.:. Ken's Live Journal

Preparation for the Journey

2012-01-29T23:13:00.005-05:00

The journey of seeing one’s faith deepen comes in many different ways. For most of us it seems to take an inciting incident that snatches us from our comfort, redirects our lives and gives us need to trust God as never before. Health turns bad and there doesn’t seem to be answers, a marriage hits an incredibly rocky spot, mid-life arrives with a sense of failure, a move to a new location brings isolation, loss of jobs ignites fear, children struggle and you seem hopeless to help, the senior years cause anxiety to set in, a lifetime of accumulating things suddenly no longer satisfy, and on and on it goes. Whatever the incident, the need for renewed faith arises.

Our faith journey took on new proportions when I resigned from a fifteen year ministry position with no clarity about the future. Diana and I sensed God leading us to trust Him not only for missions support but for daily living expenses as well. While we would share God’s direction of our lives, we would not ask for finances. Instead, we would pray and trust God for the outcome. It wasn’t an impulsive decision, but one we had thought about for months. It wasn’t without real life examples but one my grandparents had modeled. Nor was it an expectation for others but was our personal leading.

Over time we gained some helpful insights about living in faith. One of those is that the Lord is a gentle shepherd and compassionately prepares us for what lies ahead. Moses had a wilderness and so did Paul. Elisha had Elijah. David had intimate times in the fields before he was on the run from Saul. The Israelites had the miracles of Egypt and at the Red Sea. Each was a preparation to serve as a reminder of what God was capable of doing.

Before we settled on Mexico we considered a mission that provides pastors for small community churches throughout the US and Canada. Diana and I went to Kansas City for a week of candidate orientation while the kids stayed in West Virginia to have a hey day with Mamaw Harer. Our days were squeezed full of activities from morning to night, but we did manage to connect in friendship with a couple from Washington and another from Alaska. On Friday evening we were asked the all important question, “Has God called you to work with us?” Our answer was “No.” We drove back across country at loose ends.

A few weeks later on a warm spring day just before my job at the church ended, our friends from Alaska called. We had kept in touch, and it was good to hear his voice. “We sold our house in Alaska, and got more for it than we expected. Our family would like to give you $1000 for whatever needs you might have.” Dumbfounded I somehow managed to get out a “thank you.” I put the phone down bursting with excitement to tell my wife. God was assuring our hearts that it is always safe to trust Him and was preparing us for the journey that lay ahead.

Pathways to Closeness

2012-01-21T17:43:00.003-05:00

I think I have well documented over the past few years that I am given to worry. The other day I found some clarity on a thought that had been fuzzily forming in my mind. “Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (The Message)

As I sat in my rocker looking out over the snow-crisp yard with the sun streaming through the venetian blinds, another thought emerged out of the fuzziness. The place of my greatest need can be the very place where God constantly meets me – a pathway into dependence and intimate growth.

My mind began to race. I had encountered this idea before. Oh yes, from a recent reading of Simply Jesus, “Temptation is one of the places where we can experience a fresh closeness with our Lord. And given the frequency of temptations in our lives, it becomes an opportunity to meet Him on a regular basis!”

Then one from Grace Notes as the author shares thoughts from a friend struggling with alcoholism, “It’s a funny thing…What I hate most about myself, my alcoholism, was the one thing God used to bring me back to him. Because of it, I know I can’t survive without God. I have to depend on him to make it through each and every day.”

Only God! Only God can take what is meant to wither our souls and instead lead us into wholeness. Only God can take what is meant to destroy and turn it into dependence and intimate growth. Only He can take our nagging susceptibilities and lead us into pathways of fresh closeness.

Supreme Value

2012-01-14T23:34:00.009-05:00

Recently at a Book Warehouse in Pigeon Forge, I wandered to the basement to browse the bargain section. Shelves and shelves and shelves of bargain books. There I stumbled across one of Joseph Stowell’s books entitled Simply Jesus. Here’s a portion I found particularly challenging.

“Think for a minute about the things you’ve treasured in your life…I’m reminded of a friend of ours who was an avid decorator. She had all the knack and instinct to make a room come alive. Then, in the midst of one of her decorating sprees, the doctor told her she had cancer. To that point her decorating project had her in its grip. She woke up with it every morning and fell asleep rearranging the details. Her day was consumed with fabric swatches and catalogs strewn around the house.

“But on that day she drove home from her doctor’s office, the joy and fixation with that decorating project evaporated like water on a Phoenix sidewalk. Just that quickly, life itself had become precious. So precious that everything else that used to bring her joy was insignificant.

“How often have you heard it?
- A widower lamenting over the misplaced values that robbed him of precious time with his wife.
- A dad who had valued life at the office more than time at home with his young son.
- A working mom who treasured a promotion at work more than watching her baby girl grow up.
- A retiree who spent money carelessly through his working years and had nothing left for retirement.

“Getting our values straight is critically important in life. And it is particularly strategic for the one seeking to experience Jesus.

“If you value what looks good and gives you a buzz, your heart will embrace all that is temporal and seductive. But if you look hard and long at Jesus, if you read all that the label says about His matchless worth, then Christ will have your heart. Every time. All the time.

“Before the cross, all the value is affixed to us – all we are and have. At the cross, He alone is of supreme value.”

Lifelines

2012-01-07T11:53:00.005-05:00

Life-line - support that enables people to survive or to continue doing something (often by providing an essential connection).

If you read this blog often you know my ultimate lifeline is Christ. I’m still in the process of learning how deeply His rescue alternated my existence. I was very much a rebel caught up in a revolt. It was selfish…ugly…sad…heinous. What I deserved was punishment or better yet some sort of nightmarish banishment. What I received was unexpected favor, a place in the family. It was an amazing turn of events and one that is difficult to reconcile in my wildest imagination.

These days I also find lifelines by being with others who are fully alive in their inheritance intent on pursuing Christ’s heart. Such people refresh my soul and redirect my thoughts from worldly illusion to God’s reality. Like the friend I meet with weekly who is always sharing a helpful reading, a thought provoking idea, and an applicable story. His life radiates Christ, and I walk away settled and confident.

Our Sunday evening group is a lifeline too. It is a life discussion group that blends scripture, prayer, worship, fellowship and forms a community of like-minded people. Community doesn’t happen just by meeting together but it takes shape in the context of openness, vulnerability, humility, understanding, grace and shared experience. We are being transformed and want to share what God is doing in our lives with each other and others.

Just the other evening someone talked openly of an attitude God was personally correcting in their life. It wasn’t pointed nor was it judgmental. It was convicting. I began to realize that I needed God’s mercy in my life to orchestrate some similar attitude changes.

I am favored that my greatest lifeline is my wife. Together we have learned, grown and changed. Together we are learning, growing and changing. On gray days that seem overwhelmingly gloomy, she reminds me how God sees things and what’s really important in life. She shares the latest insight she has gathered from a recently read book. Often these times together happen in late afternoon around a cup of tea. When business interrupts I feel cheated as if I have been robbed of a golden treasure. Such is the value of lifelines.

2011 Milestone

2012-01-01T17:20:00.005-05:00

Okay, so what are some of the big happenings of the past year? Let me think here…traveled to Colorado for closing activities at Timberline, read Subversive Spiritually by Eugene Peterson, celebrated my 50th birthday, became an Employment Services Specialist (this is akin to a friend who began driving an 18 wheeler and introduced himself as a relocation specialist), participated in the Wear a Tea Cozy on Your Head Day, turned part of our yard into a garden, got a piano for the girls, saw the autumn leaves and the snow-capped peaks of the Smokey’s…and was lowered over a wall in a basket (not really).

It’s probably no surprise to you that the one I’m most thoughtful about is that big 5-0 milestone. It occurs to me that this is a strategic time in a man’s life, albeit an uncertain one. It’s like having been on a fantastic expedition with an unbelievably good guide. He leads you into a clearing where you come to a swinging bridge over a foggy ravine leading into an unknown land. There’s some fear, some trepidation but also a rumbling of excitement. You see the possibilities, and you trust the guide.

A milestone birthday (or the beginning of a new year for that matter) is not a time to give up on God-given dreams but a time to rediscover the adventure He has written into the stories of our lives. It’s a time to live by faith and not by sight - not letting a heap of mid-life worries steal away tomorrow. It’s a time to reaffirm that all we really need in our life is simply Jesus, experiencing the One our hearts long for.

What We Know, What We Don't

2011-12-20T22:51:00.004-05:00

Cards and long held traditions are not necessarily the best place to get our facts about the events of Christmas. We really don’t know if Mary rode on a donkey. We don’t know if she and Joseph traveled alone. We don’t know if she gave birth the first night she arrived in Bethlehem. Nor do we know if the angels sang, or if there were three wise men. We most certainly don’t know if Jesus was born on December 25th. We don’t even know what year He was born.

On the other hand we do know that an angel(s) appeared to Zechariah Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. We know for sure that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloth and placed in a feeding trough. We know He was visited by magi and that they were guided by a star.

