and cooperation. Pray that the new bishop will do the same. And please continue to pray for our lost friends and neighbors--those who don't know what it means to have a personal relationship with God.

Cute story

2006-05-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

We had our primary elections yesterday.

I took Joshua with me to vote. They had brand new computerized machines, which intrigued him. He wanted to try them out. So I let him enter all of my votes. Suddenly, right in the middle of it, he stopped and got this horrified look on his face. In a loud whisper he exclaimed, "Are you sure this is legal??? I'm not 18 yet!!!"

Everyone in the room had a good chuckle at that.

A Child's Cry In the Night

2006-05-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

I was awakened about 3 this morning by a sound that startled me awake. It was the muffled cry of one of my children.

I quickly realized that it was Anna, and that she was having a nightmare. After making sure she was alright, I settled back down to go to sleep.

But as I lay there, I reflected on how amazing it is that a mother can sleep through other noises of the night, but at the slightest whimper from her child, can be instantly brought out of a deep sleep. A mother's ear is so attuned to the voice of her child, that even in a semi-conscious state she hears it.

It made me think about Psalm 34:15 "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry."

If we as earthly parents are so attentive to the needs of our children, how much more does our Father in heaven watch over us? We can rest assured that God not only hears us, but is listening deep into the stillness for the faintest cry from the heart of His child.

Maybe she won't see me.......

2006-05-13T09:56:00.001-07:00

Joshua trashed his room this morning. So a few minutes ago I went outside and told him to come straighten it up.

I was perplexed when I walked down the hall and heard absolute silence. Didn't sound like much cleaning was going on.

I walked in and found him--crouched down behind the toy box.

A picture says a thousand words..........

When Perseverance Pays Off

2006-05-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today I overcame on obstacle in my life that has haunted me for years now. After 2,862 attempts at Spider Solitaire, I finally won a game.

"Why is this relevant?" you ask. "Why should I care?"

Bear with me......I really do have a spiritual application here.

I love 2 Corinthians 4. It is one of those passages that has gotten me through so many times in ministry when I am exhausted and just want to give up.

I had hoped to see more results in our ministry this past year than we did. There are so many students who I truly believed would accept Christ this year but who did not. I claimed and truly believed the promise of Psalm 126:5-6. "Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

God did not choose to work in the way I had expected this past year. But He is God, and His plans and timing are far better than mine.

Sometimes I want to give up. I am tired of sterile, dry, intellectual Christianity. I want so much to KNOW Him. I want to be clearer in my understanding of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I want Him to be able to use me with the power and authority that He intended for His children to exercise. I want to please His heart, and be a light that draws people to Him.

So even when it may feel like I am never going to "win", and that I am fighting a losing battle, I know in my heart of hearts that I MUST persevere.

And someday, whether here on earth or not until I get to heaven, I am confident that I will see the results and obtain the reward.

Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Girls Day Out

2006-05-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

My kids had a half day of school, and Joshua went home with a friend. Doug was on campus. So Anna and I went out for lunch. We took that picture ourselves. Can you tell? : )

As we were eating and talking, I realized how thankful I am to be a Mom. God has blessed me with two very precious kids who are not only warm and loving, but also very fun.

But my heart also goes out today to those who have lost children or not been able to have them. One Mom here in our community just lost her husband and two of their three triplets (age 4) in a tragic car accident. The third child is in Children's Hospital. Pray for the Morrison family. This will not be an easy holiday for them.

I have so many friends who want desperately to be parents, but God, for reasons which I don't understand, has not allowed that to happen. My heart breaks for those couples.

Lord, thank you so much for the blessing of Anna and Joshua. They are such a precious gift. But I also pray for those families who are hit hard by this holiday celebration. Please wrap your arms around them and comfort them.

Psa 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Isn't She Beautiful???

2006-05-12T05:10:00.000-07:00

Steve McCoy and Joe Kennedy say "Friday is for Photos." So I wanted to post one of my favorites. This is my niece discovering birthday cake. Isn't she a cutie?

