I took a bike ride the other day to Rendevous in downtown Springfield. I have included some pictures from the AG mecca for your viewing enjoyment. =) Below the pictures I have Psalms 46 written out. I wanted to remind you through these verses that God is out protector and fights for us. He is a place to hide. He is above politics and culture.
Psalm 46
"God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us.
River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.
Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us
Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
'Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."
Jacon-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us."
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Walmart Parking Lot Thoughts
It is Sunday afternoon. I went to church this morning at New Life. I have been going here for the last three weeks. I was looking for a Spanish church and stumbled upon this one instead. It's not Spanish, but it reminds me a little bit of the Shark Club at Rock Harbor, but with a smaller number of people and less club. The pastor was speaking on James Two. It reminded me of something I was thinking about yesterday, while walking across the Walmart parking lot...
Yesterday, I woke up and decided to do nothing very quickly. I sorted through papers and did dishes, while watching the television. I was watching A&E and this show came on about all the big personalities and history of big time wrestling. Towards the end, the show was talking about these wrestling schools they have for people who want a shot at big time wrestling. People can come, workout, train and hope to make it into the big leagues. They were interviewing the different men who had come to try out for the club. This one man in his perfect eighties attire - complete with mullet (for his credit I believe the film clip was from the eighties) - said he wanted to become a big time wrestler because he wanted to be known. He wanted to walk down the street and for people to know him, to be recognized. After the Andre the Giant special and Mr. T special I decided it was time to get out of the house. As I walking across the Walmart parking lot, I thought "You know that really is it - people just want to be known, to be recognized, to know that their important". Isn't that what Christ was really about? He came to glorify and serve God, but he also came to love people. He wants to set us free, want us to know that who we are is quite enough. With his gentle yet firm Spirit move us into life with him. A life that is polished by him, taking what is good in us and changing what is not so good.
Our job as Christians is to treat people as Christ treats us. This is what they discussed at Church. It is about treating the man in rags the same as the man in the suit. It is about treating people kindly. It about loving others as you love yourself. I know this isn't easy. I am a person who has the ability to get along with most people, but when I feel someone hasn't treated me right or fairly, it takes a long while and a lot of GOD to get that out of my system. There are people in life were I literally had to pray to God to help me love and forgive them. I think these verses in James though go beyond just difficult people. They ask us to live above our bias and stereotypes that dress and makeup form and to see the person underneath. We have to make sure we aren't going over the top to please some and ignoring others in the process. Que dificil! No? But I think with the grace of God, with a life solid in the Spirit, we can become people who are Christ like in our actions and lives. After all Jesus took 12 ordinary men, including a handful of fishermen and a tax collector, and made them the foundation of his church.
Live in HIS Love!
Yesterday, I woke up and decided to do nothing very quickly. I sorted through papers and did dishes, while watching the television. I was watching A&E and this show came on about all the big personalities and history of big time wrestling. Towards the end, the show was talking about these wrestling schools they have for people who want a shot at big time wrestling. People can come, workout, train and hope to make it into the big leagues. They were interviewing the different men who had come to try out for the club. This one man in his perfect eighties attire - complete with mullet (for his credit I believe the film clip was from the eighties) - said he wanted to become a big time wrestler because he wanted to be known. He wanted to walk down the street and for people to know him, to be recognized. After the Andre the Giant special and Mr. T special I decided it was time to get out of the house. As I walking across the Walmart parking lot, I thought "You know that really is it - people just want to be known, to be recognized, to know that their important". Isn't that what Christ was really about? He came to glorify and serve God, but he also came to love people. He wants to set us free, want us to know that who we are is quite enough. With his gentle yet firm Spirit move us into life with him. A life that is polished by him, taking what is good in us and changing what is not so good.
Our job as Christians is to treat people as Christ treats us. This is what they discussed at Church. It is about treating the man in rags the same as the man in the suit. It is about treating people kindly. It about loving others as you love yourself. I know this isn't easy. I am a person who has the ability to get along with most people, but when I feel someone hasn't treated me right or fairly, it takes a long while and a lot of GOD to get that out of my system. There are people in life were I literally had to pray to God to help me love and forgive them. I think these verses in James though go beyond just difficult people. They ask us to live above our bias and stereotypes that dress and makeup form and to see the person underneath. We have to make sure we aren't going over the top to please some and ignoring others in the process. Que dificil! No? But I think with the grace of God, with a life solid in the Spirit, we can become people who are Christ like in our actions and lives. After all Jesus took 12 ordinary men, including a handful of fishermen and a tax collector, and made them the foundation of his church.
Live in HIS Love!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Springfield, Missouri
I am sitting here on my couch, watching the news and checking emails. I have survived two tornado warnings, so far. These tornadoes are strange things for a California girl. Tomorrow if the rain and thunder do not change anything I am running the Relay for Life 5K. My goal is to not come in last. I am looking forward to this, I think it might be fun.
