DeepWater Faith

Haiti Update

2011-07-13T13:12:00.002-04:00

We are back! What a great experience. Our team installed two (800 gallon) mini water treatment systems in two government run schools in Port au Prince in just 5 days. These systems have the capability of purifying up to 10,000 gallons per day (each) if they want to push their capabilities. Each of these schools serve over 700 students each, grades K-12.

We had the pleasure of working with Bob Browning from Edge Outreach, who acted as our "logistics guru" on the ground. Thanks also go to Pastor Brisenault, also employed by Edge, who acted as our driver, translator and spiritual guide :)

Along with us every day was Jean Desrosiers and Racine Louissaindy (RaRa) who acted as translators for us and general entertainment! These guys were able to train the Haitians (in Creole) on the operation of the chlorine generators with ease. They have obviously had lots of practice! Jean, who is 23, is planning to come to Louisville to attend JCTC in hopes of studying Construction Management and obtaining his degree. He has been accepted and has scholarship money and is looking for a host family for his 3 years in the states. I promised to help him any way I could. Please pray for him. What a great guy.

I have done several of these trips, where I save the money, or raise the money for projects and materials. Going to Haiti, where 7th graders raised 100% of the funds for materials and travel expenses for their teachers was humbling. I wish we could have had the whole 7th grade class from EOMS there with us to see how their hard work paid off. Way to go Patriots! During our debriefing, this year’s team had some great ideas to make the project even bigger next year. Maybe include Oldham, South and North in the project? Rival schools working together to help save lives in the Third World. That's what it's all about!

On a sadder note...we were able to visit the orphanage that we hoped to visit. I had planned for conditions to be deplorable, but to my surprise, they had block walls and a floor (I was expecting tin and dirt). The kids were so excited to see us. We came with toys, rice and beans, vitamins and best of all, hand made cards from the people in my church. The sad part? A few weeks ago, there were 17 kids in the orphanage. This week there were 8. Where did the other 9 go? We could not get an answer. My greatest fear is that they were sold into slavery. My gut feels kicked. Pastor Bidsenault told me that he and his wife (who have only 1 daughter) plan to find a larger property to rent to be able to house 25 kids who are currently living at high risk. Not an orphanage, but a home. I know that I can't do anything to help the 9 missing, but I can help him and his wife see their dream to reality. I will start on this right away.

Thanks to all who have prayed for us over the last year. Your prayers were answered. God Bless.

PS, watch the Courier Journal Oldham Edition over the next few weeks for a follow up article on the project and our team.

2011-07-01T21:12:00.000-04:00

T-minus 3 days and counting. Our team of 6 leaves in three days. We are super prepared and cannot wait to get to Haiti. I will update when we return. 2 water systems in 2 schools and some relationship building and hanging out with 17 kids who would love for some folks to just come and hang out in an orphanage in P au P. Prayers appreciated. Pray for safety and opportunity and for Godz will to be done. Micki, Abbey, Dennis, Danny, Josh & Jim.

2011-06-04T07:06:00.000-04:00

Update...A few days prior to our scheduled departure for Haiti, the folks at Edge Outreach pulled the plug on our trip. I totally trust their judgement, as they have people living and working in country. The political climate was too volatile. Many Haitians were taking their grievances to the streets over the Presidential election results. Since we plan to work in Port au Prince, we would have been right in the middle of it. It was determined that we would go in early July. We are still on target and cannot wait to see all that will transpire during this trip. Sometimes delays are random and sometimes God's hand is all over it. Thank you, if you are a blog reader for your cintinued prayers for this outreach.

2011-01-31T11:52:00.002-05:00

Things are moving forward for our April trip. Abbey and I have been updated on our Health & Hygiene training with Edge Outreach. It has been 2 years since I have attended water school and it was great to review the information. Now we need to get together and practice some different “teachings” and break them down into the 10 minute presentation, 20 minute presentation etc, so that if a school says we can have 10 minutes, we can hit the ground running. Our goal is to visit as many tent cities, orphanages and schools as we can and bring them information on how to prevent Cholera and the ever present intestinal parasites simply by only using clean water (which our team will be providing) and practicing good hygiene. If the world outside your front door is your toilet, animal’s watering trough and playground, this is a monumental task. I read on the WHO website the other day that soap is in short supply in Haiti. Imagine if the difference between life and death for you was as simple as a bar of soap…

The Middle School Girls Sunday School class at RVCC has committed to raise $500 to pay for one of the 500 gallon tanks we will be purchasing in Haiti. (we need 4) Way to go girls!!! Not even my class, but they wanted to get involved in something bigger than themselves and committed to a great project. They are selling “Hearts for Haiti” in the lobby at church (and hopefully at North Middle) for $1 or $5. The hearts have room to write a note of encouragement or prayer or scripture verse. I will be taking these with me to give to kids and families to let them know they are not forgotten.