Above all, put on love

2006-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Friends for over 25 years......Jeff, Chris, Brian and Doug

I have noticed lately that my name and Jeff Young's names are being pitted against each other in the blog-o-sphere because we have some differing views.

I just wanted to make something clear: I love Jeff Richard Young!!! He was in our wedding. Doug was in his wedding. They were all in Jeff, Brian and Tommy's weddings. We get our families together as often as we can.

Jeff and I butt heads sometimes because we are both passionate individuals who stand strongly by what we believe. But that's one of the things I respect MOST about him. I also appreciate the fact that he is quick to forgive and let go of things.

I wish all of you could know Jeff in person. He is an amazing pastor, husband and Dad. He is warm, loving and really, really funny. He can cook, and sing, raise sheep, and speak Arabic. He likes OU football. He is ridiculously smart. He has an amazing wife and kids with the most beautiful eyes you have ever seen.

Jeff and I may not agree on the doctrines of grace, or homeschooling, or anchovies on pizza. But we both love the Lord, each other, and desire His glory above all else!!!

I wanted you to see our families together. There is a very special bond of friendship among this group of guys. (Bear in mind, these pics were taken a few years ago, when they could still run at this pace. Since then, 7 more kids have been added, 5 of which were contributed by the Young clan. : )

Brian, Chris, Doug and Jeff playing the ultimate game--Settlers of Catan.

Hey, Jeff. No biting on the court

Instructing our children in the important things of life

With wives Kiki, Amy and Susan (Chris' wife, Kelly, was taking the picture) and two of the kids.

And more kids.........

Preparing to play the amazing game of plungerball.....

Col 3:12-17 "And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."

Rainy Day Photo

2006-05-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

I love rainy days, and today is one of them. There's no way to capture how beautiful it is right now. Everything is so green and the colors are so rich. But here's my attempt to take a picture of the rain from our back porch.

God's Calling is not emotionally secure

2006-05-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

The end of the war brought peace, but also new challenges. Many whites fled the country. Integration of the schools began, and it was rocky. The first Prime Minister's term of service was short-lived and unsuccessful. And then Robert Mugabe, the notorious Socialist-Marxist leader who still controls the country, came into power.

My one and only fist fight occured during that time. I hit this guy Clive in the nose (and bloodied it) for calling my African friend Heather a derogotory name. (Heather was the first black student to be integrated into our school.)

But in a lot of ways, those early teen years were some of my happiest memories. We had a strong group of youth in the mission, and great community in my local church. Then there was Indira, my best friend, who had moved to Zimbabwe from Tasmania. The two of us were inseparable.

I was finally getting to experience life as a real kid, without the fear of being "hunted."

Our family also spent quality time together. We have always enjoyed being outdoors, and were finally able to have some freedom. Every Friday night was our family game time. We had constant visitors--my parents have always had a "come one, come all" policy. I think my Mom's real calling was to be an army cook, because she was always feeding someone, and we never knew who might be spending the night.

But then came three events that totally rocked my world.

One of our fellow MKs, Chip Corley, was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike. Our whole mission family was devastated.

Then another tragedy struck. Aunt Jeannie Elliff and the four kids were on their way to our house, with plans for all of us to go to a youth retreat together. But they had an accident on the way.

The van rolled, and Beth was trapped under it. She suffered severe burns because the engine was on top of her. The rest of the family only had minor cuts and scratches.

I will never forget seeing Beth laying on that gurney in the hallway of the hospital. She was in such agony, and parched with thirst. I actually remember her saying, "If you love me, you'll give me a drink of water." That broke my heart. She was not allowed to have anything because of the severity of her burns.

I thought my friend might die that night. It terrified me, and made me angry when I saw the doctor ignoring her, even flirting with some of the nurses. He was totally cold and indifferent.