We know too why he came. It’s right there in Isaiah along with the virgin birth (7:14) and the promise of a male child (9:6). The answer is one filled with the life giving breath of grace and hope. It’s a picture of a tender healer and gentle shepherd. “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” (61:1)

Behind the historical events of Christmas lies a tremendous upside. And a very hideous underside. Our need was so dark, so ugly, so hopeless. Distress that flows out of our own defiant hearts. The wickedness of others that have mis-shaped and misled us. Sin mingled with shame. Abuse, abandonment, self-indulgence, addiction, deceiving spirits, pride, self-hatred, rejection, all conspiring together to leave us heartbroken and captive.

His coming became paramount. It was the beginning of a rescue. It was a beam of sunlight breaking through the ominous storm clouds. A medic reaching the battlefield wounded. Unbelievably glad tidings. Good news that is life saving and life giving.

Ultimately we know, too, how we make our own entrance into this Christmas story. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Know what I mean?

Humble King – Woo Hoo!

2011-12-09T20:29:00.028-05:00

A young teenage girl who had never slept with a man became pregnant. A birth announcement was made by a mighty army of otherworldly beings. An eternal supernatural King was delivered in a dirty smelly barn. An astronomical phenomena led a camel riding band of scholars on the adventure of their lives. God’s Son did not think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of deity but instead took on the status of being human.

Reflections such as these elicit a deep exuberant response in me. Sometimes I feel like a wiggly third grade boy quivering to get out of his seat to run and play. The truth of it, the enormity of it, the genius of it begs me to jump out of my seat and yell…Woo Hoo! The silence of reflection is waiting to be shattered with the noise of shouting and singing.

The daily reading of Grace Notes by Phil Yancey gives us ample reason for responding with some unbridled praise as he expands on the thought of this humble King, “The God who roared, who could order armies and empires about like pawns on a chessboard, this God emerged in Palestine as a baby who could not speak or eat solid food or control his bladder, who depended on a teenage couple for shelter, food, and love.

“In London, I caught glimpses of the more typical way rulers stride through the world: with bodyguards, and a trumpet fanfare, and a flourish of bright clothes and flashing jewelry. Queen Elizabeth II had recently visited the United States, and reporters delighted in spelling out the logistics involved: her four thousand pounds of luggage included two outfits for every occasion, a mourning outfit in case someone died, forty pints of plasma, and white leather toilet seat covers. She brought along her own hairdresser, two valets, and a host of other attendants.

“In contrast, God’s visit to Earth took place humbly, in an animal shelter with no attendants present and nowhere to lay the newborn King but in a feed trough. A mule could have stepped on him. ‘How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given.’”

Only one thing left to say…..WOO HOO!

Above: From our collection of Christmas Ornaments - Dayspring 2002
Left: Hallmark Heavenly Angels series 1992
Top: Nativity purchased at Hinton Railroad Days 1993

Merry Meaningful Christmas

2011-12-03T23:25:00.008-05:00

Christmas Season is here – YES! It’s a whole month to turn our attention to the birth of the most extra-ordinary child. Amazing. Incredible. Breath-taking. Life changing. It’s an optimum time to reflect and an optimum time for distractions too. Nativities & elves, sacred concerts & merchandise, advent & the NBA, family celebrations & wish lists all blend together to make it necessary to sort out the meaningful from the trivial.

While we have attempted to keep Christ at the center of Christmas, unmet expectations have also become stumbling blocks. I know I have been the proverbial scrooge on more than one occasion. The expectation of a “perfect” Christmas makes the day itself particularly susceptible to disappointment. After a few of our Christmas Day’s came crashing down, Diana and I decided to view Christmas as a season of celebration. Along the way we have tried a variety of activities some of which have become meaningful traditions. Here are a few of them with comment:

Decorating the day after Thanksgiving (We always kick the season off the day after…no time for Black Friday)
Advent Readings (This year’s is The Handel’s Messiah Family Advent Reader…we’ve also used Jotham’s Journey and Family Celebrations at Christmas)
Christmas concerts (Lots available from handbell choirs to church cantatas to the Behold the Lamb of God tour…and DQ blizzards afterwards)
Good Samaritan shoeboxes (Gifts for needy children around the world…collections are made before December)
Cookie give away (Dozens and dozens and dozens…showing the love of Christ in a practical way)
Caroling (Old school but good)
Living Nativity (Nothing more fun than being a wise man in the freezing cold…planning one at our house on the 11th)
Christmas breakfast (This one is a carry-over from my childhood)
New ornament each year (Someone gave us a “Your First Christmas Together” ornament, and we’ve added to the collection every year…lots of great memories)
Handmade ornaments (Diana makes four every year…one for us and one to pass along to all the kids)
Devotions in a barn (Borrowed from Michael Card)
Christmas lights drive (The blue “gingerbread house” was our favorite)
Decorating the building where the church meets (Diana and the girls decorated just yesterday)
Reading Christmas stories (The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L’Engle; The Story of Little Christmas by George MacDonald; One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham; The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry)

"The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it"

Above: Shoebox giveaway in the streets of Mexico
Top: The girls prepare for a cookie giveway

Thanksgiving Gifts

2011-11-27T22:39:00.008-05:00

It’s Thanksgiving Day…or at least it was when I commenced writing this. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, home-grown corn, and more awaits us just around the corner. Diana’s sister, our nephew and a recent arrival from San Francisco (talk about culture shock) will put their feet under our table for this feast.

In anticipation I’ve been reading in One Thousand Gifts. And continue to work on my own list. 106. Old towns with character 140. The roar of white water 165. Seeing our children curled up reading a good book 185. Heart to heart talks 202. Pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving Day breakfast.

In the book Ann Voskamp engages us with this quote, “One act of thanksgiving, when things go wrong with us, is worth a thousand thanks when things are agreeable to our inclinations.” In this particular chapter she contemplates her dilemma and our dilemma of seeing gifts in the difficulties.

Yesterday I bumped into a close friend in Walgreens. We hugged. Then we talked. She is dealing with some health issues, so is her husband. Their daughter is overcoming some mighty big obstacles too. As we were saying our goodbyes, she asked if I had heard Laura Story’s song Blessings. I hadn’t. Now I have.

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

I’ll finish up with this perspective from another of my favorite writers, “Honestly I think that I really do not begin to understand suffering, but perhaps seeing it from God’s perspective is the first step. I have learned in past months that He can be trusted. On the other hand it is beginning to dawn on me that the Holy Spirit must make truth alive in my heart. Just studying His Word, discerning where I am wrong, and mentally assenting is not enough. If I am to understand and live the truth, then it must be the Spirit that illumines and changes.”

Listen to "Blessings" by Laura Story

Simple Delights - These are some of the desserts Maria and Christina provided for the tasting on Saturday. Contact them for holiday orders.

Breakfast In Narnia

2011-11-21T20:14:00.010-05:00

We started having a Narnian breakfast years ago. Soon after reading of Lucy’s visit with Mr. Tumnus, we began serving soft-boiled eggs, toast and kippered herring to go along with our tea. It’s a tradition that’s hung around in our family for a long time. This last weekend we invited friends over and took the Narnian breakfast to a whole new level.

The table was loaded with all the standard foods along with bacon, tater tots and an English ginger cake with whipped topping. A lamplight served as a signpost for the entrance to our home. Once inside a wardrobe door (creatively painted by Maria and Christina) opened up into a row of garments and led into Mr. Tumnus home. There tables were set in front of the blazing fire, multiple candles lit the room and the mantle was decorated with books, scrolls and a drawing of Mr. Tumnus’ father. Such great fun!

What a great memory maker and a reminder of the kingdom insights C.S. Lewis is able to delicately interweave into his Chronicle of Narnia Series. The most pointed of these of course is Aslan the Lion who is all-powerful, free and good. And who sacrifices His life for Edmund a “son of Adam” in order to rescue Edmund from the claim of the White Witch. Death cannot hold Him and the stone table is broken at Aslan’s resurrection. It’s all a great reminder of Christ’s life and the reality of His deeper work within us.

Worshipful Thoughts

2011-11-17T19:43:00.008-05:00

While we were in Mexico, we heard of a church that places a very high emphasis on worship. They have no outreach programs but have grown from 17 to 4000 people. The pastor of the church explains it this way, "If 17 people go into the street and look up, what do those who are around them do?" I know the answer to this one. When our youth group visited New York years ago we would look up and watch with mischievous amusement as passers-by did the same.

I can't help believe that if we let the Spirit examine our lives, worship our Father in holiness and lift Christ up that He will draw others to Himself. Let the worship begin. Not only in a church service but all the time as the Psalmist encourages us.

“It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night…” Psalm 92:1-2

“I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” Psalm 63:4,6

“They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.” Psalm 89:16

“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Psalm 34:1

“Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.” Psalm 96:2

Speaking of worship, who are the Charles Wesleys, Fanny Crosbys, Isaac Watts and Ira Sankeys that give expression to our worship today? You will find people like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech, Robin Mark, and David Crowder writing and leading the way for our generation.

Matt Redman has written a book on worship called Facedown in which he challenges us, "When we face up to the glory of God, we soon find ourselves facedown in worship...When we catch a vision of the whole Christ, it commands a response from the very depths of our being...It is worship with a price, a living sacrifice.”

Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville

Above Left: Cross inside Gatlinburg UMC
Top: Colorado during our May visit last year

Why I Pray

2011-11-08T12:50:00.009-05:00

I ran across a treasure trove last Friday while looking for a local business. In a manner of “coincidence” I stopped by the library to ask for directions. There on the front porch receiving no one’s attention were six boxes of used books. Not being a person who can pass up a possible “find”, I edged over with hopeful expectation. Picking up the first book I was delighted to discover it was a Christian title, so was the next and the next. I had stumbled onto the castoffs of a church library. “They are free, take a box full” the librarian said. I obliged her. It’s the kind of discovery that makes you wished you had a three day vacation in a quiet little town with a good coffee shop and homemade sandwiches.

Among the “finds” I walked away with was The Normal Christian Life, The Calvary Road, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret and The Revival We Need. Treasures one and all. But the one that won the prize for first read was How I Can Make Prayer More Effective by Herbert Lockyer. He reminds me, “The Church was born in prayer meeting; and living in such an atmosphere, she turned the world upside-down (Acts 1:14). Read the book! Whenever the saints prayed, something happened.” And of praying with others, “It has been said that a man is only half of himself, his friends are the other half of him. How true this is in respect to prayer. There are times when a person can labor on his own; at other times a team is needed.”

I’m not sure I’m all that effective in prayer, but I pray anyway. Here are a few reasons why:

I pray not because God gives me everything I want but everything I need.
I pray because He does it on His timetable not mine.
I pray because I cannot not pray.
I pray because if I didn’t the rocks, trees, stars and whales would cry out.
I pray because I want to be near God.
I pray not because it will change the world but because it will change me.
I pray because I believe.
I pray because somewhere in the corridors of eternity I will understand.
I pray because Jesus prayed.

The Harer Ladies at the Chris Tomlin Concert

Above: Concert Stage

Top: Stained Glass Window at Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville

Cass Railroad State Park - A Photo Journal

2011-11-01T14:04:00.009-04:00

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7)

Adventure Awaits Just Around the Bend

Happy Campers!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Fall and Winter Make a Beautiful Collision

Hillbilly Winter: It’s Not Cold It’s Just Refreshing

From Last Run Restaurant

The View at Spruce Knob Was Stupendous

Headline News: “Daring Explorers Reach Snow Capped Peak”

The Romantic Truth

2011-10-24T21:37:00.011-04:00

I want to say something more about truth. Truth is a wellspring of life. It’s beautiful, inspiring, warm and yes even…romantic. (As in the romantic period of classical music which “attempted to increase emotional expression and power to describe deeper truths or human feelings.”) Truth was meant to bring fullness and aliveness…far beyond mere facts and answers and information. It was meant to be an interaction with all that is true in a way that enriches our lives. Truth is a well-written novel, a masterful piece of music, a compelling work of art. It’s powerfully gracious and graciously powerful, interweaving itself into the places of real life.

I have a good friend who embodies this idea of romantic truth. We first met at a retreat cabin in southern West Virginia surround by lamas and colorful trees. It was the beginning of a kindred spirit relationship that has grown for almost twenty-five years. Together we have sung around campfires, climbed Seneca rocks, hung out, rafted the New, listened to music, gone spelunking. He is a maverick in a wonderful way sort of way. One who is always pondering what the truth means in real life. I have patterned my own life after his in many ways.

A few years ago he and I sat on a porch swing together on a warm summer morning as the sun rose over the far ridge. We were talking that morning of many things – our children, the Green Letters, the dynamics of the Spirit-filled life and our slow progress in it. In that conversation he made a thought-provoking comment that has stayed me ever since. “I feel like all of my life I have known the words of the Christian life, but I’m just now beginning to hear the music”, he said. It summarized well this idea of how enriching the romantic truth was really meant to be.

Gatlinburg First United Methodist

God’s Unexpected Encouragers

2011-10-18T21:39:00.008-04:00

Last weekend was spent with my parents in the autumn mountains of the Smokies. Mom commented that it had been six years since she had her stroke. I hadn’t nor couldn’t forget that difficult time and have actually placed a blue stone in our story box that reads “Let not your hearts be troubled.” It serves as a reminder that just when we need it most God brings unexpected encourgers along to give us cold cups of refreshment in His Name.

One of the first of those was Christy. My first few days at the hospital were your typical hang out in the hospital waiting room stay. While mom was attended to in ICU, I visited, ate, changed and slept in that waiting room. It was a crazy existence of trying to get some sleep at night on two small couches pushed together, lights shining bright and cleaning crews interrupting. Christy came to my rescue. She was a teen in our very first youth group who eventually attended Moody Bible Institute where she met her husband Bruce. What an oasis they provided in their Knoxville home by graciously giving me a place to crash at night.

The hospital was newly constructed with a modern design that allowed each floor to look down on a large reception area. The tile and glass made the acoustics amazing – no amplification needed. Every evening James, an African American, would clock in to do his janitorial work. With mops and brooms in hand he would sing as he worked. Deep, beautiful renditions of Amazing Grace and other hymns would fill the hospital. It filled my heart, too, and soothed it. James became an unexpected encourger.

Hamlet made the long trip to Tennessee on a Sunday and drove late into the night to return back to West Virginia. He mostly came to bring Diana down so that we could be together a few hours. We visited, went out to eat and returned to the hospital. At that time mom had come through surgery but had gone a few days without recovering consciousness. After we had gathered around her bed for prayer, Hamlet leaned down near Mom and said, “Mrs. Harer, we are about to go now. It would be really nice if you opened your eyes before we leave.” In that instant as if on cue her eyes sprang open. It was a truly amazing moment and began a long recovery that one doctor called a “miracle.”

There were many others God sent along to us, but the last I’ll mention here is Hannah. When I first learned of mom’s stroke I threw some things together and headed off. One of the things that went in the suitcase was Hinds’ Feet on High Places. More often than not at a Panera Bread, Hannah Hurnard would encourage me with the story of Much-Afraid and her journey out of the Valley of Humiliation. Of her companions, Sorrow and Suffering, who were transformed into Glory and Grace. And of the stones of remembrance she had collected from the altars built during difficult times along the way. In the end those common ugly stones, “fell into her hands a heap of glorious, sparkling jewels, very precious and very beautiful.” Just like all the special people God sent into my life and will in all of our lives just when we need them most.

Reformation Day Celebration - A Photo Journal

2011-10-13T19:16:00.015-04:00

Reformation Day Bullet Points

“In 1508 Luther went to Wittenberg, a town in the part of Germany called Saxony, to pursue a doctoral degree and to teach at the newly established university there.”

“Luther came to understand the true nature of the gospel, namely that God has already accomplished our salvation by the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, and that this salvation is ours through faith alone, not on account of our good works.”

“Spiritually earnest people tried to justify themselves by charitable works, pilgrimages, and all kinds of religious performances and devotions, but they were left wondering if they had done enough to appease God's righteous anger and escape His punishment.”

“Luther drafted a series of ninety-five statements in Latin discussing indulgences, good works, repentance, and other topics, and invited interested scholars to debate with him.”

“He nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church on October 31, 1517. This was not an act of defiance or provocation as is sometimes thought.”

“The publication of the Ninety-five Theses brought him to international attention and into direct conflict with the Roman Catholic hierarchy and the Holy Roman Emperor. ”

“The Church demanded that Luther retract a number of his protests… During the meeting at Worms, he was accused of heresy, and announced that he could not and would not recant anything, ‘for it is neither safe nor right,’ he said, ‘to go against conscience. God help me. Amen.’"

“Luther went into hiding in one of Frederick's castles, and the Church declared Luther an outlaw. While in hiding, he began translating the New Testament from Latin into German, to make the Bible available to more people.”

“The movement Luther initiated spread and grew in popularity—especially in Northern Europe, though reaction to the protests against the church varied from country to country.”

The Truth Absolutely Matters

2011-10-04T20:12:00.010-04:00

Truth is important to me. Truth is important to us as Christians. We have a deep seated regard for it and for good reason. Our King set the tone for us by saying things like, “I am the way, the truth and the life” and, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" and, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” So you can see why we hold it in such high esteem, not only because of wanting to be guided away from deception, but because of how intricate it was to the life of Jesus.

Modernism by way of the Renaissance began an erosion of the Bible as the foundation of truth. Modernism dethroned God and placed humanity at the center of all things. Francis Schaffer defines it well for us, “Humanism is man demanding to begin autonomously from himself and turning away completely from anything God might have to say.”

And so while reason, science, intelligence and logic were meant to serve the Creator, it instead usurped Him. The results have been increasingly disastrous. When the eternal has been sucked out of the equation, we are left with nothing more than what we can get out of this life. It empties life of meaning. “Let us eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.”

Now as we enter the post-modern age, the soul and spirit crave for something more than the particulars we can touch, see and measure. It’s an honorable ambition. Who among us is satisfied with an empty life? But keep in mind that this pursuit no longer takes place within the perimeters of absolute truth. No, in our post-modern world we purse relationships, social norms, morality, politics, lifestyles, spirituality and education from the realm of relative truth.

This means that individuals and groups are left to determine for themselves what they think to be or maybe more accurately want to be the truth. It’s a designer approach to life forged together from dozens of places regardless of inconsistencies and contradictions – various religions, majority opinion, traditions, positive vibes, philosophers, cultural norms, spirit guides, progressive thoughts, ancient teachings, scientific theories, mother earth or what we might discover deep within ourselves.