Great news on the fundraising front:

Plumbers Supply of Louisville KY donated all of the PVC and fittings to our project. Thank you so much Bruce Madison for your support. We Love you! Also, (without mentioning any names) thanks so much for the private donations that are still coming in. We are probably only about $1600 short with two months to go. Any money we raise over and above what is needed will go into the account for the next water project. If you read this blog and are interested in donating, you can PayPal a donation here

http://www.classjump.com/mangumd/ Go half way down the page and hit the “donate” button.

I have still not met two of the men on our 6 person team. I am praying for them every day. If you want to partner with us in prayer, please pray for Danny Adams, Jim Ross, Dennis Mangum, Josh McCurdy, Abbey Buckman and me for health, physical, emotional and spiritual strength over the next two months. Please pray for the political situation in Haiti. If it gets any worse, we may be landing in Santo Domingo! Please pray for us to have a good interpreter, sober driver and safe travel to and from our work site each day. Pray for our families that we leave behind to wonder what we are doing when they don’t hear from us for days at a time. Thanks and God Bless.

2010-12-22T12:04:00.000-05:00

Christmas is just days away. I wake up every morning and the first thing on my mind seems to be Haiti. Not presents or cleaning or menu planning, although I have plenty to do in the next two days. I simply wake up in prayer. I am in prayer that things will settle down with Haiti's government, and that somehow they will get a handle on the Cholera epidemic. The countdown is 4 months until we leave. I pray daily for the people we will serve, and for our team. For safety and health for us and the people we will be helping. The fund raising is in full swing. This is about a $9,000.00 project and the last I heard, we were at about $5,000.00. I know God will provide, still I pray for the funding of the water systems and piping, tanks, batteries and structures to be built. I pray that we will find a safe place to pitch our tents and that we will be able to get through customs with our food and supplies. I just pray. Thanks God for everything.

What's Next...

