Friends and Colleagues

Friends and Colleagues


Today I had another great conversation with a trusted friend and colleague. He teaches me so much and I am so thankful for him. I realized again today that I need to make the most of every opportunity to learn from those older and wiser than I. People with pastoral hearts and intellect that know how to marry the academic/theological with the spiritual and truly find the mind of Christ. I am so thankful.

War and Remembrance

War and Remembrance

I've been consciously trying to avoid the war on the news and in media. It depresses me too much. Walter Cronkite said tonight that the new media was handling it more like entertainment than like covering a WAR. However, the ugly face of war was presented to me today. Someone got a picture off the internet of one of our bombs taking out an enemy truck or something in Iraq and the photo showed the bodies catapulting perhaps a hundred feet in the air. It was graphic and broke my heart. What grieved me most was that some people thought the picture was really neat. It is a wake up call of how awful war is regardless of whether you think this war is justified and the right thing to do or not. I wonder where those men will now spend eternity. God help us all.

Hmmmmm.....

Do you ever wonder things?
I wonder, where do park Rangers go to get away from it all?
And, If a turtle is without his shell is he naked or homeless?

Ministry in a Post Modern World

As excited as I get about all the writing and talking that is out there about the emerging church in the emerging culture, I also have some questions. I wonder if some of us are merely trading programs and approaches. Although it's a new mindset, a new way of thinking, and deeply spiritual and very real, I still wonder if we are not engaging in humanistic spirituality. At the end of all the discussion, we are all people. Moderns, Post Moderns, caucasian, gay, Latino, educated, street smart, gang members, artists - we are all just people and God has put into our hearts a desire to find Him. I keep going back to the fact that it is His Presence that changes lives. It is His Presence that we all desire. It is His presence that makes teh difference. I have not seen a lot of talk aobut that in all the literature and that is beginning to cause me grief. Where is the supernatural? Where is the power of God? Where is the very thing that makes us the PEOPLE OF GOD? After that, your community, your program etc, can enhance or wound believers, this is true. (Been there.) But, at the core, who are we? What are we?

My Wonderful Sister

My sister is so cool. She's on the web looking at it now. I love her so much! She is due in September and is so excited!

Dreams from God

I woke up today after having some bizarre dreams I didn’t fully understand for a while. Then after spending some time thinking about them and praying about them, God showed me some powerful truths. One part of the dream has been happening every night for at least a week and I’m driving a car down a really steep hill. At the bottom there is an intersection that is really a T in the road because the ocean is straight ahead. I have to make a hard left and the brakes are hard and I have to practically stand on them to get the car to slow to a safe speed. Every time I get there, I panic that the brakes won’t work, but every time, they finally work at the last minute and at a perfect time so that I safely make the turn. I’ve had the dream so much that during my dream I even think, “oh this hill again. The brakes will work when they are supposed to.” But then I still panic at that scary point in the road! EEEK.

There were other elements in the dream that were powerful and enlightening. I know clearly now that something I had planned on will blow up in my face and then fizzle out if I pursue it. I must be clear and decisive and not pursue that AND seek God for what He has rather than my own human mind’s ideas. However, I still need to do something! Something needs to be done. Anything is better than nothing.

Leadership


Today in chapel, Dr. Anderson spoke on leadership. He said that leaders are decisive, clear and are able to cut through the fog of relativism and stand up in the face of anything and state what is clear and what needs to be done. He referred to FDR, Churchill, G.K. Chesterton, Thatcher to name a few. He talked about how FDR told his cabinet that they must DO something! Try something, do something, and if it fails, do something else. Anything must be better than nothing.

In the current world we live in, relatvism is seen as intelligent and moral clarity is considered ignorant. I wonder if that relatism and ambivalence all around us has created a society of people who not only lack cultural identity, but also create a culture of committees, discussions, and no one making any decisions to actually DO something.

As I think about what is happening in the Assemblies of God Deaf Ministries, it seems to me that NOW is the time for a leader to stand up and cut through all the fog of the unknown and clearly articulate what needs to be done and cast a vision to get it done. Where there is no vision the people perish. Deaf churches are perishing and I haven't seen any leaders standing up to talk about it and cast a vision again. Perhaps they are doing that somewhere, but I haven't seen it yet and I long to see it.

Oh God, that You would raise up a leader and give him/her clarity of perception, thought, understanding, morality, and vision. That You would allow them the opportunity to be heard so that they can cast vision. And help me to be the kind of leader YOU want me to be in this world here and now. What is it that You would have me do that is appropriate and instrumental for the growth of Your kingdom here on earth?

God help us all.