The consequences of throwing off restraints are self evident. When we lose the moral compass that points to True North both individual lives and societies eventually crumble. Everyone does what is right in their own eyes.

The truth is that absolutes matter. By that I mean an unchanging reality that transcends time, circumstances, events and cultures. I’m not referring to a set of very wise laws designed to promote orderliness. But instead the absolute character that flows from the immutable essence of God. The Truth that isn’t burdensome but freeing, isn’t lifeless but abundant, isn’t joyless but brings peace. And Truth that absolutely matters to all of us.

Something’s Going On

2011-09-25T23:02:00.005-04:00

“Spiritual directors are people who have the gift of spiritual friendship. They seek to be present and attentive to others. They listen and look for signs of God in the experiences of others. Spiritual directors aren’t experts on God; in fact, good spiritual directors are very aware of their ignorance, blindness, and limitations in regards to the spiritual lives of others. They trust that God is doing the ministry, so they are satisfied to stand on the sidelines of a person’s life and simply reflect on what they are seeing.”

Now there’s an idea from Mark Yaconelli that’s been a long time in coming. And one that has eluded me for years. My idea has always been that it’s my responsibility to make an assessment and take the initiative if anything profitable was going to happen. What a relief to realize that God has already taken the initiative. As a matter of fact He’s been taking it for years. [Sigh of relief]…it’s not all on my shoulders.

Have you ever walked into a meeting late? Everyone else is on the same page but you are playing catch up. You pull out the agenda to see what topics have been discussed. You’re feeling a bit in the dark but make some assumptions, wait patiently for understanding, whisper to the person next to you to ask for a clarification. Finally you feel informed enough to participate.

It’s an analogy that reflects well how we enter into something that is already happening. Decisions have been made, directions have been set, actions have been taken. It’s God’s work and it’s been in progress for a long time. I enter the scene as a discerning participant when and where I am needed.

God is at work in my children, with the neighbor, that x-treme guy who just walked into the chapel, your spouse and the single gal who brings her two children to the Christmas and Easter services. I may not be able to see it on the surface but something is happening…the faithful prayers of grandparents, empty loneliness, searching for truth among the world’s religions, an unexpected blessing, a childhood Bible class, the loving kindness of a college friend, the sense of missing something in the Christian life, an out of context act of kindness, pain from the past, an unacknowledged conviction. One Christian writer even says God called him back into relationship through three unusual things – the beauty of classical music, the wonder of creation and the mystery of romantic love.

There are other ideas at work here as well. The idea that we serve as interpreters or reflectors in helping others see what God is doing. The idea that we don’t have it all together nor are we aware of all He is doing in the life of another. The idea that we are in this journey together. But most of all that indeed something is going on and our Father is at the bottom of it.

Wear a Tea Cozy Day

2011-09-17T19:31:00.005-04:00

This is no joke. Thursday, September 22nd is “Wear a Tea Cozy on Your Head Day.” I learned about it this week when a friend sent us a link to White Stuff, a clothing store in the United Kingdom who is sponsoring the day. (For you non tea drinkers, the cozy is a cover used to insulate the tea pot to keep the tea hot.)

Checking out their website I discovered that there is also a mug shot contest to go along with the day. The winner receives 200£ of White Stuff stuff. Awesome! Enlisting my wife we did a photo shoot in order to send in a prize winning entry. Looking over all of my options I eventually settled on the Teapot Spout in the Ear shot. While reading the terms of agreement it was a real downer to discover that only UK residents could enter the contest. (That’s United Kingdom not University of Kentucky.) I sent in the photo anyway. Along with the following note:

“I wanted to get in on the fun...maybe you could recognize an honorable mention from your international fans. My wife and I take a cup of tea practically every day. Our mottos: ‘Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.’ ~ Chinese Proverb and ‘You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.’ ~C.S. Lewis”

I’m sure there must be a few other tea cozy heads out there who have the courage to be a little crazy, so here and now I’m announcing my own contest for “Wear a Tea Cozy on Your Head Day.” For those of you who would like to enter go to my facebook wall and post your super cool mug. There will be a winner selected and a prize giveaway. (Knowing me it will probably be some sort of book, a blizzard or a beverage.) You have between now and September 22nd to post your photo. This is an international contest and will not be limited to US residents only. Family members are welcome to join in on the fun, too.

What’s a Pastor to Do? Eugene Talks About It

2011-09-10T22:11:00.009-04:00

Funny how someone you initially and judgmentally dislike becomes someone who becomes influential in your life. Eugene Peterson has been that kind of person for me. It’s not that there was any personal reason to dislike him; I just didn’t particularly care for his work in The Message Bible. Amazingly his writings have none the less intersected my path in a very helpful way. They have become instrumental in shaping my thoughts about what it means to be a pastor.

The first encouragement came from a Leadership Journal article a decade ago just before a leadership retreat. As I recall we had been talking about keeping the plates of ministry spinning, and I read portions of this article in which Peterson contrasts caring for souls and running the church. “In running the church I use language that is descriptive and motivational. I want people to be informed so there are no misunderstandings. And I want people to be motivated so things get done. But in the cure of souls I am far more interested in who people are and who they are becoming in Christ than I am in what they know or what they are doing.”

As we tried to get our bearings in Mexico, The Contemplative Pastor gave direction. “If pastors become accomplices in treating every child as a problem to be figured out, every spouse a problem to be dealt with, every clash of the wills in choir or committee as a problem to be adjudicated, we abdicate our most important work, which is directing worship in the traffic, discovering the presence of the cross in the paradoxes and chaos between Sundays, calling attention to the ‘splendor in the ordinary,’ and, most of all, teaching a life of prayer to our friends and companions in the pilgrimage.”

In the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, Diana and I browsed through the books for a snowy afternoon of reading and walked away with Subversive Spirituality. It was yet another reminder of the work of a Pastor. “I had supposed that my task was to teach and preach the truth of the scriptures so that they would know God and how he works their salvation; I had supposed that my task was to help them make moral decisions so that they could live happily ever after with a clear conscience. I had supposed that my task was to pray with and for them, gathering them into the presence of a holy God who made heaven and earth and sent Jesus to die for their sins. Now I was realizing that more than accurate learning was at stake, more than moral behavior was at stake, more than getting them on their knees on a Sunday morning was at stake. Life was at stake. People can think correctly and behave rightly and worship politely and still live badly – live anemically, live bored and insipid and trivial lives.”

And finally, “Being a pastor is an incredibly good, wonderful work. It is one of the few places in our society where you can live a creative life. You live at the intersection of grace and mercy and sin and salvation. We have front line seats and sometimes we even get to be part of the action. How could anyone abandon the glory of that kind of life to become a management expert? We are artists not CEOs. The true pastorate is a work of art – the art of life and spirit.”

Flying Gameday Colors

Living In the Present

2011-09-05T21:32:00.006-04:00

For as long as I can remember I have been given to anxiousness. By personality and circumstance it has shaped my thoughts for a lifetime. I can remember all too well the grief stricken fear of being left with my cousins to play for the day at granny’s house. And the sick stomach feeling of entering the first grade. I must have been the only student in the history of the school who cried every day through the first half of the year and started in again entering the second year. Even embarrassment did not keep me from crawling up in Mrs. Ola’s lap for a bit of consoling. Fear tracked me down throughout my childhood.

It’s ironic how childhood problems can follow a person into their adult years. As adults we are much better at covering up but our undealt with issues have a way of resurfacing. So for me it seems that no matter how much I mature, my default is to fall back into the anxious mode.

“Anxiety is the inability to live in the present.” This statement by Mark Yaconelli sounded a chord with me this week. Isn’t that the truth of it? Our worries are almost always about what is happening in the future or probably more accurately about what we perceive might happen in the future. Even our concerns from the past tend to create anxiety over how they might affect our future.

Such a life robs us of being fully alive. It causes us to grow old without having lived. And more often than not it leads us to grab control of people and circumstances in the hope of ordering our world. It’s deadening and unattractive.

Do you ever find yourself in this sinking boat? Jesus comes to us in the storm with words of calm and peace and confidence. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well…Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself."

Jesus’ words remind us to live trustfully in the present not worrying about tomorrow. After all He cares about sparrows and lilies and even grass in the fields. If He is so mindful of such small insignificant matters, how much more His beloved children? Jesus reminds too of where to place our attention. On the heavenly Father...seeking His kingdom and His righteousness. With Him we find our source for living in the present.

Something Worth Boasting About

2011-08-30T22:20:00.003-04:00

What are you most proud of in your life these days? Your education, a new transaction, intelligence, a new look, ministry success, athletic talent, new business, musical abilities, your children, physical stamina, expertise in your field, influence, money in the bank, beauty, success, hard work…

All good things.

But let’s also keep in mind Jeremiah 9:23-24, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”

When it comes to boasting we tend to get the shoe on the wrong foot. That’s partly because or mostly because the world doesn’t give the time of day to such nonsense. Have you heard of the Academy Awards recognizing an actress lately who understands and knows God? Read any Fortune 500 magazines honoring men of God? When is the last time you remembered a university president being appointed based upon his intimate knowledge of the Lord? I’m hoping that we aren’t absorbing some of those same priorities in the church body as well.