2010-09-01T16:28:00.001-04:00

When you lead short term mission teams, you are often wrapping up the planning for the trip you are taking in 6 months and beginning to plan trip you will be taking in 12 months.
Last April, while I was finalizing airfare for our team of 15 going to the Dominican Republic, I was feeling the urge to really begin praying about what I was going to do to serve in 2011. It was becoming clear to me that I was due to serve and not lead.
Kevin and I have been supporting and following Mercy Ships for years. We were introduced to them 18 years ago, before we were Christ followers, when we happened upon a ship, called the Anastasias, moored in Wilmington, North Carolina. Out of curiosity, we took a tour, put our $10 dollars in the collection box and filed the experience away under “that was cool.” Many years later we began to financially support the ministry and follow them on Facebook. (If you don’t know about them, check them out. They are an amazing ministry.) Anyway, for the last few years, I have asked God why do I have such a heart for a ministry who I have nothing to offer? They “employ” surgeons, nurses, doctors, therapists and other professionals who can give up 1-2 years of their lives to serve on a ship somewhere in Africa. Clearly this was not a fit for me. I began reading about humanitarian projects Mercy Ships was doing in Haiti after the quake, and teams in Africa (who do not live on the ship) who dig wells and purify water and teach about Aids. I jumped through some hoops and applied for a position to serve on the Mercy Ships Community Development Team in 2011. I was only able to give 6 weeks. My application was rejected since they require community development people to be on the ground longer. They did however offer me a less glamorous position in the kitchen or dining room. I really felt like my heart was in community development and this would not be using my strengths for the Kingdom. Kevin and I talked about it and he reminded me that we don’t always know what is best for us and God may have a plan for me that has nothing to do with clean water. After about 8 emails back and forth with the recruiter in Texas, I had pretty much decided that I was going to join the Africa Mercy in January for 5 weeks. My plan was to get past the Dominican Trip and let them know. Then…
The week I was leaving for the DR, I got an email from Dennis Mangum from EOMS letting me know that a team of 3 guys were going to Haiti in April to put two water systems into an orphanage and a refugee camp. Did I possibly want to join them? My first thought was, “There is no way I can swing 6 weeks in Africa in January and another week in Haiti in April, so I was thinking, “No to Haiti in April.” I would work it all out when I get back in July.
Fast forward 6 days, my first night in the DR, I woke up at 4:37am and had to use the bathroom. Using my cell phone as a flashlight, I opened the bathroom door and found myself face to face with a rat. By the time I realized that I was in the bathroom with a rat, I had already shut the door. He ran past me in an attempt to exit under the door, to no avail. I stayed for two reasons. #1 there was a very good chance that if I scared him enough he would go back out the way he came in, and #2, I really had to go! After jockying for position for nearly 10 minutes, he was worn out, perched on the edge of the bathtub and I was able to go…standing up, ready to run at a moment’s notice. During these ten minutes, I was saying over and over again, “Okay God, what am I supposed to do with this? I am sure it will get worse than this. I told you I will do anything for you.” I finally went back to bed, and laid there as stiff as if there was a burglar in the room with me. I never really want back to sleep that night. I got up the next morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. The whole next day, feeling very out of my element, taking “showers” with a bucket and a cereal bowl and knowing that I was sleeping where rats felt at home it occurred to me. I was the odd one. Most of the people in our world sleep with rats and don’t have clean water to drink or bathe in. God was trying to get me comfortable with being uncomfortable. So the next night I asked Him, “Where are the rats Lord, in a ship in Africa or in a tent in Haiti?” The answer is probably both, but I left the DR knowing that Africa was on hold and I would start a dialog with the guys about Haiti in April. Brock had been sick the week I was gone. When I got home, the first thing he said was, “Mom, please don’t go to Africa in January.” I said, “Don’t worry, I’m not.”

2010-03-17T10:56:00.004-04:00

In July, seventeen of us will head to the Dominican Republic to serve in Jesus’ name. We will be working with Eastern Dominican Christian Mission on projects that support the local church. We will be in LaRomana and Punta Cana for 7 days. As EDCM has recently taken responsibility of the Centro Mutualista Clinic, adjacent to the church, we expect to be working to improve the condition of the Clinic. We are also hopeful that we will be helping to construct a parsonage for Victor Jiminez and his family near the church in LaRomana. Please pray for us over the next 4 months as we prepare hearts and minds in Christ for whatever He would have us do.

Edge Outreach in Haiti

2010-01-20T10:13:00.002-05:00

Edge Outreach has water teams in Haiti. If you have not taken a minute to support one of the many outreaches, ministries and relief organizations who are on the ground in Haiti, please consider supporting Edge Outreach. Edge is a local ministry (Louisville, KY)serving around the globe providing clean water and teaching others how to do the same. If you use Pay Pal, it's easy. Visit them at edgeoutreach.com and hit the donate button. If you're on Facebook, Bowin Tichenor is the Edge Missionary in the Dominican and Haiti. He has updated pictures on his FB page. Please pray for Haiti. God Bless.

River Valley in New Orleans

2009-10-28T12:27:00.003-04:00

Well, you plan for months, work your plan, then it's over. Or is it?

Our trip to New Orleans is over, and the excitement about missions has just begun in our church. I have heard of at least 2 families who are looking for projects near and far. Some are talking about getting back down to N.O., some Appalachia.

During our time there, we passed out 6000 fliers for Hope Christian Church, cleared overgrown lots, and worked mainly at a house whose owner, Kevin, has been trying to finish for about 3 years, one sheet of drywall at a time...all by himself. Bruce and Monty ran into him several times at Home Depot and offered him help, which he kept refusing, and finally gave in. Well, he had about 25 people at his house last week taping, mudding and sanding drywall, and replacing rotted boards on the outside, scraping and painting the exterior. We probably got finished in a week what he would have completed in 4 months. Kevin's neighbor has been deep in prayer that he would get his house completed so that his family could move back in. That is answered prayer. Crossroads will stay with him until the project is completed. (The praying neighbor spent 3 1/2 days in their attic after Katrina with 6 family members, including an 18 month old, waiting to be rescued.) That is another story all together.

