Book # 4: Crazy Love.First Impressions

Book #4: Crazy Love
Author: Francis Chan
Acquired: My friend Brenda, who is working at PACA, a Christian School in Brazil sent it to me :) 'brigada, Brenda!

I have read about 100 pages of Crazy Love. Here are some first impressions.

Like: Francis Chan is calling the church to a deeper walk with Christ.

Don't like: The way he does this. The book, instead of inspiring me to a grace walk with Christ, has left me feeling guilty and fearful and insecure in my relationship with the Lord (vs. another book I read recently about Adoption in Christ that moves me to deeper relationship with Christ and to action because of the way grace is presented)

. This morning I spent a few minutes talking with my friend Jessica Dean about the way the book uses guilt (different from conviction), rather than grace, to motivate its readers, and she suggested look at some reviews of the book to see if anyone else was saying something similar.

Sometimes I have a hard time putting into words what I am thinking , but here is what some others have said and they seem to capture what I want to say (these are from Amazon.com book reviews):

1. "My favorite explanation of the... concept of "Law and Gospel" is "Disturbing the Comfortable and Comforting the Disturbed"... Francis succeeds in disturbing the comfortable, but not in comforting the disturbed and giving the empowerment to do that which God has set before us. To me, that means that the job is only half-done."

2. "While I am sure that many "older" Christians might be able take this book as a genuine challenge to live their faith more boldly, I find very little in the way of encouragement in this book. I think that this book is downright dangerous to newer Christians. I at least thought I had been growing in my faith over the last several months, but this book put a nice big question mark over all of that. Frankly, by the time I was finished reading this book, I didn't feel in any way inspired to be a better Christian... I felt like I had been torn into little pieces, I felt destroyed."

3. "Well I was expecting this book to be all about God's love for us, But I found the book to be more about my love for God."

4. "Yet, noticeably lacking from this treatment of Christianity is Jesus - at least Jesus presented as a Redeemer and Savior. Little time is spent on the "crazy love" that God has shown us in the cross, and that....well....it's just crazy."

Note: I am not finished reading the book. I know there are also some really good things about this book (I will post those later). But, until then, does anyone else have thoughts on the book?

PS: This is not meant to be a place of argument, I am just looking for other feedback because of the above mentioned thoughts.

Interbook reflections: Aimee

I am sitting in my kitchen looking out the window over the sink. From here I can see some very beautiful and highly anticipated snow falling outside. I am eating some left over guac from my favorite restaurant (Moe's), brought to me by my friend Josh. Beside me are two Francis Chan books sent to me from my friend Brenda in Brazil. My heart is full. I am content in this moment, not because everything is easy, but because God is so good.

This past week or so has been some of the hardest, saddest moments I have experienced. It is not what anyone of us would have planned. My sweet friend and roommate, Aimee Powell, was killed in a car wreck last Thursday on her way to work. All of us who knew her count ourselves blessed to have known someone who loved God so genuinely and who taught us all how to love more fully and deeply and selflessly. I wish I could capture with words more of who she was; she was radiant, joyful, sweet, compassionate. She was refreshing in so many ways.

In the midst of this sad, hard time, God has shown Himself faithful. Surrounding and comforting His people. Speaking to all of us with the hope of the Resurrection though Christ. This is not it. There is more. He has given us His Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. As Pastor Malloy said at Aimee's funeral, we have a deposit, but she has it all! Oh, my heart wells up! The joy she must know now as she hears the words, "Welcome home! Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come and enter into your Master's joy!"

No, it is not easy, but He is good!

One of the books that Brenda sent me is called Crazy Love. The back says, "It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe- the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor- love us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love."

His self-sacrificing love defeated death! He died, so that we would not have to. And even though death may take us from this earth, it is just a door by which become more fully alive, in the Presence of our Savior forever!

We will miss you, Aimee! See you soon!

Book # 3: The Peace Maker

Since deciding to read 42 books in 365 days, somehow 2 more books have been added to my library. I think that the only way to read all these books will be to read some simultaneously (<--totally just misspelled that word and had to use the auto corrector).

Book # 3 is The Peace Maker by Ken Sande. We are doing this as a Bible Study in my Life Group. The cover of the book says: "Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict." Anyone with personal conflict out there? As I have found myself avoiding conflict and then handling it incorrectly when it does happen, even despite my best efforts to side step it, I am hoping that God show me how to handle conflict in a way that honors Him!

Book # 2: Definitions

So....here they are! Did you get them right?