Aunt Jeannie was finally able to get a plane to fly her to a better hospital in the capital. (I don't remember where Uncle Tom was that weekend--maybe out of town.) Thankfully, Beth survived. But she needed better treatment, so the Elliffs ended up leaving Zimbabwe and returning to the States. That was a tough loss for me. Beth and Amy were like my sisters.

To make matters worse, we later learned the accident was deliberate. When Aunt Jeannie had stopped to get gas, some men had inserted a matchstick into the valve of her tire to cause a slow leak. It was the loss of pressure in the tire that caused the van to flip.

But even in that, we saw God's providence. The men had followed Aunt Jeannie from the gas station, probably intending to rob her(or worse.) But when the van rolled, a train happened to be passing and the engineer saw the accident. He stopped the train and helped lift the vehicle off of Beth.

His presence probably deterred those men from hurting the Elliff family. I know that God preserved their lives that day.

Then we began to have issues in school. Because so many teachers had left the country, the educational system was in crisis. So the government came up with a plan to educate "ex-combatants" (aka "terrorists") in a 6-month teaching program and plug them in as teachers.

That brought a whole new set of issues, and was the first time that my brother and I had been on the receiving end of such racism. We both had teachers who hated us--just for being white (we were now minorities in our school.) Mark even had a teacher throw a chair at him.

Then came the final straw. The government decided to create "labor forces" for the youth of the nation. They were patterned after Hitler's nazi youth gangs, even having political rallies on Sundays. If we stayed in the public schools, we would have to serve in the labor force.

So the decision was made to send us to boarding school in South Africa. At the tender age of 14, I had to leave home and go live in a different country from my parents.

That was tough. The security I had always found in both my biological family and my mission family was now gone. Thankfully, my brother was with me in South Africa for a year. He has always been my anchor--especially through high school and college when our parents were so far away.

Those events were hard, but they also made me stronger. And through it all I can say, "For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance."--Psalm 94:14.

God's calling is not safe

2006-05-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Contains some graphic material.

(top)Rhodesian soldiers charge into battle, with bayonets drawn. Soldiers would often stop by our mission station. I remember one time, when I was about 5, a troop came by our house after a skirmish like this. They had the body of a terrorist thrown in the back of their truck, and blood was still dripping from the bayonet of his AK47.
(middle) Funeral of the Elim missionaries
(bottom) Authorities gather remains after a viscount passenger plane was shot out of the sky near Kariba. Our friends, Jeremy and Karen, died in that crash. They were returning from their honeymoon. To make matters worse, terrorists found the crash site and shot many of the survivors.

Last year I visited with fellow MK Aaron Hood. We were talking about his life in Colombia, and my heart broke as he told how his Dad was murdered in front of their house in Bogota.

Another MK I know watched her mother be brutally gang raped at gunpoint.

And a third MK was herself assaulted and gang raped by a group of men in an Arab nation, while returning from babysitting for another missionary family.

I could tell you story after story like that.

For years I questioned why God would allow horrific things to happen to families who had given their all to follow Him.

It has only been in the past few months that God has given me peace in this area.

The healing really started for me last Fall. About that same time, Dr. Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board, came to our state convention. As he started his message that night, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay in the room. I had heard him preach this sermon twice before.

I went to the back of the sanctuary and slumped down on the floor in the corner. My heart was pounding, and hot tears burned my face as he recounted the stories of missionaries who had lost their lives on the field. The way he told it made their deaths sound so noble and romantic.

But inside I was screaming, "It's NOT that way!!! It's scary, and horrifying, and UNFAIR!!!"

Afterwards I went up to him, and blurted some emotional response through my tears. I'm not even sure what I said, but it was something like, "those were real people to me, not just names in a story. I'm not okay with all of that."

I'll never forget his reaction. It was so kind and compassionate. He did not try to explain the suffering away as being "God's will." He did not make light of my feelings, or treat them as trite and irrelevant.

Instead, he took my hands in his, and with tears in his own eyes, said, "I know, Kiki, I know."