There’s really only one thing to boast about. It actually sounds a little strange to even say it. But our boast is that we know our Lord personally, intimately and practically, directly discerning, recognizing and interacting with His character. That goes against the flow of conventional worldly wisdom and is something worth boasting about.

India Comes to Our Door

2011-08-21T17:03:00.006-04:00

India came to our doorstep this week. A bag of San-Cha tea grown in Assam, the richest tea growing district in India arrived in our mail box. Sarah was there this summer and picked up a gift for us. “For the family who gave me a love for homemade chai”, she said. It was much like the gift another friend from Chicago gave us a few years ago. Good stuff.

India also came into our home by way of a book I’m reading by Ravi Zacharias. Ravi is Indian born and a leading Christian apologist of our day. He’s brilliant, very heady. Mostly over my head if you want to know the truth. You should give him a read sometime if you haven’t already. I recommend Beyond Opinion. But he can also be very down to earth as he is in his autobiography Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows.I’ve gotten a good taste of India culture as he describes food (A typical Indian sweet is made purely from milk and sugar that’s repeatedly reduced until it’s thickened and then loaded with pistachios or coconut or almonds or other genuine flavor.), housing (This is a simple little house like most others on the street, very small, made up of four rooms, each measuring about ten feet by ten. Even these small rooms are carefully compartmentalized. There may be a stove next to the bed, that sort of thing.) and lots more.

He has some good insights about the religion of India too. It’s particularly helpful for those who have hopes of sharing their faith in our multi-ethnic society. (Each time I visit a Hindu temple in India, I am conscious that the religious lives of the people worshiping there have been shaped and transferred to them around these temples for literally thousands of years. Their songs, their chants, their superstitions, their commitments, and their fear of the spirits have all come to them across the centuries in the womb of their heritage…This connection with past generations and centuries is one reason why it is very hard for anyone from the East to convert to Christianity. It is a much more intricate matter than in the West where, generally speaking one thinks individually. In the East, one’s thinking is collective.).

That’s not all. Our experience culminated with a special Indian meal. It got started days in advanced with a trip to the International Grocer to purchase basmati rice and garam masala. Then on Saturday Diana and the girls made a wonderful dish of chicken tikka masala to go along with the naan and chai tea. Add a little Indian instrumental music and it brought India from our doorstep into our home and right to our table.

The Book of Common Psalms

2011-08-16T21:23:00.009-04:00

The Psalms were not only the songbook of Israel but are also a centuries old prayer book. (That is where I was headed with the last post, but it took on a life of its own. It was as if it were saying, “No, no, you can’t go there yet, write about the honest sharing of David first.” So what could I do but comply?)

The prayers of the Psalms teach us to pray. They put words of revelation on the tip of our tongue to give us confidence in what we are expressing. They form a foundational understanding of the essence and ways of God for us to build our prayers upon. They give us a jumpstart when we are uncertain how to get going or simply don’t have the motivation. In a time of pain and need? Let a lament be your guide. Want to express some honor to the Creator? There are praises galore. Is there some sin gnawing at you? Try one of the Psalms of repentance. Has Christ come into view? Use one that speaks of the Messiah.

As people who love the Scriptures (and we do) our habit is to talk about God, to debate about Him and even to defend Him. All the while neglecting the profound depths of talking with Him. Praying the Psalms requires that we deal with God. It provides us with a guide to interact in honesty and thoroughness, accuracy and emotion, humility and intimacy.

There certainly isn’t a formula for praying the Psalms, but there are different ways to use them. For instance you may simply want to read through a passage and use the big idea or a specific phrase that settles in your mind. Or you can also use the exact words of a Psalm. I remember hearing a friend pray a passage once as he changed the pronouns (he, his, him) to the personal pronoun (you). It seemed so personal, powerful, and profound. Or you can pray exact phrases then expand on them before coming back for another phrase. The key of course is not the method you choose but just to give praying the Psalms a try.

The Poetry of Life

2011-08-09T12:48:00.006-04:00

Poetry is a language of the imagination, playing with words in a way that captures life from a unique perspective. It lets us enter into the emotions and experience of the writer. Add just the right melody to poetry, throw in some tambourines, cymbals, flutes, trumpets and harps (150) and you have powerful pieces of work. Masterpieces for pilgrimage (122), war (18), reflecting (23), lamenting (5), dancing (149) or worshiping (33). You have the Psalms. Hebrew poetry set to music. The song book of Israel.

David’s poetry (and the other authors for that matter) is honest, real, vulnerable, emotional. He doesn’t sanitize his feelings, giving us only the cheery, kind, acceptable ones (although he gives us those too). He pulls back the curtains of his heart and lets us take a peek at the unacceptable, the ugly. ”Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” (4) “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing.” (5) “I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.” (6) “Break the teeth in their mouths, O God.” (58) Isn’t this where we all really live? Life in general and the Christian life in specific are not always riding the wave. Sometimes we are pulled under by the surf.

While exposing us to his deep emotions in the given situation, David is not held captive by those emotions. He constantly comes back to his center of gravity. The LORD is his refuge (31), fortress (59), stronghold (18), hiding place (32) and ever present help in trouble (46) to name a few. And in coming back to that center of gravity David unveils for us some breath taking views of God. “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” (59)

Somewhere along the line we have lost the idea that acknowledging our rawest emotions can actually lead us to encounter our Heavenly Father. An encounter that can fill us with hope, truth, healing, peace and transformation. Somehow in our desire not to be controlled by, lead astray by or be deceived by our emotions (which we certainly want to avoid), we have denied ourselves the opportunity to admit and deal with them. It’s a failure that covers up pain, creates wounded blind spots and hinders our spiritual growth.

David comes along and with the poetry of a shepherd, king and fugitive gives us encouragement to discover God in life. Life as it is and not as we wish it. Life as we are and not where we wished we were. Poetry in motion. The poetry of life.

Finding Community at the Holly Bush

2011-07-30T11:33:00.003-04:00

We have a monstrosity in our front yard. It’s a twenty-five foot holly bush that is part of the fabric of our neighborhood. “I remember when that tree was planted”, being interpreted, “Don’t you dare cut that bush down or you will have single handedly ruined the neighborhood.” So instead of cutting it down, we have instead embraced our holly bush over the last year. It’s a beautiful Christmas ornament, gives us some privacy, is a sanctuary for birds and provides a land mark for someone finding the house. “Just look for the super-sized holly bush.” People still miss it. No one can believe a bush is so big.

Over the last couple of years it has gotten unruly so this summer I took on the task of conquering it. With my manly electronic hedge trimmer in hand I attacked it with reckless abandon starting with the bottom ring. Then I steadily worked upward until I was reaching as high as possible perched on an aluminum ladder. My dear wife provided support below while shouting instructions up to me. “You missed some to your right.” “It needs trimming at knee level.” “That looks good.” Over three days we maneuvered around and around the holly bush but lacked the height need to reach the very top. It took on the look of a spiked haircut – very trendy, very modern, very artsy.

What we didn’t realize was that the trimming of the Holley bush had become a community fascination and sensation. Our professional logger neighbor good naturedly “encouraged” us from across the street. Then he came over to offer us his ladder. The next door neighbor commented with a chuckle in his voice, “I think you missed some on top.” Other neighbors were full of comments. “I can’t believe you trimmed that on your own” and “I kept looking out the window to make sure you hadn’t fallen off” and “Our landscaper said there was no way he would trim that tree without a cherry picker.” Even former neighbors got into the act, “I drove by earlier. It looked like you were doing a high wire act.”

The neighborhood is becoming community in other ways too. Dan brought over his front end loader to move some dirt, insisted Maria operate it and then spread the top soil in our garden. Our Nepalese neighbors came bearing a gift of yogurt stirred into ice water and a soil scientist came over to analyze the garden.

Interesting…amazing how just living life together begins to create neighborliness and community. Wonder if there’s an insight for us as the Body of Christ? Oh by the way, the spiked hair did get trimmed. A firefighter friend brought over his thirty-two foot ladder. More community at the Holly bush.

The Story Box: First Steps of Trust

2011-07-24T22:21:00.011-04:00

(I introduced the Story Box a while ago. Over the coming months I hope to encourage your faith by sharing some of the stories that come out of this little box.)

This key is a reminder of our first steps in moving out of our comfort zone in matters of trusting God.

Our philosophy with cars has always been to drive them until they die. The Buick we owned did just that. When it broke down again for the umpteenth time, I left it in the parking lot of a Baptist Church never to return for it. (A friend towed it away for us weeks later.) We didn’t realize at the time but that broken down car was an inciting incident to move us out of our comfort zone Christianity and into our first steps of greater trust.

I remember we had a little bit of money in the bank for the purchase of a used vehicle, but it wasn’t near enough to buy anything close to a road worthy vehicle. At the time someone had given us a few days of their time share in Williamsburg, and other friends had given us the use of a car for the trip. It was one of our first and best vacations. Indoor swimming every evening, historic Williamsburg, the Jamestown area, and playing in the Atlantic on November 1st highlighted the trip.

We returned to real life still needing a car. Visiting area dealerships, searching the classifieds and buying Mountain Trader papers turned up nothing. Days turned into weeks, and one loaned car was turned in for another. At that point we felt certain of two things – we shouldn’t go into debt for the purchase and “Jehovah Jireh” (the Lord will provide). Those two things would be tested over the coming weeks as expectations from others mounted.

