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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

WWJB (where would Jesus be)

Tonight on my way home from my family's usual Wednesday night outing I passed by several churches.

Their parking lots were almost full. On a Wednesday night in suburbia.

And I really don't know a lot about Jesus but I'm pretty sure I know where he wouldn't be on a Wednesday night.

In church.

As I read about him in the Gospels I think I am coming to know him as someone who would more likely be found in a bar on a night like this rather than church.

I know committe meetings are necessary and so are bible studies. I'm not saying these things shouldn't happen. I'm just wondering if Jesus is tired of us studying the bible rather than living it. Is anyone else done with "doing" church? Then let's go out and "be" the church.

Any Christians out there offended by this? I hope so. Feel free to bite back.

Monday, October 29, 2007

This Generation

A week ago tonight my family went to a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society at Cheeseburger in Paradise ( umm....it's a restaurant). It was a project by my daughter Sara's group of honors students at KSU Stark Campus. They expected to raise a few hundred bucks but brought in over a thousand.

Yes, your money got you something that night. You were treated to an all-you-can eat buffet dinner. Yes, there was alcohol available for the over 21 crowd. Yes, watching karoke was a riot. But what I loved about this whole thing was the hearts of these college students. Many are yearning to engage in something bigger than themselves. Something God-sized. A couple of them are going to Peru over winter break to help build an orphanage. They are interested in social action and believe they can make a difference.

They can. They will. They already are.

At least two of them, even though full time college students and part time employed, sponsor children in Ecuador and Columbia through Compassion International.

They may not even verbalize it this way yet but I saw a generation ready to step outside themselves and live for something more than a life of consumption. A generation that is telling the church they are not interested in it if all that gets built is a bigger organization and a bigger building. But if the church wishes to be an organism then count them in.

Me too.

Check out www.repeatgeneration.com and www.wideeyedlife.com

"How do you want to spend your life? We all know you can ruin it. But what is more important to recognize is that you can sleep through it." - Dean Brackley

I see a mustard seed generation unwilling to sleep. They are sprouting and bringing the Kingdom of God to earth. Right here. Right now.

There is a shift in thought in folks my age in this country called "halftime". Some of us have found success in the first half of our lives and realize it has left us empty. We yearn to do something significant with the second half of our lives. Something that really matters.

Perhaps this generation of teenagers and twenty-something's will completely ditch the chase for success and follow Jesus with their whole lives.

Friday, October 26, 2007

twenty two

Today my wife Chris and I are celebrating 22 years of marriage.

Okay we're actually both at work but tonight we're going to celebrate.

Okay tonight we're taking our mother out for dinner because today is her birthday.

So what makes today any different? Today we pause to thank each other. To celebrate the triumphs and to appreciate each other for sticking it out through the challenges.

So thank you Chris. For your dedication to being a mother, wife and Jesus follower.

2 Hearts; 1 Mission.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Ecuador - a few pictures from last week






















Thursday, October 18, 2007

Aguabusiness

Yesterday the group spent the day with the kids we sponsor through Compassion International. There are lots of great stories and many of us lost a piece of our heart but I think our hearts grew a little too. Instead of one of those stories, however, I will write about an interesting encounter in the afternoon when I walked down the steet to get more drinking water for the group ( we don't drink the water in Ecuador - bottled water only ).

So anyway I stopped at a little street vendor to make my purchase and gave the guy a twenty dollar bill, which he did not have change for. Here in Ecuador this is not the end of a transaction, just an extension of it as business is never turned away. This guy tried to explain to me that he needed to go to a store across the street ( Papa John's Pizza believe it or not ) to get change for me and I said that was fine.

At about the same time a Quechua woman walked up to make a purchase. Quechua are the indigenous Indians of Ecuador. And in the cities they are treated almost like outcasts at the bottom end of a caste system. Well my sales guy could have taken care of her before he left and I should have told him to do so but that did not happen. He left and the two of us stood there and she would not look at me.

After a few minutes the guy returned with my change and as he was counting it out a police officer walked up and went right in front of this woman and purchased one solitary cigarette.

And the sad part of all of this for me was not rudeness on the part of that police officer and perhaps myself. It was the complete acceptance of it as normal by this Quechua woman.

Jesus of Nazareth once said something like "the first shall be last and the last first." I think he had her in mind when he said it.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Beginning and the End

Yesterday the team experienced the start and the finish of Compassion International's work. We split into 3 groups and went into Child Survival Program homes. The "house" my team visited consisted of 2 concrete block rooms, 2 twin beds for a family of 4, a roof of plastic sheeting, a 2 burner electric cook top, and Veronica, Joel and her yet to be named 6 week old daughter. Joel is 2 years old and we saw the Compassion worker, Monica, spend some time with him facilitating this program. And in a little 2 room house we saw hope in Jesus alive.......