His actions spoke volumes. With that one gesture, he communicated, "I don't fully understand it either. And it hurts me, too. But God is good. God is Sovereign. And one day we will fully understand the purpose of 'lives given, not taken.'"

Not long after that, I asked my parents why we had stayed in such a dangerous place. My Dad responded with empathy but conviction. He said, "I cannot make an apology for the call of God on our lives."

I am finally coming to a place where I can accept what it means to "take up the cross and follow Me." I can't say I fully understand, but I do know that God is good. I know that God is Sovereign. And our time here on earth is just one small part of a bigger story.

I am also learning that the fullness of God's grace and glory seems to shine brightest when set against the backdrop of man's depravity. In the darkest times God's love and mercy are fully illuminated.

I've been asked to share more about my past, but haven't wanted to or really known how to until recently. I was between 8 and 10 during the worst years of the war. So I'll reveal a segment of that time period with you.....

1978 was a stressful year for our family. The war had gotten bad. We had grenade shields on our windows, and most of my friends went to school in armored trucks. Landmines and ambushes were common hazards on the road. We had forced military curfews--no one could go out at night. Travel between cities only occured in armed convoys. Everyone carried firearms--even to church.

Terrorist attacks on mission stations had increased. We had already been forced off of the Sessami station, and were now on a station outside Gwelo.

A few months before, my friend Pieter Brand had lost his Mom and Dad in an ambush. They had been going to one of their preaching points on a Sunday morning, when the terrorists cut them off on the road and shot them in cold blood.

Terrorists struck again on June 15th. We got word from our Sanyati station that missionary Archie Dunaway (one of my favorite "uncles") was missing. He was a sweet man, who absolutely loved MKs and spoiled us rotten. Whenever we would go visit him in Sanyati, he would have a big cookout on the anthill. We also liked playing with his little chihuahua, Joe. The two of them were inseparable.

So when his truck was found that horrible night, with Joe still inside, we all knew something had happened. His body was discovered a few hours later. He had been bayoneted numerous times, and the African people were forced to stand around and laugh as he died.

The next day we all evacuated to the MK home in the city. Whole families were jammed into tiny rooms.

About the same time, we learned from security forces that my Dad's name was on a terrorist hit list.

Eight days later, a mission station on the Eastern border was attacked and entire families were murdered. Here is the newspaper report......

On the night of June 23, 1978, Elim Mission in the Rhodesian Eastern Highlands was subjected to the worst massacre of missionaries yet experienced. Terry Blocksidge reported in the Sunday Mail (Salisbury):

Eight British missionaries and four young children - including a three-week-old baby - were bayoneted to death by terrorists on Rhodesia’s Eastern border on Friday night in the worst massacre of whites since the six-year-old war began.

Three of the missionaries were men and the others women.

A sixth woman was stabbed and beaten and left for dead. She staggered 300 m into the freezing Vumba bush to spend the night before being found semi-conscious by security forces yesterday. Despite intensive care in a Salisbury hospital she subsequently died.

The gruesome murders, by a group of eight to 10 terrorists, happened at Emmanuel Mission School - 15 km south-east of Umtali and 8 km from the Mozambique border - once used as the Eagle boarding school.

The dead, who belonged to the Elim Pentecostal Church, were:

* Mr. Peter McCann (30), his wife, Sandra (also 30), son Phillip (six) and daughter Joy (five).

* The Rev. Phillip Evans (29), his wife, Suzan (35), and their daughter Rebecca (four).

* Mr. Roy Lynn (37), his wife, Joyce (36), and their daughter Pamela Grace. She would have been three weeks old yesterday.

* Catherine Picken (55) and Elizabeth Wendy Hamilton- White (37).

* Miss Mary Fisher (28).

Most of the women had been sexually assaulted, and one mutilated.

The children had been dragged from their beds. Two children were in yellow pyjamas, one with a red dressing gown, and a third in a flowery nightdress.

One child had her tiny thumbs clenched in her palms.

Even hardened security men were stunned by the bloody scene and stood around silently. “The quiet is uncanny”, said one.

