PRIVACY ...

Some things are meant to be kept private.  Like my Social Security number ... and my weight. Admittedly, as a mother of three, very little of my life is lived out in anything even remotely resembling privacy.  I am watched ... and followed ... and questioned ... mostly by people who are shorter than me.  And I'm okay with that since most things in life aren't meant to be kept secret.  Like faith in Jesus Christ.  I wonder how He would fit into a culture which not only encourages but quite often demands that we keep our beliefs to ourselves.  Faith is a private matter between me and my god ... or so I am told.  Somehow, I don't see Jesus teaching that. Scripture teaches that real faith must be lived out in public.  However, a public faith is not a pushy faith, demanding belief.  It is not a prosperity-driven faith that tells people Jesus will waive a magic wand and make all their problems disappear.  It is not a proud, "Oh, don't you want to be just like me?" faith.  It is more of  a pointing faith ... not pointing at people who don't believe, but pointing people to Christ.  Don't worry ... those who are on the receiving end of such faith (via love and compassion)  won't mind that you let the cat out of the bag.

Christianity To Go ...

As a boy my husband lived right around the corner from the original In-N-Out in Baldwin Park, California. In-N-Out started in 1948 in one small building from which hamburgers, french fries, and shakes were sold. That's been the menu for six decades. Customers would drive in, get their food, and drive out, hence the name. (Many other such restaurants would follow, including McDonald’s in 1954.) As In-N-Out was originally designed, there was not even a dining room! Sixty years and hundreds of red and white palm-lined buildings later, not much has changed.  Although there are now dining rooms where you can bring your friends, most people still just drive in and out. 

What if the church followed a similar philosophy? Christianity “to go”.  What if we started getting in the Word so we could live it out?  What if we invited friends in to dine with us?  What if we brought lost people into a Gathering and sent disciples out?  What if having fewer items on our menu allowed us to do the best things really well? And what if those serving were well-trained and enthusiastic?  What a blessing we would be to those who are spiritually hungry!

Would you like fries with that?

Can you hear me now?

As you might imagine, because of its location, El Paso has a very large Hispanic community.  The influence of the Hispanic culture is everywhere. And the Spanish language is spoken everywhere.  So, when the saleslady at the jewelry counter of my favorite Target asks if I need any help, I respond, "No, gracias. Estoy solemente mirando."  She smiles.  She seems to appreciate the fact that I am learning her language, even if I am "only looking" at the jewelry.

My question is:  How well do we, as the church, speak the language of the lost?  The language of everyday life, of shared experiences, of genuine concern that translates the love of Christ into words that will be heard and understood.  When we share our faith with non-believers, are we so caught up in sounding spiritual - in using some kind of "Christianese" - that we're oblivious to the fact that no one understands it?  Or are we simply trying to communicate that God loves people ... that we love people ... even if they're only looking?   

Sound Effects...

Russ' sister, Noelle, her husband, Gary, and their three teenagers are driving from California to North Carolina.  Since El Paso is along their route, they were able to spend the night with us last night.  You know that teenagers are NOT early risers, right?  And two of them are sleeping on an air mattress in our living room.  My kids are up at the crack of dawn, and we're trying to be very quiet as we get ready for school.  As we're eating breakfast, I am practically whispering our morning Bible story to the kids who are straining to hear above the crunching of the cereal.   Today we read about Peter being imprisoned ... you may know the story.  While Peter is sleeping, an angel comes to rescue him.   At just the perfect time in the story, Jeff starts snoring in the living room ... and we all just crack up laughing!  Don't worry, we didn't wake him up.  

Surprises ...

Don't you just love surprises?  Sam does!  So, when the  "Ratatouille" DVD he wanted but hadn't asked us to give him for his birthday fell out of the Wal-Mart bag today, he was crushed.  The surprise was ruined.  I'm thinking a day at Disneyland will make him feel better ... that is his REAL birthday surprise. 

The Bread of Life...

I read a verse today that really struck me.  

Matthew 15.32 records, "And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." (NASB)

Jesus was concerned about both the physical and the spiritual needs of the crowd.  Because of his compassion, He was willing to meet both.  He knew some would consume only the physical bread and walk away as spiritually empty as they had come.  He still fed them.  He still loved them.  

