A gift from God

God has blessed us both with wonderful families. We will miss them tremendously when we are overseas. This summer we have the opportunity to spend time with our families before we head overseas. Last week we were able to go to Chicago with my family for a few days (our camping trip was canceled due to midwest flooding!) Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Addie and her cousin Elias always have fun together. Here they are at the zoo.

Addie and Grandma looking at the monkeys.

I think "Papa" holds a special place in Addie's heart!

And she loves "Baby Zach" as we all do. He did this a lot on our vacation.

And you can't go to Chicago without your Cubs gear!

Is Jesus enough?

Last weekend we had the privilege of attending the Voice of the Martyrs conference in Oklahoma. It was very encouraging, challenging, and sobering to hear from Christians who have lived under the persecution that we have only heard of. But more encouraging than just hearing their personal stories was hearing their excitement for the church and the way that God was growing the church in their country.

I particularly remember one couple from the Middle East. She was wearing the full garb of their country to hide everything but her eyes. Her husband also had his face completely covered. Due to security reasons, their names were changed. They both faced persecution on a daily basis. They told stories of believers in their country who were in great danger because of their faith. But he did not focus on this as much as the growth of the church. His excitement over the church was amazing! They were not focused on the constant danger and persecution, but on how God was building His church!

Lately I have been thinking about if in my own life, if God is really enough. I want to be at the point where things don't matter, my life and safety don't even matter, and God is brining me to this point. It was very encouraging for me to see believers who really know this. They know that their lives and safety are nothing compared to knowing and serving God. One Palestinian Christian told of how they kept water buckets in the front of the church so that they could put the fire bombs out and then continue the worship service. These believers really know that Jesus is enough! They continually put their lives at risk to worship God and to spread His name! I am thankful for the opportunity that we had to listen to these Christians who have a deep conviction that Jesus is enough.

Voice of the Martyrs

Tomorrow we leave for the first trip of the summer. We will begin by going to a Voice of the Martyrs conference in Oklahoma (on our way to Iowa). We are really looking forward to the weekend and being challenged and encouraged by those who are giving everything for the Lord. We recently met with some friends who are missionaries in the Middle East, and they reminded us that Jesus is all we need. I think we (myself included) often forget that in the society we live in. I look forward to being reminded of that this weekend by people who have given up all for Jesus.

Be still and . . . (what's the rest of the verse)

If you're like me a few years back and most of my other classmates in seminary at chapel that day our speaker asked us the same question, you would say "and know that I am God" is it. Look again.

"Be still and know that I am God
I will be exalted among the nations
I will be exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46 does provide personal comfort in the face of challenging situations. But a major part of what brings comfort is knowing that God will be praised among all nations. A focus on longing for God to be praised in all nations is a forgotten but essential aspect of worship in the Old Testament (see Ps 57:9, 67, 86:8-10, 117).

I've often had a wrong understanding that missions began with the church. Granted missions is done differently in the church, but even in the Old Testament, God's plan was to bless Israel in such a way that all nations would be drawn to worship him (Deut 4:5-8).

The past 4 weeks, I've been teaching a class on "Being a globally minded Christian" at Plano Bible Chapel and the topic of "other nations" in the Old Testament was where we began. Preparing to teach that first class reminded me how important it has always been that God be praised throughout the world.

My favorite preacher...

I know I am biased, but I think Wayne does a great job. This is his sermon from May 25th about "Breaking down the dividing wall" or "Christ died for that?" Enjoy!

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I love my husband

Today we are blessed to celebrate our 3rd Anniversary! I am so thankful to God for blessing me with such a wonderful husband.

I love you Wayne!

How important are missionaries?

Were my parents wrong? Have I been mislead? From my childhood, I've heard that every Christian should be involved in serving others and also desire to share about Christ with others. This upbringing has impacted my desire to teach about Christ in Senegal. As I reflect on what motivates me, the question arises in my mind, Does God need missionaries?

In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul confronted a group in Athens who worshiped several gods and tried to appease those gods and obligate the gods to show them favor. Paul's responds,

"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything (Acts17:24-25).

So, why does Paul tell this group God doesn't need anything and isn't served by humans, but then write letters to churches emphasizing the need to serve? Or specifically related to myself, if God doesn't need me to serve Him, why am I moving overseas? How important am I?

I think the short answer is, I'm expendable. God doesn't need me. The God who created this entire world could cause the rocks to cry out proclaiming who He is. But praise God that while He doesn't need humans, He still lets us participate. God is not requesting help because His plans require our skill sets. He is freeing us from triviality and allowing us to participate in what truly lasts.

To say it another way, everyone praises something. C.S. Lewis once said, "it's the misfits and malcontents who praise the least." Everyone instinctively praises great books, sunsets, lovers, sports teams, and so much more. We enjoy praising greatness. Now we have the privilege of praising throughout the entire world the essence of greatness, God.