A close friend had a nephew working at the Honda dealership and as I recall he encouraged us to go in and “talk to Wayne.” We had priced Hondas already and knew that even a used one was well out of our price range, but one day I stopped by anyway and asked for Wayne. I told him our story and of Jehovah Jireh.

He pointed out a white Dodge Caravan that had recently been traded in…it was still out of our range. Later Diana and I went back to look at it together and felt confident this was the van for us. We prayed, we waited, we resolved not to go into debt, we believed, we re-evaluated our finances. Some extra money had begun to trickle in for the purchase of a vehicle.

I went back to Wayne at the dealership. “I can offer you $1000 dollars less than your asking price.” “I would really like to do that for you” he replied, “but I can’t.” I returned home wondering how much longer it would be on the lot before someone purchased it but not defeated. A few days later we received a gracious gift that pushed us over the top. I called Wayne nervous with excitement to tell him the news. “Jehovah Jireh” were my first words.

Diana and I have often pointed back to the purchase of that van as our first foray into a deeper level of trusting God. Eventually it led into trusting Him for missions support. And daily provisions for two years. Then to trusting Him for living in a foreign culture. Trusting for a home when we returned. Trusting Him to direct our children. Trusting for a job. Trusting for the future. Then trusting for a flow of grace and love to come into our lives and go out to others. And just to think that He used a broken down old car to lead us into this extraordinary journey.

Old Guys Rule: Ramblings At 50

2011-07-19T12:18:00.012-04:00

I figured why not enter the fifties with a bang and throw a big memorable party. I mean every good story has memorable scenes doesn’t it? And we tend to love those the most with whom we have a story. Diana baked eight cakes and made gallons of tea and lemonade. The rain held off, the yard filled up, and we talked and laughed together into the night. It was an event that drew us into community.

Special friends came together to form a Birthday Band. It was a fantastic band that included three guitars, two mandolins, banjo, djembe and congas. They played some of my old favorites like Arise My Soul Arise, Sawmill and In Christ. Here’s the chorus for that one: In Christ I am adopted as a child of the Living God; In Christ I take refuge in the blood. In Christ Your Holy Spirit comes and makes His home in me; and sets my captive spirit free to the praise of Your glory.

I love cards that have good words, a nice texture and creative art. A lot came my way, some reflective and some funny. Like this one, “Don’t worry 50 is just a number…and the Titanic was just a boat, and World War II was just a misunderstanding, and Chernobyl was just a few leaky pipe…Just Kidding.” And “If you have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say Cool Whip on the side of them, you might be a redneck. Have a hootin’ and hollerin’ happy birthday.”

The biggest surprise of the day came in the way of a phone call. As most of you know I have been applying and interviewing for jobs over the last few months without success. It was a gift to receive a call that I got the job working as an advocate for the disabled to area businesses. I start on August 1st. Yahoo!

Late that night after everyone had left I Facebooked, “This has been one of the best days of my life.” Someone responded, “A friend told me years back...‘You are going to love middle age.’ She was right. I say the same to you.” I hope so. I really want to grow into each phase of life with a glimmer in my eye and a cheerfulness that’s infectious – living life robustly, fully, contentedly, abundantly.

Appreciation Repetition

2011-07-13T09:16:00.007-04:00

I’m so glad to be beyond the crackling, scratching, jumping era of vinyl records (I’m well aware of dating myself about half a century having witnessed the record, 8 track, cassette, CD, MP3 evolution). The worst was the deep scratch that caused the needle to jump out of the groove, repeating the same section over and over and over again. A couple of coins or a little thumb pressure on the arm was the only hope of quieting this annoyance.

I’m feeling a bit like one of those annoying scratched up records by writing about appreciation again but am none-the-less compelled to reflect on it one last time. I could lie that I have much more to say, but in reality I need to have the appreciation mindset branded into my own brain.

Our generation seems to be addicted to the “latest”. As Americans we take a great deal of pride in having the newest, the best, the latest. We want the latest and best phone, computer app, fashion, brand, cereal, tool, and model. In some ways it’s good. It keeps us creative, forward thinking and learning. But in other ways it makes us materialistic and dissatisfied.

In the swirl of accumulation are we losing our ability to appreciate and wonder? When we do, a beautiful sunset becomes just another sunset. Just another daisy. Just another starry sky. Just another gentle wind. Just another snow flake.

God established the repetitiveness of nature – the continual cycle of seasons, consistent night stars and the constant crashing of waves. We get to enter in and appreciate it all. Like a child who is thrilled by an activity and yells, “Do it again!” Children have the ability to re-enter an experience and enjoy it all over again. Could it be that sunrises aren’t just the same old same old, but instead are God’s way of “doing it again?” Maybe the simple, the repetitive really gives us the opportunity to stop and appreciate the wonder of our God in it all.

Independence Day Celebrated - A Photo Journal

2011-07-05T13:50:00.016-04:00

It Was a Blue Day for Christina

Horse Ride at Pipestem State Park

West Virginia Cookout with D-Lux Grill

Ain’t Nothin Better Then Korn and Big Dawgs

The Fast and Furious World of Dutch Blitz

Hanging Out with Friends at the Fire Tower

The Band Struck Up Proud to Be an American

The Work of Pyromaniac Neighbors

The "Rocket's Red Glare, the Bombs Bursting in Air"

For the Land of the Free: We Give Thanks

The Gift of Simple Pleasures

2011-06-28T10:58:00.012-04:00

Diana has been challenged and inspired recently with Ann Voskamp’s blog (A Holy Experience) and book (One Thousand Gifts). Ann is a poetic, gut wrenchingly honest writer who dares us to live life fully right where we are and to embrace everyday blessings. So in recognition of the power of gratitude and in the spirit of my last journal to live in appreciation here’s the beginning of my list of simple pleasures:

The texture of wooden bowls, driving rain on a tin roof, stained glass windows, the power of a horse running, the summiting experience, the shimmer of the sun on water, mountain music, the taste of early morning coffee, the distant whistle of a train, a bubbling brook, the crackling of campfire, art, ocean waves breaking, the friendship of a dog, the atmosphere set by candles, the creativity of photography, softly clanging wind chimes, a fire red sunset from the backyard, ethnic foods, interesting architecture, the poetry of the Psalms, smell of fresh baked bread, leaves rustled by the wind, family albums from past generations, antiques, momo dumplings brought over by Nepalese neighbors, cold mountain streams, fresh mowed lawns, scenic routes, wedding receptions, the beauty of creative word play, the playfulness of a puppy, our daughters’ drawings, Adventures in Odyssey, big shady oak trees, worship music, porch swings, sound of a whippoorwill, cool shapes of drift wood, picking up seashells, championship ball games, homemade ice cream, the sound of a Harley, the smell of the earth after it rains, used bookstores, a graying beard, mountains, the greening of spring, fresh garden vegetables, afternoon cup of tea, brilliant autumn colors, Phil Yancey’s writings, a well written novel, Vivaldi, a story told from a senior, a classic car show, family traditions, the roar of a waterfall, a rummage sale “find”, home sweet home, an unexpected kiss, a long distance call from our son, the power of lightening, whirlpools, meaningful prayer times, wild and open places, cold showers on hot days and hot showers on cold days, discovering new authors, the striking of my grandfather’s clock, animals in the wild, a front porch rocking chair, reunions with old friends, laughter of our children, fields of flowers, March Madness, the sound of screen doors…

Here’s Ann, “[A friend] dares me, and I don’t even blink. Could I write a list of a thousand things I love? Sometimes you don’t know when you’re taking the first step through a door until you’re already inside…I grab a scrap paper out of the ash-woven basket at the end of the counter…Across the backside, on a whim, a dare, I scratch it do: Gift List. I begin the list. Not of gifts I want but of gifts I already have.
1) Morning shadows across the old floors
2) Jam piled high on toast
3) Cry of a blue jay from high in a spruce

“That is the beginning and I smile. I can’t believe how I smile. I mean, they are just common things and maybe I don’t even know they are gifts really until I write them down and that is really what they look like. Gifts He bestows. This writing it down – it is sort of like… unwrapping love.”

Passing It On: Know What I Mean?

2011-06-20T22:37:00.012-04:00

“In twenty-five years what do you think you’ll tell your family I passed on to you as a father?” I posed that question to the girls as we sat eating a scrumptious Father’s Day breakfast. Call me a bit bold or a little bit crazy but none-the-less, as fathers we do pass on a lot to our children. Here’s what I mean: My friend Sam – “His life has been characterized by a genuine preference for reluctance, followed by simple confidence and high performance…He’s been a good man, a good husband and father." ESPN’s Hannah Storm – “I remember Dad always picking himself up, relentlessly positive and always pushing new ideas.”

So I’m left to ponder. What am I passing on to my children? I’m not sure I want to know. What do I want to pass on to my children? It’s innumerable. Character is important. Love for God’s Word. Holy Spirit awareness. Importance of family. Humor and laughter. Being real and vulnerable in community. The Christian life is not perfection, it’s a transforming process. Creative living is good. ALL of these are good but let me focus on three others.

