Isn't it great, for those out there that have at least 2 or more kids, how you always have individual time to spend with each of them if you take the opportunity. This time with Ava occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Usually we hang out watching a short movie together, some times we feed the animals, other times we read books, etc. To be honest one my favorites of all is listening to music and dancing with AVA. This past Tuesday we started to do this, but I was lead another way.
I grabbed my computer and instead of hitting Pandora, I was led to check out You Tube. I thought to myself, why not pull up some songs for Ava in Creole, her native language. I thought, at least maybe we could sing some songs together and she could help me with my Creole.
I searched YOU TUBE by typing in "Haiti Worship Service", thinking this was the best way to gather some music. When I did this, the video attached to this blog came up. When the preacher began to speak, Ava disappeared. I was thinking that she was not interested at all at the video I pulled up.
But then she comes back into the living room carrying a little stool. She sets the stool in front of the computer and takes a seat. She then sits in front of the computer for the next 8 + minutes watching the video. I had to leave the room due to the tears that were streaming down my face. These tears of joy would have distracted "her time" with "her country."
As I left the room and entered my bedroom, I would peak out to look at her. Ava's little hands cupped her face in front of the large computer. She was having a moment in which I could not share. You see, this was her first "trip" back to her homeland! Ava is on loan from God for a little while. Our prayer is that she has such a love for her country that she returns to make an impact for the Kingdom in the land of the beautiful smiles and joy that is so prevalent among the her people.
When the video ended, she came and found me in the bedroom. I picked her up and gave her a big hug. Although words were not exchanged, there was a silent yell with in her little spirit that connected with my spirit. It was something like this...
"Daddy, thank you for what you and mama have done for me. But I want you to know that I love my people and I long for them."
I love you Ava and thank you for who you are and the way you radically change our lives daily! You are beautiful inside and out!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The necessity of conviction...
t was about a month ago...
That two Mormon Missionaries entered into my life. After trying to meet up for breakfast for almost a month, we finally connected on Monday.
Throughout the almost 2 hours together I found out many things about their "missionary journey" that was unknown to me. For example, Mondays are there "preparation day", or when they are able to do their shopping and "prep" for the week ahead. Every six months they are moved to different locations, that are left undisclosed to them, until they receive the call. They do not watch TV and they begin each morning at 6:30 am.
What about their beliefs...
Well I shared my conviction based upon the word, motivated by the words of Paul in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" And what was the gospel Paul was preaching?
"1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,"
According to the Scriptures:
- Jesus is fully God and fully man. John 1 and Phil. 2
- Jesus death is sufficient payment for our sin. Romans 5:18-19 and Hebrews 10
- We are saved by faith alone. Ephesian 2:8-9 and Romans 5:1
- We have security in Christ. John 10:27-30
After I finished asking questions and sharing the faith based upon my conviction and scripture alone, they had to leave. I hope and pray that we do get to meet again! Why? For the purpose Paul speaks about his fellow Jews in Romans 9: 1-3.
The saddest part about the entire breakfast was the realizatoin God hit me with when I left the restaurant!
You see, as I sat and asked these guys some questions, they had answers but their answers were very weak, based upon man's knowledge and a regurgitation of what they have been fed. I had alot of questions that they could not answer or give reasoning to. As I walked out today, God showed me that many Christians today are like the two "missionaries" I was sitting across from and I represented the world without Christ.
Today, followers of THE WAY, lack answers the seeking world is longing for. We lack conviction upon our beliefs. And as the world sits in front of us seeking these answers all they see in response is a fidgety, insecure Christ follower, that shows no signs of the power and security Christ has offered in his conquering of death and sin!
We must begin to show conviction in that which we say we believe in.
I close with the words of Paul on his conviction:
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day
That two Mormon Missionaries entered into my life. After trying to meet up for breakfast for almost a month, we finally connected on Monday.
Throughout the almost 2 hours together I found out many things about their "missionary journey" that was unknown to me. For example, Mondays are there "preparation day", or when they are able to do their shopping and "prep" for the week ahead. Every six months they are moved to different locations, that are left undisclosed to them, until they receive the call. They do not watch TV and they begin each morning at 6:30 am.
What about their beliefs...
Well I shared my conviction based upon the word, motivated by the words of Paul in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" And what was the gospel Paul was preaching?
