Some Quick News

Quick Update -
Earlier this week I was asked to go to El Salvador to help out with our Nutrition Program. This morning I flew out of Springfield, MO at 6:00am. I landed in El Salvador with very little adventure in between. Although an officer with a drug dog did yell at me a bit. He didn't like that I didn't like his dog running up to me. He definitely needed to go to some sort of social interaction class! I made it and Bethany and Winny picked me up at the airport. I will be working with Bethany and our staff down here helping with the work load for awhile.

I will be back in the states in a few weeks and then turn around to go to Panama. Convoy partners with the National Church and Missionaries in Panama to help with an outreach to the Guaymi Indians. I have heard a lot about this outreach and am looking forward to going! After this I will be going back to El Salvador to lead a team of MSU teams. This team is actually an academic class. So, it will be a little bit different than the other teams I have worked with in the past. I think it will be fun and I was always a bit of geek, so I think it will work out just fine!

I hope all is well. May you feel God's blessing this week and be full of His joy!

Stormy Seas

Haiti Update:


Convoy of Hope is currently responding to the disaster in Haiti. Currently, there is an urgent need for fuel as well as clean water. We have several staff members who have set up a distribution site and have been able to distribute food and water. Here is the Convoy link for the latest updates and a spot to give (http://www.convoyofhope.org/). Please remember to pray for the people of Haiti and to pray for the Convoy staff as they work in Haiti.

Thoughts to Chew On:

I was reading Mark 4 the other day and came upon a story about Jesus and his disciples that made me chuckle.  I found it humourous because of the way it exemplifies human behavior  The story is found in Mark 4:35-41.   Jesus and the disciples decided to cross the Sea of Galilee when all of a sudden a huge storm came up. The disciples were frightened. They were scared out of their wits. I can imagine the panic they must have been feeling. I am sure they were pacing back and forth, their faces pale, and thinking about their near deaths. However, Jesus was taking a nap. The Message version says his head was on a pillow. In the midst of the disciples’ chaos, Jesus was sleeping! The disciples finally wake Jesus up saying "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?" Jesus went ahead and did what Jesus does. He calmed the sea. Jesus stopped the storm and then he asked the disciples "Why are you such cowards? Don't you have any faith at all?"  The disciples just stood in awe of Christ. Not even noticing they were just called cowards.

I love how Jesus was sleeping in this story. It made me think "Well, if Jesus wasn't worried about the storm, why were the disciples?" How many times in life as we are going through the storm do we fret, worry and panic? Yet is Christ fretting, worrying and panicking? Christ is always there with us as we face the hard things in life. He is there to comfort, to give courage, and to give strength. We need to remember that he is there and to exemplify his behavior as we face our storms and battles. If Christ isn't panicking and worrying, do we need to panic and worry?

Another point that I picked up was that the disciples kind of snapped at Jesus. While, we can't pick up voice intonation and body and facial language, the words themselves seem snappy. The disciples wake Jesus and say "Teacher, is it nothing to you that we're going down?" Their words show doubt in Christ. I am sure they were said out of fear of death and fear of the storm. We too need to be careful of our words when we are under pressure. When we feel stressed, fearful, insecure and so forth we have to be careful not to take that out on those around us. I suppose we need to count to ten or step out of the room until we have better control of our actions and words  

I pray that you continually let the Lord change and mold your heart.  I pray that you learn to trust him completely.  May the Lord guide you through your storms and may you go through the trial with faith in God and being gentle and loving with those around you.  Be blessed!    

* Pictures are from yahoo image search "Sea of Galilee Storm" and "Calm Sea"

A Quick Explanation and Choices

Note 1) I know one of the pictures on my Christmas Card may have left you wondering "What is that?".  I almost didn't send them out because of the picture.  It is a picture of a Convoy of Hope bag.  The symbol is two hands.  However, the hands were slightly covered by the front picture. So, unless you knew what the bag looked like, you wouldn't know what it was. Mystery solved. =)  I guess I live and learn. 

Note 2) Pictures are not mine. They are from Yahoo Image Search. 