I had forgotten the really cool thing about when a mission trip is over. New friends. Our whole team has rallied around the Dale Family and their work in New Orleans. I love sharing friends with friends. We are all so better connected at church after spending 10 days and nights literally eating, sleeping and serving together. To me, that is one of the best parts of serving; how it changes our lives.

The current plan is for River Valley to take a team to The Dominican Republic in July 2010. Those details will be worked out over the next few months, so keep us in prayer. There were so many of our friends, family members and others in our congregation who stepped up with prayer, financially and with baked goods, (thank you Clore's) to get us through. Thank you so much for all you did to make this trip possible.

RVCC joins Crossroads Missions in New Orleans

2009-09-23T09:45:00.004-04:00

A team of 23 (welcome Addy) volunteers from my home church, River Valley Christian Church, will be working with Crossroads Missions in St. Bernard Parish over fall break, October 17-24, 2009. Included on the team are me (Micki) and Brock, our 10 year old son. This will be his first (of hopefully many) mission trips. He will have an amazing 11th birthday on the 22nd while we are there!

We have been spending time as a team preparing spiritually & mentally for what is to come. It has been a great opportunity to get to know everyone before we serve together. Our group is made up of adults and youth, traveling either with their parents, or on their own under our care. Although we will be spending time serving those in need, the blessing will be ours. I will soon post a picture of our team, so please pray for God's will in what we do. I am looking forward to serving alongside Bruce & Deborah Dale and their three kids as they serve as long term missionaries for Crossroads in New Orleans. I had the privilege of working with them in the Dominican Republic in 2006 and generally sharing life with them as brother and sister in Christ. Check out their blog http://www.crossroadsmissions.com/dalefamily/ If anyone wants to bring Kevin dinner during our time away, he would probably appreciate it! Man cannot live on salad alone…or can they?

The 15 Hour Blessing

2009-07-13T17:00:00.004-04:00

“Sometimes people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and somehow, we’re never the same.” This is the sentiment that we had printed on Brock’s birth announcement ten years ago.
It came back to me this past weekend when we had a group of “kids” stay with us from RiverGlen Christian Church in Waukesha, WI. We knew they were only going to be here overnight. Long enough to stretch out their legs after a long days drive, grab a meal, hit the sack so they could continue their journey to West Virginia. The youth from this church serve on mission teams every summer from middle school through high school and here they were, a group of 23, stopping over to rest. We were lucky enough to get six of them. Brandon Stephenson, their youth pastor, Nate, Connor, J.P., Ryan and Vince. What a great bunch of guys. Polite, transparent, honest…competitive. For such a short visit, I witnessed basketball, weight lifting, ping pong, drumming, lacrosse and a push-up contest. Brock, who was a little nervous about having older guys around said, "I know what if feels like to have brothers." Only one of them was tricked into eating cat food, so I guess my cooking wasn’t too bad.
After church, Kevin and I talked about how we felt so compelled to pray for these kids; their journey this week, their families back home and their lives and futures as soldiers in the world’s most important army. We only met them 15 hours earlier, but felt so compelled to pour out prayer all over them. What a blessing to have gotten a chance to know them, if only for a short time. Vince, I have no idea what you will be when you grow up, but I am sure the FBI needs a good profiler, or possibly Michael Vick needs a good agent. Stay in touch guys, okay?

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan

2009-05-12T11:25:00.003-04:00

If you know me very well, then you know that I love the teaching of Francis Chan. Click on the YouTube link for 2 minutes of Francis...This summer, our small group will be studying "Crazy Love" while feasting on Vienna Sausages and Cheese WOW. I am praying that our time together will be fruitful. Where there is truth, there is fruit. I guess we're going to have to add fruit salad to our menu!!! Hmmm, sounds healthy. Have a great May & June! (interested? - http://www.crazylovebook.com)

Hello, is anybody out there? Mission Update!

2009-03-11T14:58:00.003-04:00

Wow, 5 months have gone by and I have not touched my blog. Busy? Very busy! It seems like winter would be a great time to update a blog, but we found ourselves cutting firewood, helping friends cut and stack firewood and basically hunkering down and staying warm. We've been studying "Gripped by the Greatness of God" on Friday nights and "40 Days of Love" on Sunday nights, while tearing through Colossians during Sunday school. Well fed? Very well fed!