Mr. Brian Chapman, director of the Church in Rhodesia and South Africa, visited the scene yesterday. He said: “We saw no humanity here.”

The massacre began shortly before 8.30 p.m. when the white families were forced by the terrorists from their homes and classrooms, and marched to a playing field.

Near the sports pavilion, about 400 m from the main school, they were split into groups, then beaten with lengths of wood and logs, and stabbed.

When security forces reached the scene yesterday, the full horror on the cold, mist-and-rain shrouded Vumba mountainside confronted them:

A mother, beaten to death, lay with her young baby. The baby had also been savagely beaten.

Their arms stretched out to each other, their hands resting an inch apart. The child’s hand was clenched.

The mother had a hand squeezed tightly around her engagement ring, turned into her palm, as she reached for her baby in her dying moments.

Nearby, another woman had died from an axe-wound - the weapon still protruded from her shoulder and two men, one with his hands tied behind his back, lay beaten and slashed to death.

A blood-soaked chunk of wood had been dropped near to them.

Three children lay in a pitiful huddle, with two women’s bodies next to them.

Some had raised their arms to defend themselves from the brutal blows.

Witnesses say that the missionaries were praying for their perpetrators as they died. Since then, several of those terrorists have come to faith in Christ. And the work that these brave missionaries started is being carried on today by Zimbabwean nationals.

Richard Smith, son of retired Elim missionaries, reports that "the leader of the rebels became a born-again Christian a number of years after the fact and was able to meet with Peter Griffiths (who was back in the UK at the time of the massacre)".

There were also two children who were away from the mission at the time of the massacre--Timothy and Rachel Evans. They lost their parents and little sister. I don't really know where they are now, but wonder what their perspective would be.

Matt. 16:24-25 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

Murder of Missionaries in Rhodesia

Anatomy of Terror

Paintball and Campfire

2006-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend was our end-of-year paintball outing and bonfire. We had at least 43 people there.

Anna got to play her first paintball game--that's her at the top. It was a really great time of fun and fellowship.

But as we were sitting around the campfire, it struck me how much our group has changed since our bonfire last year. Not only have we grown in numbers, but there was such a clear testimony of how God has worked this past year.

There were six new Christians in the group. And there were at least 8 who are not believers at all (and I don't know about the visitors who were present.)

During the testimony time, it was cool to hear what God was working, and a theme began to emerge. Some of the new Christians told how they had thought we were a bunch of "Jesus freaks", but were also attracted to the love and joy exhibited by the group. And two of the non-believers even shared stories, prefacing their testimony with "I am not a Christian, but....."

One thing that struck me was how our group is not ashamed to speak the truth boldly. There was no attempt to re-package the gospel or market it in a way that would be more palatable to the world.

The way of the cross is tough. And it is exclusive. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me."

But it is also a place of joy, freedom and refreshment. Matthew 11:28-30 says "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

I believe the world wants to hear the truth. They are hungry for freedom and rest.

Two of our new believers said that the knowledge that we prayed for them by name to come to Christ impacted their lives tremendously. Our group does not hide the fact that we want our friends to find the joy and truth of Christ. We tell them that we are desperately praying for the eyes of their spiritual hearts to be opened. We speak the truth in love.

One other thing that was encouraging was having three of the leaders of other Christian groups at the bonfire as well. We have started being intentional about supporting, praying for, and encouraging one another in our ministries.

This coming year we will be doing more activities together. There is such a sweet spirit of unity among all of the Christian groups. We have a shared vision and desire: we are so hungry to see Christ glorified on our campus.

Ashleigh, one of the leaders of Intervarsity, shared how in their own group they have sensed that God is preparing them for something big next year. There is a spiritual sensitivity on campus that has not been there before. There is a hunger and passion among the Christian students, and a new sense of urgency.

Several in our own group, as well as the two leaders who were there from Christian Student Fellowship, affirmed what Ashleigh was saying. We have felt it, too.