I want to pass on a spirit of enjoyment and appreciation. There are so many simple pleasures and daily happenings to appreciate in this life. They are just busting out all around us. This hasn’t always been the norm for me. I can be a “glass half empty person” but what I want to pass on is an enjoying the moment to the fullest. Here’s what I mean: appreciating a well written novel, classical music, a fire red sunset from the backyard, a story told from a senior, a classic car show, the summiting experience, the roar of a waterfall, garden growth, art, antiques, mountain music,a rummage sale “find” coldness of the creek..

I want to pass on an attitude of adventure. John Eldredge captured the idea well in the quote included in one of his writings, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” I want my children to discover the God-given adventure that He has placed in their heart. And it very well might be unconventional. Here’s what I mean: it could be a summer learning language in Germany, studying the cello, raising seven children with a homesteading focus, doing graduate work in ethnomusicology, starting an outreach to surfers, adopting children from Ethiopia, opening a tea room on a university campus, becoming a writer or artist…

I want to pass on a heart for worship. A king Davidisque type of worship…passionate, real and undignified. A heart that stands solidly on revelation and engages the emotions. Unquestionably it is worship of the Triune God and goes way beyond the eleven o’clock hour of Sunday morning. Here’s what I mean: it daily acknowledges God’s worth when writing music, standing in wonder at the Grand Canyon, gazing at the stars, touring in Ireland, marveling at the birth of a child, enjoying blueberry harvest, listening to Hillsong, hiking in a National Park…

So what about you? What are you wanting to pass on to your children? It’s worth thinking about, if you know what I mean.

Remembering the Forgotten God

2011-06-15T16:32:00.007-04:00

Francis Chan put his finger on the problem with his book title, The Forgotten God. He says that from his perspective, “the Holy Spirit is tragically neglected and for all practical purposes, forgotten. Speaking of forgotten, did you remember that last Sunday was Pentecost, and did you commemorate it in some fashion? It’s amazing that we let one of the pivotal events of the Christian calendar (along with Christmas and Easter) slip through our fingers.

Pentecost means “fifty” and is celebrated fifty days after Passover. In the Old Testament it was called the Feast of Weeks (the day after seven completed weeks) and coincided with the wheat harvest of spring. Jews from distant countries traveled to Jerusalem to participate in this festival. There they would bring the “first fruits” of the wheat to give as an offering to God. Traditionally “the synagogue was usually decorated in greenery, flowers and baskets of fruit to symbolize the harvest aspect” of Pentecost. It’s akin to our Thanksgiving Day.

It was also tradition to read from Ezekiel 1 when they met at the Temple. Imagine hearing this read, “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal…” And then imagine experiencing this, “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

The Holy Spirit’s role in our lives has fallen on hard times in part because of the excesses by some, but it was Jesus himself who said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you…” Without the Spirit we are left hung out to dry. We are left without a Teacher, without a Counselor and without a Comforter. I know personally I had forgotten about the Spirit for years until someone abruptly called my attention to His mighty indwelling. It turned out to be a revolution in my heart as He began to fill, control, motivate, dominate, captivate and direct my life.

Want to celebrate next year? Try out these ideas: set a festive table with greenery and flowers, bake some fresh homemade bread, read passages about the Holy Spirit leading up to Pentecost, follow the Anglican tradition of wearing all white, attend a baptism, hang a dove as a symbolic decoration, have friends over for a prayer time, light candles, make a huge fruit basket for a table centerpiece… All are opportunities to remember the Forgotten God and celebrate His coming at Pentecost.

Anniversary Two Three

2011-06-07T19:12:00.007-04:00

Selecting a romantic location for our 23rd anniversary on June 4th proved to be more difficult than I expected. As we looked over options we could have chosen Paris, Lisbon or Santorini. It could have been Nevis, Venice or Florence. In the end we decided on Hinton, a quaint little railroad town nestled in the beautiful mountains of southern West Virginia. While there we stumbled across The Chestnut Revival Café and Tea House for a delightful afternoon of conversation, reading, homemade bread and peach iced tea. Hinton was a good choice. For while we have been blessed to travel a decent amount over the last few years, we find ourselves gravitating to the simple pleasures of life.

Truth be told, we are also opportunists when it comes to celebrations. So when we traveled to Colorado last month to see Daniel at Timberline, we took advantage to have an early anniversary celebration. One of the memory makers was eating at the Encore Restaurant where we enjoyed flatbread pizza (Mozzarella, Roasted Tomato, Basil), Falafel Burger w/Hummus, and a rocky road ice cream sandwich for dessert. Encore has been described as “cloistered cool of fine dining and the comforting casualness of a hip neighborhood spot.”

Another memory maker was spending the day at the Tattered Cover Bookstore. How many people do you know who would pass up all the Denver attractions to spend the day at a bookstore? With the theme “Eat, Sleep, Read” it was our kind of place and filled with nooks and crannies, overstuffed chairs and antique tables as well as a Coffee and Tea Shop. So while we enjoy the simple I guess in the end we are a bit cosmopolitan as well.

One more thing about our anniversary, I am blessed to be married to a woman who is a lifelong learner. I read a book a month. My wife reads a book an evening. She is amazing and a wealth of insight. Whether it’s health food, flowers, chemistry, vitamins, child development, Spanish, Bible, numbers, pioneer days, exchange rates, music, Mexican history……….. she knows a good deal about it.

Now together, I am glad we are on a journey of learning together. We are learning what companionship means at mid-life. We are learning to be more vulnerable and how much we need an authentic community. We are learning there is a wonder and wildness to life, and freedom to those who obey. Together we are learning. I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.

A Valueless Life?

2011-06-01T08:26:00.002-04:00

At what point does a life become valueless? Many voices have given an answer to this question throughout the generations. During World War II phrases were thrown around like, “they were killed because they had handicaps... useless eaters...unworthy of living...individuals lower then beasts.” In ancient Rome babies would often be left to die if they were “illegitimate, unhealthy or deformed, the wrong sex, or too great a burden on the family.”

Move out of the realm of history and we are left to sort through our own personal perceptions of life - an unborn child tests likely to be born with Down’s Syndrome, a stroke leaves a family member with a very uncertain future, a parent suffers with Alzheimer’s, your life becomes connected with the disabled. As he has at other times in the past Phil Yancey gives helpful insight:

“At times, despite our best efforts to honor other’ pain, we encounter suffering that seems utterly devoid of meaning. I am thinking specifically of a man with Alzheimer’s disease; the daughter tries to tend to his needs, but every day her heart is broken by the sad shell of what used to be her father. Or I think of the severely disabled child with an IQ in the 30-40 range. The child may live a long life lying motionlessly in a crib, unable to talk, unable to comprehend, soaking up hours of expensive professional care.

“‘What is the point of their lives? Do their lives have any meaning?’ asked Dr. Jurgen Trogisch, a pediatrician who works with the severely mentally handicapped.

“For many years Dr. Trogisch could not answer the question of meaning. Then he ran an introductory course to train new helpers, and at the end of the one year training period, he asked the helpers to fill out a survey. Among the questions was this one, ‘What changes have taken place in your life since you became totally involved with disabled people?’

“Here is a sampling of their answers:
• For the first time in my life I am doing something really significant.
• I feel I can now do things I wouldn’t have thought myself capable of before.
• I am more responsive now to human suffering and it arouses in me the desire to help.
• It’s made me question what is really important in life.
• I’ve become more tolerant. My own little problems don’t seem so important any longer, and I’ve learned to accept myself with all my inadequacies. Above all I’ve learned to appreciate the little pleasures of life.

“As Dr. Trogisch read over these and other responses, he realized with a start the answer to his question. The meaning of suffering of those children was being worked out in the lives of others, his helpers, who were learning lessons no sophisticated educational system could teach.”

Christina's Thirteenth - A Photo Journal

2011-05-25T17:57:00.009-04:00

What a hoot – Lauren, Kayla, Keyra, Christina

A piano and voice recital was a part of the big day

Pink flamingo cupcakes were on tap for Saturday

And cappuccino punch with cake on Sunday

Three beautifully elegant women of the Harer household

The birthday chair always gets special decoration

With Dad

The informal Christina in her Timberline tee

The Words of Timberline

2011-05-17T12:27:00.011-04:00

As Daniel neared completion of high school, we encouraged him to take a year to focus on some solid spiritual formation. “Go to a discipleship school, get involved in a surf ministry, visit missionary friends in China or Africa,” we said. In providence, it turned out to be Timberline Lodge in Colorado. We just attended their concluding ceremonies and came home overwhelmingly happy. Timberline is a place where young people enlarge their boundaries. Let me summarize why in four words – transformation, community, mentors, affirmation.

Transformation – Timberline doesn’t stress academics. It teaches the Bible and stresses transformation. As Dan Thomas said, “We do not have anything to give to the students. We simply expose them to all that they already have in Christ.” This summarizes the transformational focus of this school, discovering the riches of the inheritance they have already received.

Community – There’s just something about 30 students being together 24/7, snowboarding, hanging out at the Rocky Mountain Café or repelling the arches of Utah that creates community. It’s created in these activities and a hundred others like it, but their community is so much more. What we saw was a group of students and staff who are developing the attitude of community. A group of imperfect people with imperfect ways caring for one another. Caring enough to confront trespasses, speak vulnerably, apply grace, admit wrong, love unloveliness, grow steadily. It’s the kind of community I want for my kids…and for myself.