1. moeity: an indefinite portion, part, or share.

2. barouche: a four-wheeled carriage with a high front seat outside for the driver, facing seats inside for two couples, and a calash top over the back seat.

3. pique: to affect with sharp irritation and resentment

4. chagrin: to vex by disappointment or humiliation

5. demesne: land belonging to and adjoining a manor house; estate.

6. cavil: o raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily

7. insipid: without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid

8. raillery: good-humored ridicule; banter.

9. curricle: a light, two-wheeled, open carriage drawn by two horses abreast.

10. nabob: any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.

11. mohr: A West African gazelle

12. palanquin: A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia.

How did you do?

Book # 2: Say what?

I am only on page 75 of S&S and I already have a huge list of words that I need to look up. Some of them I have a general idea of what they mean (Thanks to my high school English teachers who taught be about context clues). I have heard some of them before...but I am not sure of the exact definition. See if you can match them up!

My favorite one was moiety. I have a feeling this has nothing to do with my favorite burrito place.

Here they are. Do you know these words?
1. moeity
2. barouche
3. piqued
4. chagrined
5. demesne
6. cavil
7. insipid
8. raillery
9. curricle
10. nabob
11. mohr
12. palanquin

Match the definition to the word. Answers to follow tomorrow :)
a. A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia.

b. land belonging to and adjoining a manor house; estate.

c. without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities; vapid

d. any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person.

e. an indefinite portion, part, or share.

f. to vex by disappointment or humiliation

g. A West African gazelle

h. a four-wheeled carriage with a high front seat outside for the driver, facing seats inside for two couples, and a calash top over the back seat.

i. a light, two-wheeled, open carriage drawn by two horses abreast.

j. to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily

k. to affect with sharp irritation and resentment

l. good-humored ridicule; banter.

ALL DEFINITIONS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

Book # 2 Sense and Sensibility

On Monday evening my friend Elizabeth and I watched Sense and Sensibility. It was a very enjoyable experience because my friend, who is some what of a Jane Austen enthusiast, gave some very interesting commentary on the social blunders of various characters. I think she should write a book on Social Etiquette according to Jane Austen. I would be the first in line to purchase this book. It seems that I have an affinity for social faux pas...two within the past two hours, in fact!

1) I arrived late to a birthday dinner. This is completely different than a party. Dinners are meant to start on time. Five minutes, ok....twenty minutes late, BAD!

2) I brought a gift, even though the invitation clearly said, "NO GIFTS." (I didn't actually read it that closely).

Dear Jane Austen, please give me some insight into the mystery of proper social decorum!

Book #1 The End

Just finished book #1! Five out of five stars. If you, like me, sometimes act like an orphan, forgetting who your Heavenly Father is, this book is for you!

"He said very quietly, 'Rose Marie, you act like an orphan. you often live as though the Holy Spirit never came, could never help you live in impossible places, and do impossible things. You act as though there were no Father who loves you.'" -p137 From Fear to Freedom

"Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:14-17

Rose Marie (the author) helps teach the Sonship course offered through World Harvest Mission. You can check out their materials here: http://www.whm.org/sonship

Book #1 Day 3

Favorite Quote: "The deepest wisdom comes to those who admit they don't have it." p92 From Fear to Freedom

James 1: 5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Book #1 Day 2

I make everything too complicated....I was thinking I needed to sit down and make some elaborate reading plan to get all these books read. Then, my roommate informed me that if I read one book a week, it leaves me 10 weeks of wiggle room. I don't know why I didn't think about it that way....Way to go, Aimes!

Favorite quotes from today:

"Think of the human state as one of stubborn blindness. We will rely on everything but God. He in turn will prepare us for grace by closing our favorite escape exits until there is only one way left." -From Fear to Freedom, p53

The thirst became so bad that she almost felt she would not mind being eaten by the Lion if only she could be sure of getting a mouthful of water first.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion. It was the worst thing she ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scopping up the water in her hand. It was the coolest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted.
- C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair (quoted in From Freedom to Fear)


Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10

Book #1 From Fear to Freedom

Book # 1: From Fear to Freedom: Living as Sons and Daughters of God
Author: Rose Marie Miller
Acquired from a friend over 3 years ago. Greg Conover, let me know if you want your book back!
Current Page: 27

Favorite quote so far: "I did not realize that the confidence I had always had about life was not faith, as I had assumed, but a reliance on my own competency, be it real or imagined... Presumptive self-confidence may look like faith, but it has a very different spiritual root."