But then something interesting happened. Another student spoke up and said that he sensed the spiritual activity on campus recently, too, and that he had noticed the unity and shared vision. He wanted his group to be part of that--and he is Muslim!!!

God is AMAZING. I am thankful. I don't know where we are heading, and still don't really know how to do campus ministry any more than I did two years ago when we got here. But our God who has called us is faithful, and HE will do it. (1 Thess. 5:24)

Blogging World: False Reality?

2006-05-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me last week why I blog. I have been pondering the answer to that question for days.

The conclusion I have come to leaves me unsettled. I think I blog because....... I desperately need connection with others, and am lacking meaningful community in my real world.

My husband pointed out today that this is a pretty unrealistic world. For example, the people who know me online really only see one dimension of who I am. It tends to be my zealous, serious, slightly insane side. And since tone and body language can not be read through text, there is a danger that what I am saying will be perceived incorrectly.

However, that doesn't stop me from blogging. Because my need to interact with others is greater than my fear of being misunderstood. I do get my feelings hurt, though, and sometimes feel alienated or blown off by other bloggers. I think we all tend to say things a little more harshly and come across a little more arrogantly in our posts than we would face-to-face.

It certainly doesn't take the place of having those safe, warm, "live and in color" friends who can give you a hug on a really tough day, or pick up on your facial expression when life is about to overwhelm you.

Have you ever thought about how strange it is that we share our deep thoughts and feelings with total strangers through cyberspace? Why have we lost the connection and community that used to exist in our society? Why are we so lonely and isolated in cities bursting with people?

Technology has definitely changed our world. What are your thoughts? Why do you blog?

Come and Listen to What He has done

2006-05-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

Psalm 66:16

"Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul."

Last night was our last FUEL for the year, and our commissioning service for the 7 Seniors and 2 Grad students who will be leaving us. It was also a goodbye for Anna, who has served as our intern this semester.

After their testimonies, we had a time where students could come up, lay hands on individuals, and pray for them.

It went on until after 11:30. There was not a dry eye in the place.

As I looked around the room, I realized how very, very much we have to be thankful for. Six years ago, CrossSeekers was simply 2 semester missionaries and 2 students. Last night we had to bring extra chairs in because we ran out of space.

Three of the graduating Seniors have found Christ since coming to college. All of them have grown immensely in their walks. One of the newer believers has already started a Bible Study on John with friends back home.

Two years ago, when Doug and I first set foot on this campus, we had no clue how to do campus ministry. We just began to pray that God would send us 8 core leaders.

He answered our prayer!!!! Those leaders literally walked through the door one by one, and what has resulted has been truly
unique and special. There is a very sweet depth and joy in this group, and a fellowship that could only be from God.

As I looked around the room last night, I realized how diverse our group has become in just two years. We even have non-believers coming on a regular basis.

These guys are sold out!!!! When we sang "Be Thou Our Vision", their voices filled the room!!!! There is passion and hunger in their lives. So many of them are heading out to various mission fields this Summer, in official or unofficial capacities.

All I can say is "Praise Be to God!!!" HE has done this. And we are thankful.

Honest letter from my heart

2006-05-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

I realize that my last post on public school has stirred up some feelings. That was not my intent. If this is too touchy of a topic, then I will not continue to write on it.

It was actually meant to be a response to the concept that ALL Christians should homeschool or place their kids in private Christian school. We just simply do not believe that, and have not chosen either of those options for our own family.

But in no way would I say that we have arrived as parents. Anyone who knows my kids can testify to that. : ) They are great--but we still have so much to learn and a long way to go. And I have a feeling that we will continue to learn and grow and need to adapt some aspects of our thinking for the remainder of our lives.

But let me share from my heart. The deepest desires I have for my kids is for them to pursue God with all their hearts, to worship in spirit and truth and in every aspect of their lives, and to lead others to a relationship with Christ.

The first two things--knowing God more and worshipping Him wholeheartedly, are things we will be still doing and learning for the rest of eternity. While those are absolutely the first priorities, I realize that they will be able to do both of those things even more perfectly in heaven.