"1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,"
According to the Scriptures:
- Jesus is fully God and fully man. John 1 and Phil. 2
- Jesus death is sufficient payment for our sin. Romans 5:18-19 and Hebrews 10
- We are saved by faith alone. Ephesian 2:8-9 and Romans 5:1
- We have security in Christ. John 10:27-30
After I finished asking questions and sharing the faith based upon my conviction and scripture alone, they had to leave. I hope and pray that we do get to meet again! Why? For the purpose Paul speaks about his fellow Jews in Romans 9: 1-3.
The saddest part about the entire breakfast was the realizatoin God hit me with when I left the restaurant!
You see, as I sat and asked these guys some questions, they had answers but their answers were very weak, based upon man's knowledge and a regurgitation of what they have been fed. I had alot of questions that they could not answer or give reasoning to. As I walked out today, God showed me that many Christians today are like the two "missionaries" I was sitting across from and I represented the world without Christ.
Today, followers of THE WAY, lack answers the seeking world is longing for. We lack conviction upon our beliefs. And as the world sits in front of us seeking these answers all they see in response is a fidgety, insecure Christ follower, that shows no signs of the power and security Christ has offered in his conquering of death and sin!
We must begin to show conviction in that which we say we believe in.
I close with the words of Paul on his conviction:
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Jedi's strength flows from the Force...
"Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." - King Solomon
How true is this statement!?!?
I remember when I was in the elementary I had a friend who would stutter. After spending some time with him at his house, believe it or not I would stutter too!
My mom said she could tell who I had been hanging out with on the farm, whether it was my grandfather or great-grandfather. I always wondered why she knew...the reason? She said when I would hangout with my great-grandfather I would walk with a limp just like he did.
We all have been there have we not? If you are around people who cuss, you have a higher probably of cussing! If you hang around people that watch basketball, you most likely will begin watching and following basketball. If you have a wife (like my beautiful wife) that enjoys NASCAR, sooner or later you will end up with a driver and follow him. (I now follow Denny Hamlin #11)
We know the influence others have on our lives....
As I was reading through the letter Paul wrote to Galatia today, Galatians 2:10 jumped out at me. I will share it in context below:
"8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
Check out verse 10 again..."All that they (Peter, James, and John) asked was that we should continue to remember the poor..." Once again we see the power of influence in who we hang around. You see Peter, James, and John was the closest to Jesus. They had experiences with Jesus the other disciples heard about only later. So to know the heart of Peter, James, and John is to know the heart of Jesus even greater.
With Peter, James, and John focus for Paul not to forget the poor, tells me that Jesus was focused on the poor. Not only was he focused on the poor, but he passed this importance to his followers. The student will resemble the heart of the teacher.
I close with a quote from Yoda...Terah you will be proud!
A Jedi's strength flows from the Force.
-- Yoda
Our force being that of Jesus!
How true is this statement!?!?
I remember when I was in the elementary I had a friend who would stutter. After spending some time with him at his house, believe it or not I would stutter too!
My mom said she could tell who I had been hanging out with on the farm, whether it was my grandfather or great-grandfather. I always wondered why she knew...the reason? She said when I would hangout with my great-grandfather I would walk with a limp just like he did.
We all have been there have we not? If you are around people who cuss, you have a higher probably of cussing! If you hang around people that watch basketball, you most likely will begin watching and following basketball. If you have a wife (like my beautiful wife) that enjoys NASCAR, sooner or later you will end up with a driver and follow him. (I now follow Denny Hamlin #11)
We know the influence others have on our lives....
As I was reading through the letter Paul wrote to Galatia today, Galatians 2:10 jumped out at me. I will share it in context below:
"8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."
Check out verse 10 again..."All that they (Peter, James, and John) asked was that we should continue to remember the poor..." Once again we see the power of influence in who we hang around. You see Peter, James, and John was the closest to Jesus. They had experiences with Jesus the other disciples heard about only later. So to know the heart of Peter, James, and John is to know the heart of Jesus even greater.
With Peter, James, and John focus for Paul not to forget the poor, tells me that Jesus was focused on the poor. Not only was he focused on the poor, but he passed this importance to his followers. The student will resemble the heart of the teacher.
I close with a quote from Yoda...Terah you will be proud!
A Jedi's strength flows from the Force.
-- Yoda
Our force being that of Jesus!
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