Before we left this project in the south of Quito we worshipped together. We all understand guitars and keyboards and drums, but the words were in Spanish. But as thunder rolled outside it seemed the Holy Spirit moved through that space as we were not Ecuadorians or Chileans or North Americans, we were the people of God. One people worshipping the one true God and that was a brief glimpse of heaven, I think. And we experienced that hope in Jesus in this mostly unknown area of the world is alive.......

And tired but eager to know more we had dinner with Leadership Development students. They are the future of this country, I believe. All 3 have been in Compassions program since the age of 7 or before. Alexandra will finish her Psychology degree this year and will go on to graduate school for a doctorate.....to work with the mentally handicapped and forgotten children of this country. Jonathan is studying mathematics and wants to open his own high school and encourage the children of this country, who mostly complete only the 6th grade, to become better educated. And then we met Christian. His story is an incredible journey of seeing his mother healed of cancer and just trusting God. And by the end of his testimony, when he told us he is studying computer engineering and is going to one day be president of this country, we believed him. He has such a confidence in God that we truly believe that he is sure this is his destiny. And we saw the future of Ecuador in these 3 students and it is good because their hope in Jesus is alive......

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Arrived!

The team arrived safe and sound last night. No airline delays, no lost luggage, amazing. Today we will travel by bus to Compassion International project EC124. It's about an hour south of us here in Quito. And it does not take long to leave the main part of this beautiful city to be surrounded by abject poverty. People living in conditions that we just don't see in most areas of the United States.

At EC124 we will see Compassion's Child Survival Program. This is designed to help prenatal mothers and young children survive to make it into Compassion's child sponsorship program. And we not only get to learn about it, we get to go into some homes and see it in action.

Tonight we will learn about the other end of the spectrum of Compassion's work. We will have dinner with Leadership Development Students. They are college students that are hand selected to have their education completly funded. Tonight will be a little extra sweet for my good friend becoming Mike Vinton. He doesn't know it yet but the student he sponsors will be with us tonight giving his testimony.

It's a beautiful Ecuadorian day.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Arrived safe and mostly sound last night in Quito. I usually get an altitude headache for a day or two and this time is no exception. Quito is the second highest capital city in the world at just under 10,000 feet.

Went to church at San Pablo in La Comuna today. Knowing a little Spanish helps with the worship songs but forget about the sermon. These people speak so fast! I was reminded what Ecuadorian time is like as there were about 15 people present for the opening prayer at 9:30 and probably 75 by the end of the service.

Yesterday I had lunch with a neurologist from LA in the Chicago airport. Nothing unusual here except that as we talked we discovered he (Alfredo) was heading to Cleveland (where I just left) to speak at the Cleveland Clinic and had just come from Quito (where I was heading). He was here doing research on vision and brain function. We had a good conversation about missions and what people usually think when this word is used. We agreed that your mission is what you are doing. Whether you're a neurologist, missionary or mother.

The rest of the team is flying in tomorow and due to arrive around 9:00 PM. This is the first mission trip for most of them as well as their firtst trip to Ecuador. Looking forward to the rest of the week and seeing Richard and Karen(the kids my wife and I sponsor through Compassion International) on Wednesday.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Destination: Quito

Cleveland to Chicago.

Chicago to Miami.

Miami to Quito, Ecuador.

Quito is the second highest capital city in the world at just under 10,000 feet above sea level. But it's not the city or the snow capped volcanoes or the Galapagos Islands that I seek. I'm looking for the people and children I've met there that have captured a piece of me.

A team from RiverTree Christian Church will be down shortly to join me to see what Compassion International is doing there. And the highlight of this trip will be the day we spend with the kids we sponsor. No one will ever be the same.

I get to lead this trip for ChildReach Ministries. And we do a great job I think putting these trips together at an affordable price. You can check our progress on this blog and by going to
www.childreachministries.org and clicking on "trip updates."

Hasta luega!

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

caught in the middle

Check out the lyrics to a song by Casting Crowns:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle you'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle you'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender
without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence
Reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and
We are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences
The God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His
Or are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the boat and the crashing waves
Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more

So what are you caught in the middle of? I'm somewhere between knowing what God wants me to do to build His kingdom and doing it full time. Sometimes it's a no good very bad place to be. The question that has to be wrestled with is stated so well in this song:

Will I trade my dreams for His?

Will you?