Much has transpired since water training in October. DeepWater Faith has provided building materials for a housing project in Guatemala, and are sending site-surveys for water purification with a team from NECC for 3 possible sites. We hope to get that information back in the next month or two. Please pray that needs are uncovered. We have also funded a purifier that is being installed in the Dominican Republic in March. Our new church, River Valley Christian Church is putting together a mission team to help direct the mission efforts in the church. This is a church committed to supporting and sending out long and short term missionaries in and out of the states. Please pray for God's guidance for the team, so we listen to His will for us.

DWF has also seen two missionary families head out into the field full time in 2009. It is so cool to watch them daily through blogs, facebook and twitter and know that they are serving in the name of Jesus with every reading. I pray for them every day and know that all 7 of them are building the Kingdom with their incredible way of loving on people. If I ever wish I were a fly on the wall, Aaron usually posts a video or pictures, so I am able to be. I appreciate their sacrifices and pray that all of their needs are met, as we are all learning to live on less.

If anyone actually reads this blog, I apologize for my absence. I promise to do better. (Ecclesiastes 5:4)

"Water School"

2008-09-15T14:12:00.005-04:00

How do you start a ministry to help the lost and forgotten in third world countries, when you have little or no knowledge of cultures, needs, logistics, etc? Do you throw money at World Vision, Compassion International or Samaritan’s Purse? There are so many large mission outreaches doing what needs to be done, so why start another small, home-grown ministry?

Starting a ministry isn’t about saving humanity; it’s about people helping people in the name of Jesus Christ. Putting names and faces with stories and starting relationships with people whose lives you can empower for change. We are learning to look at each statistic to the right as a person. Each with a story. Every mother, son, daughter, brother or father who has hope for a better future. Some who just hope to be alive tomorrow. By learning how to serve, who to serve and what needs need to be met, we can not only equip ourselves to make a difference, but can teach thousands to do the same. So how do we learn to teach others?

This week Kevin and I began training with Edge Outreach. EDGE is a local mission organization that trains other mission organizations, churches and individuals how to construct mini water treatment plants anywhere in the world with equipment so small it fits in your suitcase! They are the only organization in the world that I know of that has a training program designed specifically to teach others how to repair three of the most frequently used hand pumps in the third world. (Hundreds of thousands of hand pumps sit on top of viable wells in India, Africa and elsewhere that require simple repairs to return clean water back to a community.)

EDGE’s “water school” located at 1500 Arlington Avenue in Louisville is prepared to take in your team of short or long term mission workers and train them to tackle the water crisis in the areas where they serve. Choose a program to fit your needs, so that in one to three days, you can learn how to assess a community’s health needs and solve any water problem you may encounter on the mission field. I hope to take my new education to those who wish to learn, and lead trips with those who wish to help. I pray that if you are not called to missions that you will support those who are. Not everyone can put their lives on hold to go and serve in a “hands-on” capacity, but you can help in many other ways. Support a missionary. Donate a water system or part of one to our next trip. Help a native missionary come to the United States for training conferences. There are opportunities around every corner. WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. God Bless and have a great day! Mj

2008-08-27T22:08:00.005-04:00

Follow a Missionary into the Field

Our friends Aaron and Nichole Marshall will be leaving for South Africa in January 2009. They are joining One Nation, a church planting organization for a 3 1/2 year commitment. Kevin and I met them on our Emmaus Walk in February and March, 2008. I personally know a handful of people who are totally committed to serving God. These two are the real deal. Praise God. We feel blessed that Aaron and Nikki are in our lives. For us to be able to know them, support them, and follow their journey is going to be a very cool experience for us. Aaron is gifted in communications. Through their web sites we will be able to experience their lives as they plant simple house churches all over Africa. Please follow them, pray for them and support them at http://aaronichole.com/

Search me...