What about me?  Will I, with love, serve those around me?  Will I offer Jesus (the Bread of Life) to the crowd?  Or will I pass them by in hopes of sharing my faith with someone who will respond in a way I deem positive?

The Path of Life...

There is a wall of pictures in our living room.  In the center is a beautiful print given to us by some very special friends in Northern Virginia.   The verse underneath the picture is Psalm 25:4-5, which says, "Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow."  We treasure this gift because it reminds us of where we have been as it points toward our future.    

 

While we haven't exactly lived up to Johnny Cash's classic "I've Been Everywhere",  this Army family has been a few places. And we've   collected artwork by local artists (some of whom we know personally) along the way.  So, when Russ saw all our pictures spread out on the floor beneath a huge empty white wall in our latest rental house, he had a great idea.  For the first time, we would group all these pictures together, resulting in a chronological display of the path our life has taken over the past decade and a half.   In delicate watercolor, bold charcoal and detailed pencil renderings we see the evidence of God's work in the progression of our lives.  From the church where we were married, to the legendary 101st Airborne/Air Assault, through all our assignments in Georgia, to our beloved Washington, DC.  This is the path God has divinely orchestrated for our family.  Each assignment, each church, every stage of life we've enjoyed has led us to where we are now.  A General Officer once told a young Captain that each job in his 20+ years in the Army had prepared him for the next. I believe we are seeing that God is doing just that in our lives.  Throughout our marriage, He has been preparing us for a future we could not have imagined!  He has been and is training us, equipping us, teaching us how to join Him in the work He is doing. And we are doing our best to cooperate.  

Ken's Surgery

We want to thank everyone who prayed for Ken today - his surgery went well. :-)

Good news - Ken only had to have valve replacement. Initially, the doctor said he would also need bypass surgery. He is in a lot of pain and will remain in ICU for the next few days. He did speak briefly to Russ this afternoon, but it was as difficult as you might imagine.

Please continue to pray for a full recovery. We can't tell you how much you all mean to us!

Seek Ye First ...

In Matthew, Jesus tells us, "...But more than anything else, put God's work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well."

Peter was a fisherman. That wasn't his hobby, mind you; it was his vocation. It was how he provided for his family, including a wife and possibly a mother-in-law. So, when he had been working hard all night without so much as a nibble, there would have been consequences. Jesus understood this. He knew Peter was the breadwinner. But Jesus asked him to leave those nets, and Peter obeyed. The rest, as they say, is His Story, albeit still unfolding.

Peter's obedience to follow Jesus yielded not only the eternal rewards of salvation to the masses and establishment of the church but food for the day.

Hugabelle

Today Annabelle told me about a girl in second grade who wipes her nose with her hand then wipes her hand on her shirt.  "I still like her," Anna continued, "I just don't hug her anymore."

Don't leave hungry ...

Today the kids and I watched "The Gospel of John" on dvd.  It is a favorite of mine, even though I don't really think Jesus spoke with an English accent in the King James vernacular.  Anyone with kids will relate to the fact that I had to pause the move about  20 times to answer various questions, i.e. "How did the crowd know Jesus had not gotten in the boat with his disciples?",  "Why did they only bring the adulterous woman to Jesus & not the man?", "Why did Jesus act so mad at the temple & kick over all those tables?"  The best question:  "What in the world does it mean that we must eat of his flesh... what are we, cannibals?!"  

The next thing you know, pizza popped into my head.  (God is so good to reveal Himself in all kinds of ways, using all kinds of examples from everyday life.)  I found myself thinking ... and explaining to the kids ... in terms they could understand. It went something like this -

"Remember the other day when you guys really wanted pizza for dinner?  You had no way of getting a pizza - no car to drive to Pizza Hut & no money to buy one if you could get there.  So I called in the order & told you it would be ready soon.  Next, I drove there & paid for it.  I brought it home to you. I opened box so you could see & smell it.  I offered you each a piece - even put it on plates right in front of you!  All you had to do was eat it!  (And say thank you, of course!)"  I explained that "eating Jesus" was little like them eating that pizza.  God decided to "order" our salvation, and He sent Jesus to pay for it & bring it to us.  He told the Jewish people who Jesus was and what He'd bring them long before it happened.  Even so, they didn't understand; they didn't recognize Jesus or what He offered them!  So, they went away hungry.  Thankfully, the box is still open to those of us who will take a piece.