42 Books in 365 Days

Last night Aimee and I watched Julie and Julia. I was inspired by Julie's challenge to cook all 564 of Julia Child's recipes in one year while at the same time writing a blog about her experiences.

Today I was dusting my bookcase and realized that I have so many books in my "library" that I have not even read! Some of them I bought, others were given to me, and some of them...mmmmm...I actually have no idea where they came from! If you happen to see a book belonging to you come up on this blog, feel free to email me your address, and I will mail it back to you as soon as I finish (sorry!).

This is the goal, then: Read the 42 books in my library that I have not yet read (this excludes textbooks, Bible concordances/helps, foreign language dictionaries, and other books that would be considered reference books)......so here goes! Happy Reading!

Danger: Earbuds

Thursday in class my students shared something fun/interesting/crazy that they did over Christmas break. This is my favorite, shared with his permission :)

One young man, whom we will call "Tito," was listening to his iPod. When he removed his earbuds, the squishy part stayed inside his ear. He could not get it out! His solutions, in order:
1. Tried to pull it out with tweezers (did not work).
2. Went to bed because it was late and he would figure it out in the morning.
3. Dad used a VACUUM cleaner to try to suck it out (did not work).
4. Finally went the hospital to have it removed (did work).

Ryan Hall + World Vision

Testify

I am sitting in St. Mark's Lutheran in Mooresville waiting for the Testify Youth Choir to begin their final performance for this Christmas season. They are an incredible group of over 120 teens representing 30+ churches who share about Christ through music.

If you are interested in joining for the spring season contact Susan O'Keefe at testify4God@gmail.com

Congrats Allie, Hannah, Lauren, Charity, and Jackson!!!

Saudades

I was just talking to my friend Brenda in Brazil. And we ended the conversation with the Portuguese word "saudade"....she said that she likes that word because it means so much more than the English phrase "I miss you."....So, I typed it into google, and this is what I got http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade

JoBurg

My home church Grace Covenant has a missions team in South Africa right now. Read about their work here.

Long Journey

Long Journey
Song By Sarah Jarosz
Listen HERE

I have just begun
a long journey that will run
the length and width of summertime
and the cool fall air will guide me home
yeah the cool fall air will blow me home

You'll be miles away
I want to go but I want to stay
the music's begging me to go
but your love can guide me home
yeah your love can guide me home

Starry nights and summer sun
I think you just might be the one
this mountain pass keeps winding on
and I wonder if your love can guide me home
oh yeah I wonder if your love can guide me home

I have just begun a long journey
that will run the length
and width of summertime
and the cool fall air
will blow me home

Yeah your love can guide me home
oh yeah I wonder if your love
can guide me home

CCB

In a moment of temporary, or perhaps just dormant, insanity, I decided to audition for the Charlotte Concert Band a few weekends ago. They let me in ;) SO....if you need a distraction from what you normally do on Saturday nights, or you wouldn't mind hearing some not quite professional, better than high school band music, come on out!!

http://www.charlotteconcertband.org/

Upcoming concerts:
"Anniversaries"
Saturday, October 3, 2009
8:00 p.m. w Dana Auditorium @ Queens University

George Frederick Handel (1685-1759)

Selections from "Suite from Water Music"

Broadway 1959

My Fair Lady

West Side Story

Gypsy

The Sound Of Music

The Music Man

Great Movies of 1939

Gone With The Wind

The Wizard Of Oz

Cole Porter (1934)

Love For Sale

Begin The Beguine

Anything Goes

Leroy Anderson (1949)

The Wearing Of The Green

and more!

"Winds of War . . . and Peace"
Saturday, December 5, 2009
8:00 p.m. w Dana Auditorium @ Queens University
Barber: Commando March

Grundman: Concord

Bilik: American Civil War Fantasy

Sousa: The Gallant 7th

Bukvich: Symphony No. 1, "In Memoriam Dresden, 1945"

Brahms: "Blessed Are They," from A German Requiem

plus Dona Nobis Pacem, Gesu Bambino and other

Christmas favorites.

I asked the Lord...

I asked the Lord that I might grow,
In faith and love and every grace.
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He I trust has answered prayer.
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request.
And by his love’s constraining power,
Subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this He made me feel,
The hidden evils of my heart.
And let the angry powers of Hell,
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe.
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Cast out my feelings, laid me low.