Tonight I was doing my devotions.  I have been reading Oswald Chambers's Utmost for His Highest.  I like Utmost for His Highest.  It always gives me something to chew on.  Chambers wrotes about how worship to God needs to be fully inetgrated into our lives.  He states that it will take discipline to have this type of worship.  He used a verse in Genesis 12 to help prove his point. Genesis 12 starts with this verse "God told Abram: 'Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you" (this isn't the verse Chambers uses).  Abram went.  He left his country, family and his father's home.  He took only his wife, possessions, his people and his nephew Lot.  If Abram hadn't been obedient he never would of received what God promised.  His descendants may never had become the nation of Israel. 

After reading the mentioned entry in Utmost for His Highest and Genesis 12 I began to mull over something I had been thinking about earlier today.  Choices.  This life as a Christ Follower is all about choices.  Deciding to following Christ, choosing to make Christ like decisions, having the discipline to put practices like prayer, worship, and mercy into our daily lives, and deciding to do what Christ ask of us (even if it seems crazy).  Take Joseph for example.  He was pledged to be married and his future wife says she is pregant and a virgin.  An angel came in a dream and told him it was allright, so he married Mary.  Later, after Jesus was born another angel came to Joseph.  This angel told him to flee to Egypt because Jesus was in danger.  After they had fled, Herod came and killed every male child in the area.  Imagine if Joseph had been disobedient.

Throughout the Bible and throughout Christian history God is able to use us to show his glory and miracles.  When we are obedient to Christ people are healed, people are saved, and miracles happen.  God doesn't need us, but he sure likes it when we are willing to serve and work for him in this world.  I want to encourage you not to miss out on all that God has for you.  That may mean setting aside an extra ten minutes everyday to worship and praise him.  This may mean asking a friend to come to church on Sunday.  This may mean praying and fasting for someone who needs a miracle.  This may mean letting God heal you of insecurities and finding your confidence in Him.

In my last blog my Dad asked you "What will it cost you?".  This blog is along those veins.  Making the right decison, making the good choice, may not be the easiest choice.  It may cost you something....

Guest Blogger - Tom Balch - Lunch in Santa Cruz

A Late Lunch In Santa Cruz on the first day of 2010

Turning into a parking lot in downtown Santa Cruz, I noted a man who I assumed to be sleeping, laying halfway across the parking area and the sidewalk. For those of us who live in or visit any major American city, seeing the 'homeless' asleep in a public space is not an unusual sight. Being accustomed to this sight, for a moment I almost parked my car and went off to lunch. I am glad I stopped and took in the following:

The downtown/parking/sidewalk area was busy.

I watched as 'normal' people looked, then moved a 'safe' distance away from the 'sleeping' man.

As I watched, I thought that the man might be dead.  How would it look if a dead man was lying on the sidewalk all day?

As I approached the man, a thought ran through my mind.  I wish I had a stick, so I could poke the guy, and see if he was ok, without having to get too close. As I was checking out the man, a 'bag lady' approached the man with a good deal more courage than I and she made sure he was just sleeping. Once I was confident  that he was just sleeping off a night of exuberance I went off to lunch, telling myself that I would check out the man after lunch.

What I saw reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan, while this man slept off the exuberance of the night before (again my bias), the good citizens of Santa Cruz crossed the man, keeping a safe distance.  I wanted a stick, while the unlikely Good Samaritan "the bag lady" had more courage than the rest of us. Why was that?  For one - I believe that the good citizens of Santa Cruz (my self included) were worried about how much it might cost us - while the bag lady had no such fear.

Ok so what is the point?  One - To be able to see the world around us we must not have a myopic vision.   - Two - To be self aware is the beginning to understand what we are seeing. Three - Understand that anything worth doing will cost us something.

Back to the Good Samaritan -it must have cost him a good deal, time lost on his trip, inconvenienced to say the least, dollars lost paying for the man's board and care, all without any payoff.

So for 2010 what am I willing to pay for?

What cost am I willing pay?

"Christ Sharing" Block - A Little Something for Christ Followers

I have started this sentence over enough times. I am trying to find that perfect intro to transition into the thoughts that I want to share. I started writing about Tuesday morning prayer.  Next, then how Tuesday morning is better than Monday morning and then about my new strange breakfast combo, coffee and popcorn. None of these introductions were particularly relevant and were all slightly lame. Perhaps I can blame it on 9:30am bloggers block. Then as I am writing this equally lame introduction paragraph I had my "ah ha" moment. This lack of coming up with a clever introduction to my blog does relate to what I read in My Utmost for His Highest today. Instead of bloggers block Oswald Chambers does write about working to prevent having a "Sharing Christ" block.