2008-05-17T11:38:00.004-04:00

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

A couple of years ago, Steve Idle preached a sermon, suggesting that if you pray this Psalm, God would reveal our weakness to us. Steve said, “If you don’t want to know, don’t pray it!” I took his advice seriously…I didn’t pray it. I thought that if I just stayed on cruise control, reading the bible each day, being a good steward of what was given to us and generally just being a “good Christian” that all was good. For the last six months, Kevin has been saying that he feels uncomfortable being so comfortable. It was something that didn’t make a lot of sense to him but a feeling that he couldn’t shake. During the same period of time, I have been plagued with the notion that I have not been doing as much as I can to build the kingdom. Parables such as "the parable of the talents" and "the rich young ruler" were bringing me to tears. Something has been brewing in us, and we didn't know what. What I didn't know is that for the last several months Kevin had been praying Psalm 139 and asking God to search his heart.

God has been brutally honest with us and has revealed that we have been living our lives for ourselves.We have been using the resources He has given us to further our comfort, not His kingdom. You have to love God for how direct he can be. The question is, what do we do with this information?

I will keep you posted on where this leads, but for now, we know that some changes are necessary if we are to live the second half of our lives “on purpose” for Him. We will continue to lean on Him for all the answers. If anyone reading this has had a similar experience, I would love to hear from you. PLEASE click on comments.

2008-04-03T18:49:00.006-04:00

Okay, if you know me, you know that I'm a huge Christian music fan. Not the sappy sweet stuff, but the harder hitting rock stuff. Try incorporating Christian Music into your small group studies along with videos to keep things interesting.

A couple of months ago, I was sitting at my computer burning some CD's. As I was going through the music, listening to lyrics, I began to jot down lines from a few favorites songs. When I realized what I had done, I had tears running down my face! It was the neatest poem, written by some very talented artists (as well as Psalmists, Gospel and Epistle writers) and compiled by me.

I realized that I had a whole new way to worship. If I feel stale in my prayer life or not sure what to study, I have "Music Night." Here's an example. Try it. It's really fun.

April 3, 2008

I’m stumbling

Take the world up out of me

My every breath belongs to you

So high above me, Yahweh

Take me and pull me through I can’t move without you

Even when the earth crumbles under my feet

Jesus you are my king

I won’t ever let you down

This is the one thing I know

You didn’t die for nothing

Even when the rain comes

I believe in this love

I’m not who I was

The Best Easter Gift...ever

2008-03-20T16:54:00.004-04:00

The best Easter gift I have ever received was given to me about 2000 years ago. Only in the last four years of my life have I begun to thank Him for it. Although I know I will never begin to repay the debt, I will live out this life trying.

I never really got to know our neighbors, Jan and George Karpin. Jan and I would run into each other in the neighborhood walking our dogs, have a quick conversation and move on. George began walking and would go 8-10 miles a day. He lost an absolute ton of weight and became the talk of the neighborhood. They moved to Virginia last year when George took a promotion with the US Postal Service. Not long after they moved, I heard that George was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). They managed to sell their home in VA, packed up, and move back to LaGrange to be closer to family, in a neighborhood that they knew. The week I got that news, our small group began to pray for them. I stood out on my deck one night and looked at the back of their house. I prayed and asked God to intervene. Just come and cover them and heal him. I heard, "I am with them, through you." Great, no pressure there.

Over the last few months, we have brought them some meals, called and checked up on them, walked their dog and built a ramp to their front door. Kevin started weight training with Jan so that she would be stronger when lifting and moving George. Some of the guys went over on Sunday afternoons during football season and just hung out with George. Every week in small group we would add them back onto our prayer list and someone would ask, "Do we know yet if he has given his life to Christ? - Has anyone said anything to him?" We were showing them what Christ’s love looked like, but were not doing a great job of sharing His hope. For Christmas we gave them an audio copy of 3:16 by Max Lucado. Up to this point George had been pretty angry with God. Kevin told him it was okay to be mad. God had big shoulders, He could take it. In February I suggested that if they haven't listened to 3:16 yet, maybe now would be a good time. Last week Jan called and asked if our small group would come over and pray with George. She said he had listened to the CD a couple of times and that he seemed to be a bit more accepting of some things and was a bit less angry. I asked them to come with us to church this weekend for Easter service and they agreed to come on Friday. I am praying that they feel up to it. I want George to be the first person I see in heaven.

Why would God make snow?