“Lord, why is this?” I trembling cried!
“Wilt Thou pursue thy worm to death?”
“Tis in this way,” The Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward trials I employ,
From self and pride to set thee free!
And break Thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may find thy all in me.
That thou may find thy all in me.

Words by John Newton/Laura Taylor

Peru Slideshow 2009

XC Blog

Check out our SLCA Cross Country blog!

Transition Time

One big change deserves another, I guess.

So many changes: Move to a new house/city. New roomies. Worship leader moved to ATL, church is still great, but just different. New school year. So many close friends moving away....Brenda to Brazil, Melissa to Bahrain, Christy to the Middle East, Rhonda to Texas....other friends are MIA because now they are dating someone.....

Wonder what is next......Trish to Mex? Trish to Spain? Or perhaps it is just Trish in Charlotte/Huntersville....or, how 'bout, Trish sit still.....or.......

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Once upon a time there was a guy named Josh...

Facebook status to start the story :"Joshua David Stockment will never again do trish jackson a favor. At least the back of the police car was air conditioned."

And this is his story in his own voice:

Ok -So Trish asked me to feed her dog/let it out this evening because she had to stay late at the school. When I showed up her roommate's car was in the driveway. So I thought: Maybe her roommate is home and I don't have to do anything. So I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I called Trish to see what to do but she didn't pick up. After doorbell/knocking again and no answer I walked around to the side and unlocked the door. But when I opened it there was no audible alarm noise so I thought: Sounds like her roommate IS home. Obviously I didn't want to be unlocking the house and walking in on her, so I quickly locked the door. I called Trish and didn't get an answer, called C-Robb to see if she knew anything about the situation. As I was hanging up the police showed up. The alarm got set off, but it didn't make any warning noise when I opened the door and it didn't make any noise when the actual alarm went off.

When the police showed up I was walking in the side yard looking for a phone signal because Sprint sucks and I have to chase half a bar around. He frisked and cuffed me and put me in the back of his car. After walking around the house and deciding that things appeared to be normal he came back and questioned me. I told him what happened and that I had no indication that the alarm went off [and that I had a key and the alarm code]. He said that I was too articulate and thorough in explaining the situation. So he asked me to describe the inside of the house, took the handcuffs off me and had me open the house and prove that I was supposed to be there. Once convinced that everything was alright he left.

I took the dog for a short walk and fed it. 30 minutes after I got home and about an hour after the ordeal with the police Trish called and said that the Alarm company just called and said the alarm was going off at that moment. So I raced back to the house to make sure that I set it properly when I left; I had and everything was fine. And that was my excitement for the day.

Monterrey Mex, 2009

Here are some highlights from Uptown's mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico. Thank you to everyone who prayed and supported us financially! The trip went really well- we got to know and serve so many sweet Mexican families and their children. The main purpose of our trip was to be a connection between the local church and the community and to promote the VBS that was happening in the upcoming week. It was a good week :)

We did four nights of basketball camp in the community. The first night was very interesting....it didn't go quite according to our plan, but it DEFINITELY went according to God's plan! What looked like a bunch of intimidating young men who didn't looked interested in doing anything with us turned into a crowd of over 50 kids and teens playing and throwing balls around (football, futbol, basketball, volleyball) and just enjoying being outside.

An amusing translation..

Here is a picture of our team: 3 teachers + 2 seminary students + 1 High School student = great teamwork!
One afternoon we had some time to go visit the Grutas de Garcia-
The caverns were filled with stalactites and stalagmites and were a cool relief from the 100+ temperatures.

On the first day we went with Eraclio Conde, the pastor of Iglesia Bethel, and Carol Oban, Short term teams coordinator for MTW, to visit a lookout that had an incredible view of the city.

On the last day of English class we made animal masks :)

The "federales" or Federal Police were staying at our hotel. A month before we arrived there had been a standoff between the federal police and the local police in MTY after 80+ local officers had been fired because of corruption.

Brian and the "three amigos +1"....the three on the right were quite a handful, but a lot of fun :)

This is a view of Monterrey's most famous landmark, the Cerro de la Silla, or Saddle Back Mountain. The picture was taken from the Paseo Santa Lucia, a river walk located near downtown.

Thanks again for praying and for supporting us! Please continue to pray for:
1. MTW/National Presbyterian Church in Mexico: they have a vision to plant 52 churches in the largest cities in Northern Mexico. Their goal is big, but God is bigger and there is such a need for churches that teach and preach the word of God with care and conviction. The harvest is great but the workers are few- pray for godly men to be called to plant these churches.