My Wonderful Husband


I can't begin to describe the intensity of the love between my husband and me last night. It was so powerful, so deep, and so true. We laid in each other's arms for what seemed like half an hour just weeping and loving each other. He is my closest friend, my confidante, my lover, and my husband. We prayed and sang and just spent time in the presence of God, open, unashamed, before each other and Him. It was incredible. I don't know what happened in our spirits last night, but it was something I will never forget. I love this man so much and I am so thankful to God for him. I feel closer to him than ever - and we've been extremely close. I love him so much! I prayed for 20 years for him and God answered every prayer wrapped up in the beautiful package of Michael.

Trying to learn this!
mbcmas.jpg

Today was an interesting day. I called my Mom early this morning while I was driving to work because I reallly wanted her advice and input. She was so sleepy still that I didn't want to bring up anything heavy and I let her go back to sleep and I went to class. I prayed and I heard the Lord speak to me specifically but then I doubted it and thought I was wrong and didn't really hear Him right, etc. Later that evening I talked with my Mom. And she said, verbatim, the exact thing God spoke to my heart. It was such a blessing. That's the first time that has happened to me with my Mom. I love her so much and I am so glad God used her again in my life.

I had several interesting meetings with students. Then in the afternoon a group of students came to help me clean the department. They did such a GREAT job cleaning and organizing. We were able to accomplish a lot in a little time. I was so impressed with their servant hearts. Worked until 5:30 or so and it felt so good to have everything organized and cleaned out. We threw a lot of junk away! And, of course, my office is now a BIG mess!

The weather report was for really bad weather tonight, but it hasn't really hit yet. That's a bummer because we cancelled dinner plans on account of the weather. Joey and Marissa are visiting and this is their last evening here. Joey was excited to see falling snow for the first time.

I've been overwhelmed lately with so many goals and ideas and things to do. My husband has been fabulous and really supportive. I couldn't have made it through the last few months without him. He has been my prayer warrior and cared for me like no one else in my life. He is a walking example of Christ in so many ways. What an amazing man I have married! I am so blessed.

I spend a lot of time talking with students about relationships. It's always so amazing to listen and feel their pain and struggles because they are so real and so much a part of who I am and what I have walked through. It's like seeing my life all over again. I feel for their struggle and pain AND I have so much HOPE for them because I have experienced the hand of God in my life in this area.

My friend, Jaymie, has been waiting for Mr. Right for so long. I know her heart aches to see him soon. I pray God blesses her soon. I think marriage is so wonderful that I want everyone to have a great marriage like I do. Of course, people still see me as a newlywed and think that I haven't really experienced marriage yet to form an opinion. They may be right, but I still know that God brought us together and it's more clear to me everyday why He put us together. I am so blessed! And I just want everyone to experience this!

I read a powerful sermon by Tony Campolo today. I wanted to post just this excerpt.

"I was asked quite simply, in a debate, "What do you suggest as an alternative? I mean, Saddam Hussein is a crazy man, he is a threat to civilization, how do you stop him?" Has anybody every thought about doing things the way Jesus told us to do them?

We've embargoed Iraq for the last 10 years. A half a million children in Iraq under the age of 12 have died as a direct result of that embargo, either from malnutrition of from lack of medicine. Here's the foreign policy I would suggest: to end the embargo! The Bible says if your enemy hungers -- what? -- feed him. If he's naked, clothe him, if he's sick, care for him.

Nothing would destroy the authority of Saddam Hussein more than if we Christians provided a massive relief program of food and medicine to the people of Iraq. And if we are going to pave the way for missionary enterprise, we have got to do that. We've got to do that. I don't know who's going to do it; but somebody's got to organize the Christian community, and say we're going to load up freighters with food and medicine -- and we're going to send them to Iraq, and we dare the US Navy to stop us.

When we try to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, you say "You can't overcome Saddam Hussein that way" . . . I believe in Jesus, and Jesus says "Overcome evil with [good]."

I'm still trying to figure out this war. I have heard different perspectives and feel more confused than ever. Ed Graham helped me sort through it this evening, and my husband, Michael, has been incredible and supportive. I guess I am just tired of so many apathetic people who seem to not face the reality of the horror of war. I'm also tired of the unclear message about why we are in this war. And I'm tired of the injustices done to so many people around the world while I wonder if this is really the answer. I have so many questions and so few answers. I guess I'm leaning more toward those who are opposed to this war. I love and support Israel and her right to be a nation, however, I cannot say that I support everything she is doing these days. I love and support America, but I don't know if I can support everything she is doing today. Hmmm... there's so much to think about that I can barely keep up with it.

Today I am getting ready to go to Hawaii! Woo hooo! Away from this frozen north country! I can't believe it. I am going to soak up the sun for 5 days! My best friend invited me to Hawaii with her and paid for my entire trip! I can't believe how blessed I am. God is so good to me. I will miss my wonderful husband who is staying home and taking care of the dogs and the house without me. He is such a great man. He is truly the love of my life. How blessed I am!

I got this from Dave Barry. He thinks the Swedes have a lot of spare time.

Click on the heads.

Swedish Horses