 

God and Kettle Bells

A good friend of mine is a personal trainer.  She is in phenomenal shape!  How did she get that way?  She WORKS at it ... consistently.  A little over a year go, she introduced me to the kettle bell.  Mine is a 20-pound weight in the shape of a ball with a handle.  And it produces results ... when I use it!  Christy was kind enough to show me WHERE to order it.  She even came to my house and gave me a one-on-one on HOW to use it properly.  She was encouraging and patient with me as I tried to make my 40 year old body do things it had NEVER done before!  It was painful for me but I grew stronger with each workout.  

The problem is that I haven't been as consistent as I need to be to see the results I would like to see.  So ... I've dusted it off, put it out in plain sight, and determined to use it three times a week.  I integrated it into everyday life.  I've put a plan in place to help me, I'm growing stronger, and I'm actually enjoying it!  

Spiritual implications abound.  In order to grow spiritually, I need to actually use the resources God's given ... His Word, prayer, study.  I need to make a plan for how I spend my time ... and stick to it even if I don't see results right away.  I need consistency over time to grow strong.  And I needed someone who already knew these things to help me get started.  If Christy had not come alongside me, shown me what she knew, spent time helping me, I'd still be sitting on the sofa just watching TV every night.

I wonder ...

1 Thessalonians 5.8  "...let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."

Recently, a friend of a friend was involved in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, like many other Texan motorcyclists, he was not wearing a helmet.  And, sadly, his injuries were substantially more significant because of his choice even though he was not in any way at fault in the incident.  Following three extensive brain surgeries over the past week, his prognosis is improving.  Because we know our Saviour Christ and are witnessing His great power,  we are all hopeful that John will be completely healed and fully restored.  

I just wonder how many other people I know don't even have a helmet.

Gifts ...

My son, Sam, cracks me up sometimes.  This week I got a call from his school telling me that Sam could be placed in the GT (gifted & talented) program.  He will finish 4th grade barely 9 years old, so his dad & I already think he's a pretty smart kid.  When I told him the news that he will be in the GT program for 5th grade, his reply:  "Well, I already wear glasses, I like to read, I have an old-fashioned haircut, now this  ...  I guess I AM a geek."  Just so you know, he totally sees this as a good thing!  

Gone Fishin'...

Jesus said, "Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  

My dad and my husband are avid fishermen.  They especially enjoy trout fishing in the streams of the North Georgia mountains.  To be a successful fisherman requires some ingenuity and some hard work.  First, you have to go where the fish are.  When you're talking about the heavily wooded Appalachians, that may be easier said than done. Just getting to the stream takes the navigational skill of an Army Ranger and a backpack full of energy bars!  Secondly, you have to make an effort to catch fish.  There's the license, the bait, the tackle, the gear, the hat.  You buy the license, dig the bait (or buy the can of corn if you're fishing for trout), make sure you have extra line, then trudge through the chilly woods for an hour or so to your favorite spot. Then the work starts.  Casting, reeling, casting, reeling, casting, pulling the tangled line out of the trees, recasting, reeling, hoping to catch something.  Anything.  This is not "sitting on the dock sipping lemonade" fishing, this is work! Third, you have to be persistent.  If you don't catch something the first Saturday, you go back the next.  And the next.  And you keep going every weekend until you don't have to tell your wife about "the one that got away".  Finally, you bring those fish home (yes, even the small ones that took the bait), clean 'em, cook 'em & eat 'em.  That is why you caught them in the first place.  Fish best serve their ultimate purpose alongside some french fries and homemade hush puppies. 

When Jesus says, "Come follow me & I will make you fishers of men", I think he had some of these same requirements in mind.  

*Go where the people are - people who are spiritually hungry or at least interested

*Make the effort - tell them about Jesus

*Be persistent - tell them about Jesus again

*Help people realize their ultimate purpose - to know Jesus & make Him known

If you need me, I've gone fishin'