2. Pastor Eraclio and His Family at Iglesia Bethel: They work in a community that is lower income and have also sought to reach out to an indigenous group called the Tepehuanes people.

3. The Theological Institute: this a place for men and women to be trained in how to study and teach the bible. Please pray for them and the institute.

4. VBS this week at Iglesia Bethel.

Not enough words to describe....

Here are some pictures from this year's teacher trip to Peru! We had an incredible time and saw God's faithfulness throughout our entire trip as we traveled, shared the Gospel in two orphanages and several public schools, and spent time with and were mutually encouraged by Scripture Union's school workers and volunteers.

This year's team included: Susan Smith, Jose and Iva Bas, Elizabeth Smit, Christy Seifert, Aimee Powell, and Trish Jackson (me!).

The pictures are not in order, and there is no way to capture all that we saw and all that God did, but we hope that they encourage you to continue to pray for the work that God is doing in the hearts of children in Peru.

This is Alan, the school's worker in Chincha, Peru. He is opening a gift from SLCA that included a bookbag filled with goodies and a picture of the class that prays for him. We got to eat lunch with each of the Lima area workers and their volunteers.

Jose talks with some children during our first school's presentation. Over the course of the week we visited several schools and were able to share the Gospel with the children that we met.

These boys are pretty excited after doing
the "Baile del Pollito"....aka The Chicken Dance!

In between schools and eating, crazy things sometimes happen :)

A typical peruvian meal: chicken, rice, and potatoes.
We were NOT sad to get home to our own food.

Happy to find a little taste of home!

Riding dune buggies in Ica, Peru, just south of Lima.

Here we are sharing our favorite song "Soy Honesto" (I am honest) with the children at the INABIF in Lima. INABIF is a state run orphanage that SU is involved with.

Jose is teaching about Bloom's taxonomy. He did an incredible job of explaining and giving examples of how to get students to use their higher order thinking skills!!!

These children participated in one of our
workshops called "How to tell stories creatively"

Trish teaching!

yay! candy!

Christy, Aimee, and Susan did a skit about honesty in our school's presentation.

On Sunday we got to join the Lima workers for church at Camino de Vida.

One night we went to a show called Las Brisas de Titicaca
We saw many typical dances of Peru and got to do some of our own at the end!

After presenting at this particular school, the "Directora" and her teachers invited us to a snack and we enjoyed a good time of fellowship and sharing. They were very encouraged by the presentation and hopeful to gain more ideas from the weekend's training session.

We got to spend our very last day in Peru at Kawai,
our favorite boy's home, located south of Lima. We worshipped with the boys, Elizabeth and Iva shared the gospel with the boys, and Jose encouraged the older boys to "sigue adelante"- keep moving forward- and to put their eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Iva and some of the boys at Kawai

Not so they know us, but that they might know HIM!

Pray for Peru:
- For the workers and volunteers who share the a values curriculum in the public schools
- for the summer camps where these same children hear the Gospel
- for the street boys who live in the 5 SU homes
- for the very difficult task that the house parents have of raising these boys

Our theme for the week:
¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-2

Peru, again :)

Hello all!!

We made it safely to Peru! I have decided that these next 10 days will be a great opportunity to take a break from the internet, so I am writing to ask for prayer for the rest of our trip....Apart from Him, we can do nothing (Jn. 15:5)....we really covet your prayers.....that our time here would be fruitful and that God´s kingdom would come and His will be done in Lima, Peru! Also that we would be an encouragement to the volunteers who give their time to teach Bible in the schools here.

Our two main goals: Share the Gospel, help equip volunteers to teach the Bible effectively in the public schools.

June 13- Gospel presentation at INABIF Lima (a state run orphanage)
June 14- Church in the AM, and then lunch with UB (union biblica) workers
June 15- AM/PM Gospel presentations in two local schools, lunch and dinner with UB volunteers
June 16- AM/PM Gospel presentations in two local schools, lunch and dinner with UB volunteers
June 17- Professional development workshop for INABIF workers
June 18- AM/PM Two teacher workshops for UB schools volunteers
June 19- Bus to Chincha, Gospel presenation at INABIF Chincha, Bus to Ica
June 20 (my birthday!) - Training with UB volunteers in Ica
June 21- Lead Chapel service at UB boys home in Kawai, return to Lima
June 22- return home

Beauty in the Desert

At the beginning of our trip to Peru we journeyed south to Ica, a town located in the desert. It is a very dry place with areas of extreme poverty. A little over year and a half ago, an earthquake struck the area creating even more problems...people without homes, children without parents....