But our third desire for them--that they would lead others to Christ--has a time limit. It is an activity that will only occur here on earth.

We realize that. We know that our time here on earth is short and that we have to maximize that time. I already have regrets personally for opportunities missed and time wasted. I want my kids to be able to look back from their death bed and know that they used their time here on earth wisely. I want so much for them to see people in heaven who they had a part in pointing to Christ.

We feel like Pennsylvania is the land that God has called us to, and that he has placed us here to be a light. We want to be obedient to that call as a family. And part of that calling is to become part of the community here and to plant our lives here.

For us personally, that involves placing our kids in public school and trusting God to protect them as we step out and follow him in obedience. But in no way does that negate their spiritual education at home, or our responsibility as parents to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Why our kids are in public school--Part 1

2006-05-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

We are often asked why we have chosen to place our kids in public school. Before I answer that, though, I want to dispel some of the misconceptions about public school.

1. Myth #1 Public schools are inferior in academic quality. Our school uses innovation, technology and creativity to make learning both practical and fun. National testing scores are outstanding. The environment is calm, positive and upbeat. There is a strong emphasis on math, science and the arts. (This picture was taken last week on Colonial Day. Each child played the role of a particular historical character for the event, wrote and memorized a speech, and had to present it to a large audience. Then we had a huge colonial feast and dance. It was a fun day of family and community, and made history come alive for our kids).

2. Myth #2 A parent is always the best teacher. Parents are not necessarily the best teachers, and can do more harm than good if they do not have a solid academic foundation. I personally do not feel qualified to teach my children, partly because I was not raised in an American school system. And there IS such a thing as "too much togetherness." My kids need a break from me ocassionally, and I want them to be exposed to other views and perspectives besides my own.

3. Myth #3 All public schools have an agenda to "indoctrinate" our kids with a secular worldview. In fact, we have found quite the opposite to be true. Most of their learning is simply academic and rather neutral in worldview. But there is also a fairly strong Christian presence in our schools.

The majority of our school board, several teachers, and even our PTO president are evangelical Christians. That is remarkeable, considering how liberal this region of the country is!!!

One day in class, Joshua mentioned that his grandparents were missionaries. Some of the kids asked what that was, so the teacher asked him if he would explain it to the class. He told them that Nanny and Papa's job was to "tell people about Jesus, because everyone needs to know about Him."

We have a Moms in Touch prayer group that meets each week, and Young Life and Wyld Life in the Middle and High schools. In fact, tomorrow our Moms in Touch group takes muffins to say "thank you" to all of our teachers and to gather prayer requests from each of the schools. We have regular, direct contact with all the schools in our district.

Here's my answer: We chose to put our kids in public school out of obedience to God. We stand by our decision, because we believe He led us to do so.

I am writing this because I have had some well-meaning friends challenge our decision to place our kids in public school. While I respect others who have chosen to homeschool their own children, or place them in a Christian school, Doug and I believe that God has called us to a different path. But I want to make it clear that I don't believe that our choice is God's will for everyone. This is a decision that each family should come to on their own, after much prayer and seeking God's will through His word.

Here are some scriptures that influenced our decision:

1. Phi 2:15 "...that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,"
2. Joh 17:14-18 "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."
3. Mar 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
4. Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

How can our kids be a light in a dark world if they are never given the opportunity? How can they "love their neighbor as themselves" if they don't even know their neighbors? Why would God leave us on the earth just to segregate ourselves? Why would He command us to take the truth of his word to a lost world if he did not really mean for us to do it?

This morning at breakfast I told my kids about this whole discussion. Anna's comment was enlightening.

She said, "Mommy, I think they are forgetting that we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us. We know what is right, because we have that prompting in our hearts." My kids may be young, but they still have the full power of God within them.

Anna then added, "But that's also why it is so important to put our armor on every day. I can tell the days I don't have my quiet time before I go to school. It IS harder. But isn't that true for everyone, whether they are in public school or not?"

