Monday, September 29, 2008

Commitment in Prayer

        I just had a great meeting with a pastor in Fremont. It was such an encouragement to me. I kind of feel like we're getting better at this support raising thing. I mean, I think we always did a good job externally. But we really prayed about this one. And I think I really heard the pastor and their churches vision for taking the gospel to the world.
        It is also really encouraging that they have a vision for taking the gospel to the world. So many churches can't articulate what they are doing in international missions.
        But the most encouraging thing was that at the end of it all, when we were praying together, this pastor told God that it was his intention to pray for us everyday until we got to the field. You know... I didn't even say thank you. I was really taken back. There are things that I pray for everyday. I pray for my pastor and our children every day, and there are some others that I pray for nearly everyday. I know what a commitment that is, and I know how effective that is.
        So... I'm feeling good. We hit the support raising jackpot today, someone who is really praying for us!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Pray in Dreams

Okay,
This is a stretch for me. I like to say things I can prove, defend, or get people to agree with me on. But I was just praying while I watched the sun set, and so many thoughts filled my mind.
All day long I have had the thought that I don't really understand God. Even the things about God I would have said were concrete yesterday seem fragile today because I can't answer the how and why questions. I don't understand God. (I'm aware this isn't a revelation, but God gave me some clarity today.)
Like I said, I like to think in concrete, irrefutable ways. So I love to imagine Heaven, a world not unlike this one only real and unchanging!
I looked up into the trees as the sun set. The leaves swayed in unison as if directed by a conductor. And I thought, "How is it that God turns everything into good? How can He make wonder from death? How did He make it so that coming autumn and soon death of all these leaves made the moment all the more wonderful to me?" Even the brevity of my own life made the moment more awesome and my longing greater.
Isn't He wonderful... complex, transcendent! How is Heaven going to be better? What is the wonder of a life with no death or ending? What are my vacant hillsides going to be like with no weeds or imperfections? What is life going to be like when I'm not married? What is an eternity without sex going to be like.
Lost in my moment of wonder, I began to see how it might be fascinating and wonderful. Thinking about how little I know about God reminded me of the early days with Heidi. It was the furthest thing from boring. It was exciting, enthralling. I couldn't get enough, and I couldn't wait for more. ...And there was no sex. While that is an incredibly weak example... so is this whole world. I can't wait for the real thing.
Come Lord Jesus, Soon!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

It's the End of the World as We Know It...



The other day I finished reading the Heptalogy (I had to look that up), Chronicles of Narnia, to my boys. Harley listened to most of it, but she doesn't get it yet.




We had a great time reading it, and the boys often asked insightful questions, and they totally get all the analogies. What a great appetizer for theology.
We went to Focus on the Family while we were in Colorado, and they had a Narnia display.





My dad even built the kids their own "Wardrobe" in the backyard that goes to a little hidden spot.




You can see that there's no way out...
But then... there's a secret panel that slides up.



Act surprised if our kids show it to you.