We passed out water in an neighborhood that only receives a water truck once a week. Not everyone gets their share of water. One woman said that she had not had water in almost a month. She had two children and her husband was sick.

Many of the people came up to the truck with any kind of bucket they could find.

The water truck told the truth: El agua es vida.....water is life. But, perhaps Jesus says it even better: Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14

"Water s life"

Any bucket they could find

Students helped carry the water back to the people's houses.

Something else stood out in this community: even though there was extreme poverty, the people still took the time to plant flowers and enjoy their beauty.

I love this quote from Hinds Feet on High Places.

On the last morning she was walking near the tents and huts of the desert dwellers, when in a lonely corner behind a wall she came upon a little golden-yellow flower, growing all alone. An old pipe was one tiny hole through which came an occasional drop of water. Where the drops fell one by one, there grew the little golden flower, though where the seed had come from, Much-Afraid could not imagine, for there were no birds anywhere and no other growing things [in this great desert].

She stopped over the lonely, lovely little golden face, lifted up so hopefully and so bravely to the feeble drip, and cried out softly, “What is your name, little flower, for I never saw one like you before.”

The tiny plant answered at once in a tone as golden as itself, “Behold me! My name is Acceptance-with-Joy.”

Much-Afraid thought of the things which she had seen in the pyramid: the threshing floor and the whirring wheel and the fiery furnace. Somehow the answer of the little golden flower which grew all alone in the waste of the desert stole into her heart and echoed there faintly but sweetly, filling her with comfort. She said to herself, “He has brought me here when I did not want to come for his own purpose. I, too, will look up into his face and say, ‘Behold me! I am thy little handmaiden Acceptance-with-Joy.’”

A home in the desert.

Yet, there is still beauty.....a promise of things to come and the hope and longing for something better, things as they should be, a world lost, but soon to come again

Isaiah 35: 1-2, 4-7, 10

The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus,

² it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.

⁷ The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

¹⁰ and the ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Peru 2009

SouthLake is taking its 6th group of Seniors to Peru! Please pray for our 25 students and 6 chaperones, that God would be at work in us and through us to bring the good news to Peru! For more info about our trip and past trips go to http://slcamissions.blogspot.com/

Plumbing 101

My toilet was leaking. A friend suggested that maybe it would be possible to fix it on my own. So I went to Lowe's and got the part....only $2.87. Only, we couldn't get the old part off the put on the new one (the screw was corroded....see below for our creative attempt at uncorroding). So now I may have to pay a plumber to fix it. Sad!

Toilet fixing tools: screw driver (check!),
wrench (check!), flashlight (check!)....cotton balls?
Coca-Cola? Paint scraper?

Plumber Josh, sporting his www.ilikeandy.com shirt.
I don't know that Mr. Osenga would appreciate this type of publicity!
Or would that be "plumbicity"?

Moral of the story, if you can't fix a toilet, at least come up with creative ways to TRY to fix it so you can make a mess, take pictures, and have a funny story later!

PS: you may perhaps want to bring a nose plug!

the grass is greener, the food sweeter

My cat taught me a (another) little object lesson yesterday. He was hungry, prancing around my feet, "mrow"....so I filled up his bowl. He ate one bite and then went into the kitchen and starting trying to open one of the cabinets. "Weird!" Somehow he managed to get the door open. I went over to extract him from the cabinet, and I found the extra bag of cat food torn open and almost gone. The exact same kind of food that was in his bowl...

The question(s): Why do we always want the thing now that is intended for later? Hasn't God already given me exactly what I need today? Is it not enough? Why am I not content? Why do I always think that what I don't have is better than what I do have?

My cat made me think of Israel wandering in the desert. When they didn't have food, they grumbled to God, "Are you going to let us die here?" God provided manna. Later on, they grumbled again "But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"

"It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at the moment, we expected some other good." C.S. Lewis

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.-- Psalm 16:5-6

He is enough!

Snow Peas

Last Tuesday I planted
some little seeds in some peat pots.

Today the first snow peas peaked through!

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

Housewarming

My mom gave me the best housewarming gift!
A shovel and a gift card to Lowe's to pick out a tree.

This is me trying to get the tree home. :)

A dad who was walking by told his son:
"look there is a tree growing out of her car!"
( Yoshino Cherry)

Mia in the shade of the new tree :)

Are you serious??

One of my students brought this into class today!
Yes, it is a poptart!

Los Santos Vienen Ya!