2008-03-08T10:31:00.005-05:00

Saturday am: We woke up to 10 inches of snow this morning and it's still falling. Having a blizzard heading in your direction on Friday is a gift. Yesterday Alan (one of our small group members) called in the morning suggesting that since the kids are off school and everyone just hung out inside all day, why don't we all grab whatever we have on the stove and get together for dinner. Great suggestion! There was homemade beef vegi soup, lasagna, a crock pot of pork chops in mushrooms, baskets of bread, a huge salad and a pot of rice. After ten kids and seven adults decimated the food, most went out sledding until midnight. What a wonderful thing to spend time sharing food, fun, laughter and our lives.

This morning at breakfast, Brock and I said grace and thanked God for providing a warm breakfast on such a cold day. Out of nowhere, I said to Brock “I think that God invented snow simply to delight us.” Ohmygosh! There is that word; delight. A couple of days ago I ran into Mike Mack, minister of small groups at NECC who told me that he got stuck on a scripture verse that morning. Not stuck in a sense that he didn't understand it, but he found that he could not leave it. It was Psalm 37:4 which reads, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." It was cool to think about it over the last couple of days, but the true meaning hit home this morning. "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." When Mike and I stood and talked about it, I immediately thought that all the desires of my heart would be tangible, monetary things. This morning I realized that all the desires of my heart were family, friends, sharing a meal, having fun and loving God for all He does for us. Thank you God for making us slow down. Thank you for helping me see clearly what you mean when you speak and thank you for the snow. It is delightful.

This Week's Study - The Passover Seder

2008-03-05T09:39:00.004-05:00

As leaders, Kevin and I feel that the more we dig back to Jesus' Jewish roots and the culture of the 1st Century in general, the deeper the meaning or our studies. Although half of our group loves history, and the other half doesn't, this has been an effective tool to really bring out the meanings of the scripture we're studying. Last week, we went deep into what it meant to be a Rabbi in Israel during the time of Jesus. It was fascinating to discover that Jesus' disciples were the "not good enoughs" and went on to follow their trade instead of continuing their life-long work of attempting to become a Rabbi. A comforting thought for those of us who think we're not good enough to do His work with our hands. This week, we are going to be studying the Passover Seder. We are anxious to learn more about the significance of the 4 cups of wine, and the bread as Jesus fulfilled another prophesy at the last supper. With Easter just 3 weeks away, this should be really cool. Shalom.

The Shack, a new novel by William P. Young

2008-03-04T21:49:00.008-05:00

Ohmygosh! Please read this book. If you have anyone in your life who is going through a difficult time, this book would be a great gift.

(This BLOG is NOT intended to be a book review site, but I have books on my mind this week).

Young's poetic and artistic license in fleshing out the 3 persons of the trinity was remarkable. I find myself thinging of Sarayu several times a day (read the book). Immediately after finishing it, I realized that I will NEVER understand the depth of the love God has for us. I have a better understanding of why bad things happen to good people, and that He will never leave us in times of trouble. Yes, these points and 10,000 more can be found in scripture, I just felt like God's hand was on this author. I can't help but feel closer to Jesus and have a better understanding of the nature of God by reading Christian fiction. (Yes, Marti and Kevin, I always return to scripture to verify details of any writings) If God wanted me to understand Him a little better by reading this little book, mission accomplished. I can't wait for the movie. Tell your friends.

The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross

2008-03-04T21:35:00.005-05:00

I heard an amazing interview with Nabeel Jabbour the author of The Crescent Through the Eyes of the Cross. He helped me see what I look like to a Muslim living in America.

“A war is raging for the minds and souls of Muslims today,” writes Nabeel Jabbour. “The eternal welfare of 1.4 billion people is at stake. They are being pulled in two directions—fanaticism on the one hand and moderation and open-mindedness on the other. How we deal with this window of opportunity will determine our relations with Muslims for generations to come.” At the same time, the Christian church must realize Jesus died for Muslims. In this book, Dr. Jabbour aims to help Western Christians go beyond mere tolerance to a passion for Muslims. He explains how that can be done in ways that are sensitive to Islamic culture, and he presents suggestions on how to build vital relationships with Muslims.From the Preface:Although I am a Christian writing to Christians, the focal pointof this book is the fictional story line about an Egyptian Muslim, an international student in the United States with the name Ahmad. I know Ahmad well because I have met him in hundreds of Muslims over the past five decades.