Chambers challenged his readers to work on expressing well our beliefs. He wrote "If you don't, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth"(December 15th entry). In the second paragraph he writes "Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study". (Is he trying to say that to study is to suffer? =) ). I like this line because our faith and beliefs in Christ need to belong to us. If we don't understand why we believe what we believe and if we don't own them as our own then when the time comes to share Christ with others we will find that we have "Sharing Christ" block.

I loved my time at Vanguard University for many reasons. One of my favorite parts of Vanguard were my Bible and Mission classes. These classes gave me the perfect opportunity to study God's word and to further my understanding of my beliefs. When you understand what you believe and why you believe it you don't need to feel threatened when someone challenges your faith in Christ. The maturity we find in Christ will allow us to be "a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool" because "you never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth".(2 Timothy 24- 16 The Message Version).

I want to encourage you as Chambers encourages his readers to know how to express your beliefs. Chambers even suggest rehearsing your words. So, not only do we need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but need to know how to express it in words! I pray that you and I will not find ourselves with "Christ Sharing" block, but with the ability to speak truth lovingly and clearly! So, today make sure you know, understand and are able to express the essentials of what you believe. After all you never know what meetings God has ordained for your day. =)

Bread Bowls, Grapes and Oswald Chambers.....

I am waiting for Lolo to come over. I told her to come over at or after 7:30pm and it is now 10:30pm. Apparently she took "after 7:30pm" to be I didn't want her to come until the world has frozen over. Of course according to some that may be closer than we think =). While waiting for her I decided to bake gluten free bread bowls. This is my first time baking gluten free bread and my first time baking bread bowls. They are currently in the oven. Sarah, Josh, Lolo and I are going to have a bread bowl and soup party after church tomorrow. So, while I am waiting for Lolo and my bread, I am eating the world's largest grapes. I wonder what they used to grow the grapes, steroids perhaps???? I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought it was time for an update. Now you know what I do in my free time - bake bread, wait for Lolo to come over and eat grapes that most defiantly have been given steroid shots.

I also read My Utmost for His Highest today by Oswald Chambers. Chambers discussed being accountable to God for the way we act and behave. Essentially we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, behaviors and so forth. God has given us grace and salvation, but we are accountable to God for how we behave and represent him. We exemplify Christ when we call ourselves Christians.

The verse Chambers used was "...only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" Genesis 41:40 This was interesting to me because this verse is Pharaoh telling Joseph that he has power over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh was greater and more powerful than Joseph. It is interesting to me the parallel here. Just as Joseph was accountable and a representative to Pharaoh, so are we to Christ. Just as Pharaoh freed Joseph from prison and gave him freedom, so Christ frees us from sin and death. Just as Pharaoh entrusted Joseph to represent him and to do his work in the land of Egypt, so Christ has asked us to represent him and to do his work in this world.

 I am not sure what Chambers original intent was in using this verse. However, I like how this story can be related to our relationship with Christ.  Normally, when I read this story or hear preaching on it people focus on Joseph's interperatation or how God took the terrible circumstances of Joseph's life and used them for good.  I thought the different slant was refreshing.  So, on this note - Go and live as Christ representative.  Take your grace and freedom and use it for God's purposes.  Remember who you are in Christ and that ultimately you are accountable to him!  

Amen y Amen =)

.

                                                   My Gluten Free Bread Bowls -)

El Salvador Floods

Here are some pictures from El Salvador.  The school is called Achiotal and the beach is called Las Ojas.  This is one of the areas that was hit by the floods.  We distributed mattresses to the elderly in the village today as well as food and water.  On Wednesday we will go back to this area to distribute to the rest of the community and bring food as well as have a medical clinic.  We are also buying a water tank, since the public water system isn't working.  Tomorrow we are going to visit a place called Vera Paz.  Please continue to pray for El Salvador.  Another place that was hit with severe flooding was the Phillipines.  Please pray for this country as well.  I will write more later, but I wanted to share some pictures with you about the current work in El Salvador.  I hope all is well. Le vaya bien. Have a good day!       

Some of the El Salvadorians we gave mattresses and food too. 

Clothes - Hanging to dry

Houses destroyed by the rain - on the other side the road is wiped out.

Cows crossing where there use to be a road

My favorite guest - He sported the glasses

A Sandal on the Beach