Whether kids are in public school, private school or homeschool--they are still going to be faced with temptation, and the enemy is still going to find ways to challenge their faith. We are in a spiritual battle. ALL Christians have to learn to own their beliefs, and ALL Christians are called to evangelize--regardless of age. I would rather be in the battle with my kids, and fight the enemy alongside them than give them head knowledge about the enemy, and hope they remember it all some day when they get ambushed.

Oh, Lord, I pray that the eyes of my children's hearts may be opened, so that they will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe. And Lord, show them they are who you say they are. Don't let them be intimidated by those who would look down on their youthfulness. But rather, in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, may they show themselves an example of those who believe.

Are we holding back God?

2006-05-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

I have been taking a break from seriousness for a while. It has been good. I have had some amazing fellowship time with God, and a lot of fun with my kids. I just needed some light-hearted refreshment.

But I have also been challenged by what is happening in another friend's life. Jaeson Ma, who ministers on the campus of UCLA, has been experiencing the power of God in amazing ways these past two weeks. I look forward to reading his posts each day!!!!! We have been rejoicing with him at what God is doing on his campus. (Read about it at www.jaesonma.blogspot.com)

At the same time, my heart aches for our own campus. Why do we not see this kind of power on our own campus?

Yesterday, I spoke to one of our students who is so close to accepting Christ, but who just will not take that final step. When I left him, I was fighting back the tears and my heart was breaking.

We have two weeks of school left. On May 21st, there are students who will graduate without knowing God personally. I feel so desperate!!!!!

Do we not have enough faith? Are we not praying enough? Sometimes I just want to lay facedown in the square at the center of campus and plead with God for the souls of our students.

Jaeson's words resonate with my heart. Listen to what he says:

"I couldn’t do my regular ministry duties. I could no longer just settle for Church meetings, Bible studies and casual prayer meetings. I wanted something more. There had to be more. I kept reading 1 Corinthians 2 and Acts 4. Paul never preached with human wisdom, human knowledge, he preached with the power of God. Yet, today all we have is human knowledge from our pulpits, but no Holy Spirit power. A Chinese house church leader once visited some major mega-churches in Los Angeles California and when asked, “What do you think? He responded with, ‘It’s amazing what your American Churches can do without the Holy Spirit.” Lord I pray for mercy on Your luke warm Church here in the United States. Last week I read Acts 4 over and over again.

"Now, Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy Servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were in one heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all." Acts 4:29-33

The apostles preached the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. I am desperate to see that great power at work in my generation. If not, I don’t know what to live on for. I did not sign up for a program, an organization or a religious institution. I found Christ at the age of 17 & was radically changed. He transformed me, encountered me, saved me from going to jail and I have never looked back. But here I am again, desperate as the day I met Him. God where is your power in my generation?

I became so desperate last week. I simply prayed a prayer of Jeremiah 6:16.

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I lost it. I dropped everything and went back to the place of prayer. For days on end I just sought God’s presence in the morning and through the night. I found rest for my soul. I found His presence and He had become everything once again. The only way I could describe how it felt and how I feel at this moment is this, “completely satisfied and utterly dissatisfied.”

I am completely satisfied in His presence, but I am utterly dissatisfied with the state of Christianity in my generation. Oh God, oh God, oh God…if you don’t do something, I don’t know what else to do? Where are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in this generation? 40,000 students at UCLA and the majority do not know this glorious presence I know. Millions in my generation are leaving the Church because they have encountered a dead religion instead of encountering the manifest presence of God. I am distraught and God you must do something. I only live for one thing, to see your name lifted High, to see revival come, to experience heaven on earth, if not, take me home. Revival or death! I don’t mean to sound extreme, but this is how I feel."

Preach it, brother Jaeson.

One of my favorite quotes is from C.H. Spurgeon. He says, "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for."

Lord, forgive us for our unbelief. May we know the power at work within us and speak your truth boldly. AMEN.