I have been working in the Convoy office, which is a bit of change from language school. I am learning the other side of Convoy and how things function from behind the scenes. I thought some of you might be curious what work in the office looks like, so here is a mini list of some of the projects I am helping with:
Planning for some of the summer El Salvador teams
Working on translating documents from Spanish to English
Working on finding news information on disasters
Helping put together country summaries
Educating myself on Compassion Ministry and Convoy of Hope
Whatever else I am needed to do
I think this time is good for learning about how the office functions and about how the planning for trips works. I can ask questions and get to know my colleagues. I leave for El Salvador on June 18th.
All the time in the world people are suffering from violence, flooding, starvation and so forth. I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world. Two countries being wracked by violence are Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pray for these two countries and the people that live there. Another country that could use prayer is Brazil. They have experienced severe flooding in the normally arid dry northern region as well as flooding in the wetter southern region. Of course there are more countries and people out there, but these are three that I am highlighting. I encourage you to pray for these countries and other countries and situations God puts on your heart.
I have been working in the Convoy office, which is a bit of change from language school. I am learning the other side of Convoy and how things function from behind the scenes. I thought some of you might be curious what work in the office looks like, so here is a mini list of some of the projects I am helping with:
Planning for some of the summer El Salvador teams
Working on translating documents from Spanish to English
Working on finding news information on disasters
Helping put together country summaries
Educating myself on Compassion Ministry and Convoy of Hope
Whatever else I am needed to do
I think this time is good for learning about how the office functions and about how the planning for trips works. I can ask questions and get to know my colleagues. I leave for El Salvador on June 18th.
All the time in the world people are suffering from violence, flooding, starvation and so forth. I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world. Two countries being wracked by violence are Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pray for these two countries and the people that live there. Another country that could use prayer is Brazil. They have experienced severe flooding in the normally arid dry northern region as well as flooding in the wetter southern region. Of course there are more countries and people out there, but these are three that I am highlighting. I encourage you to pray for these countries and other countries and situations God puts on your heart.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Words from a Wise Man...
From Springfield, Missouri...
I just wanted to share some Proverbs with you today:
"The good acquire a taste for helpful conversations; bullies push and shove their way through life."
"Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything."
"The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats."
"The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys."
"Easy Come, Easy Go, but steady diligence pays off."
"A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness."
"Souls who follow their heart thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul."
(taken from Proverbs 13)
Have a Great Day!
I just wanted to share some Proverbs with you today:
"The good acquire a taste for helpful conversations; bullies push and shove their way through life."
"Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything."
"The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats."
"The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys."
"Easy Come, Easy Go, but steady diligence pays off."
"A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness."
"Souls who follow their heart thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul."
(taken from Proverbs 13)
Have a Great Day!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
One Heart, One Mind...
I am sipping Ginger Green Tea in Springfield, Missouri this morning. I am half moved into Sarah's apartment. My belongings are sitting in her apartment in boxes and bags. Tomorrow I will be back in the Convoy of Hope office. The current plan is that I will head to El Salvador in June and then will leave at the end of July for Santa Cruz, California for my sisters wedding. This will close up my first year with Convoy. That is a few months off and I am excited about what God has is in store for this summer and the work to be done in El Salvador.
I am reading Acts. I started reading it sometime earlier this week. I like reading about the church in those days and weeks after the resurection and ascension. The movement of the Holy Spirit. The open giving and sacrificing. Though even in this "congregation of believers...united as one - one heart, one mind" there was Ananias and Sapphira who thought they could trick God. They sold their land and in an attempt to look "godly and sacrificing" they told Peter that they were giving all their money from the sell to the church. The truth was that they had kept some of the cut of the land to themselves. Ananias and Sapphira were served justice by God.
In our lives let us not live like Ananias and Sapphira. Let us remember the other early church members such as Barnabas. Let us try to live in unity and harmony, let us give when we need to give (both in physical things and politics within the church), and let not a person among us be needy. May our lives be an incredible witness of Christ and his tremendous sacrifice. (drawn from The Message, Acts 4 and 5).
Be Blessed and Live in His Love!
I am reading Acts. I started reading it sometime earlier this week. I like reading about the church in those days and weeks after the resurection and ascension. The movement of the Holy Spirit. The open giving and sacrificing. Though even in this "congregation of believers...united as one - one heart, one mind" there was Ananias and Sapphira who thought they could trick God. They sold their land and in an attempt to look "godly and sacrificing" they told Peter that they were giving all their money from the sell to the church. The truth was that they had kept some of the cut of the land to themselves. Ananias and Sapphira were served justice by God.
In our lives let us not live like Ananias and Sapphira. Let us remember the other early church members such as Barnabas. Let us try to live in unity and harmony, let us give when we need to give (both in physical things and politics within the church), and let not a person among us be needy. May our lives be an incredible witness of Christ and his tremendous sacrifice. (drawn from The Message, Acts 4 and 5).
Be Blessed and Live in His Love!
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