Mentors – “When you go to college look around and find a godly person who can mentor you. Look for someone who is passionately seeking God, someone who prays. It may be the president of the school, or it may be the janitor.” I’ve preached that for a long time. What I didn’t anticipate but what we found was that at Timberline everyone is that kind of mentor. Whether it’s the kitchen assistant, the IT guy, the program director or the wife of the maintenance man, they are all intentionally pursuing God and intentionally mentoring others.

Affirmation – The concluding ceremony was a huge affirmation for the students. I’ve never seen anything like it. Each student came to the platform and was given a special word that summarized their life and strengths – words like freedom, garden, teacher, radiance, Viking, and vase. And then those words were expanded to encourage, affirm and challenge them. It was so powerful. There were so many tears. Diana was crying over students she had never even met. As they walked off that stage they moved forward with a year’s worth of affirmation, mentoring, community, and transformation.

Thanks so much, Timberline! Thanks for the words of Timberline becoming a part of our son’s life. Check out their website at http://www.timberlinelodge.org/

Blessing Our Children

2011-05-06T23:38:00.013-04:00

It is our intention to bless our children. By blessing I mean purposefully building into their lives affirmations and experiences, prayers and passages, corrections and inspirations that give them advantages for life. Sometimes that takes the form of thoughtful words and encouragement. At other times it’s making lifestyle choices that will reap benefits years into the future. Many times it’s petitioning the Heavenly Father. At times it’s acknowledging our own short-comings. And sometimes it's trust.

One of the ways we have tried to bless our children over the years is through celebrations. And I don’t mean just a party. Yes, for sure there have been the streamers, the cakes, the birthday chair, the special foods and the friends. But the center piece whether a birthday party or a ceremony has been the words given. Words that build up. Words that are insightful. Words that are meaningful. Usually it goes something like, “Maria what I appreciate about you is…”

Speaking of Maria, she celebrated her 16th birthday this week. Her first among friends in West Virginia since her 10th. What a wonderful daughter we have with all of her unique gifts, abilities and personality. After the Outback steak of her choice and a blooming onion, we came home for ice cream cake and those words. This year we decided to celebrate sweet 16 with sixteen characteristics we appreciate. And in honor of Maria here they are: 1) focused in work 2) kind 3) art talent 4) musical 5) polite 6) witty 7) insightful 8) responsible 9) pleasant 10) accepting 11) beautiful young lady 12) hospitable 13) frugal 14) competitive 15) disciplined 16) godly. Happy Birthday Maria!

Cool and Her Gang

Candy Bouquet (orders being taken)

Girls Being Girls

Dad Gets Things Going in His Fire Starting Hat

The Purity and Promise Ring

The Happy Outback Trio

Leaving the Judging Behind

2011-05-01T22:18:00.004-04:00

“Don’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Somehow my critique of others and my criticalness toward them finds a way to dismiss this proverb. I’m sure I am not the only guilty one. We Christians can be the worst. We have many hoops for others to jump through, many expectations for them to meet up to, many extra-biblical regulations for them to follow. And so we judge. And so I judge. In his book The Grace Awakening, Chuck Swindoll reminds us of just how dangerous that can be.

“I will never forget what happened to me several years ago that illustrates how wrong I can be in judging another. I was speaking at a summer Bible conference for a week. Attending the same conference was a couple I had not seen before. We met briefly the first night. Both were friendly and seemed especially glad to be there. I began to notice as the week wore on that the man fell asleep in every one of the meetings. I mean every one. Normally, that doesn’t bother me…I often talk in other people’s sleep! But this time, for some strange reason, it began to bug me. By Wednesday I was irritated. As I mentioned, that has happened to me numerous times…but this guy was out within ten minutes after I started to speak. It made no difference if I spoke in the morning or evening – he slept. By the last meeting on Friday evening (through which he slept, of course), I had become convinced it was she who wanted to be there, not her husband. I sized him up as a fellow who talked one way but lived another. ‘Probably a carnal Christian,’ I mused.

“She stayed after the crowd and her husband had left. She asked if she could speak with me for a few minutes. I figured she wanted to talk about how unhappy she was living with a man who didn’t have the same interest in spiritual things as she had. How wrong I was. She said their being there was his idea. It had been his ‘final wish.’ I didn’t understand. She informed me he had terminal cancer and had only weeks to live. At his request they attended the conference where I was speaking even though the medication he was taking for pain made him sleepy – something that greatly embarrassed him. ‘He loves the Lord,’ she said, ‘and you are his favorite Bible teacher. He wanted to be here to meet you and to hear you, no matter what.’ I was sincerely stunned. She thanked me for the week and left. I stood there, all alone, as deeply rebuked as I have ever been. I had judged my brother, and I was as wrong as I could possibly have been.”

Now there’s something to think about. Seldom if ever do we understand completely the world of another person. That of course isn’t a reason to excuse selfish rebellion, blatant sin or haughtiness toward God. But it is a reminder against a life of gracelessness. I like the way Scotty Smith says it, “A sign you're growing in grace: You don't impute as many bad motives to people who disappoint or disagree with you." For most of us it will take some growth. It will take some graciousness. And it will mean leaving the judging behind.

He Is Risen Indeed

2011-04-22T22:41:00.006-04:00

I’m not exactly sure why but this year my thoughts have turned to the resurrection in a more meaningful way than ever. Grace again. Funny how a “doctrine” you have known for years takes on fresh significance all of a sudden. It’s been an appreciation, interaction and worship more than anything else. I have been struck with the thought, “Never did the returning sun usher in a day so glorious! It was the jubilee of the universe!”

Over the years we have sought to bring focus to our resurrection celebration. Ideas have been hard to come by. Thankfully some creative people have recently been leading the way through their writing. (Now if we can just get some of that creativity flowing for the celebration that comes in 50 days.) So, we are gradually establishing some family traditions for the Easter season.

This year we had a “Lent Tree.” (Lent is the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter when liturgical churches traditionally prepare themselves for the celebration of the resurrection.) Daily we read about some aspect of the resurrection and then put a picture on the tree as a reminder of that portion of the story. It was a simple and easy way to keep us coming back to the true meaning of Easter.

A tradition that we began fifteen years ago and continued this year was the Passover Seder. With friends sitting at our table we spent the evening reminding ourselves of the children of Israel being set free from their Egyptian bondage and the fulfillment of the Messiah as the ultimate Passover Lamb. I have come to enjoy so many aspects of “the telling” – the candle lit by the hand of a young woman, the child going to the door to welcome Elijah, the taste of horseradish mixed with kharoset and the singing. Of course my wife’s delicious meal of matzah ball soup and roast doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm any.

We flew an Easter flag for the first time this year. I’m looking forward to carrying it through the streets or waving it during morning worship someday. And we made a resurrection garden for the umpteenth time. And we plan on an afternoon luncheon which will be a small occasion compared to some past endeavors.

So for you this year, whether you make resurrection cookies or attend a sunrise service, whether you buy new clothes or give cinnamon rolls to neighbors, may you celebrate the life of the One whose resurrection assures your standing with God. May you in faith embrace His completed work and obtain in time your own glorified body. May you meet with the believers and call out the traditional resurrection greeting, “He is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”

Celebration of Womanhood

2011-04-18T20:11:00.017-04:00

In the land of princesses, the ladies celebrate the wonders of womanhood. They affirm and encourage one another in all things beautiful and feminine as they enjoy their special role designed by Creator God. A design originally created in ancient times in a lush, exotic garden. Eva, unashamed and in the image of Creator God. Eva, the mother of all living.

In this kingdom the mother plays an extra special part in nurturing her daughter’s growth toward being a woman. As she walks along the way, she speaks of honoring physical beauty, the art of creativity in everyday life, the captivating mystery of the woman’s soul and the holy experience of life aflame with God. They relish special moments together……..moments that fade into lasting memories.

At the onset of the “blossoming time” the mother invites a handful of women for a special event. At this event family traditions are handed down from generation to generation. A special gift, new dress, bouquets of spring flowers, a pink rose corsage, lace tablecloths, live music and secret family foods can all give the event meaning.

In the mountaineer region for example, the Harer family celebrates with a heritage of afternoon tea. The cucumber sandwiches, crescent ham rolls and scones are their signature foods. Deep red strawberries with almond cream also adorn the table along with those dipped in tasty chocolate. An Irish Breakfast blend of tea steeped to perfection flows for the joyous occasion.

When the “sharing” begins, the women tell stories from the richness of their own lives. They share insights and wisdom as tea is sipped. They pass down a passion for Biblical womanhood. Sharing things like, “Make sure that your thoughts are pleasing to your Maker.” “You are fearfully and wonderfully made…intricately woven by your Creator. Trust the plans He has for you.” “A happy heart makes the face cheerful…Proverbs 15:13.”

Then a prayer seals the ceremony and blesses the budding young maiden. A prayer that over the coming years she will mature into a woman of God’s design, who loves God wholeheartedly, finds her identity and security in Christ, seeks to reflect the image of God in modesty and virtue, and who ministers grace to others through her biblical roles.

Enjoying God?

2011-04-09T01:20:00.013-04:00

If you are the kind of person that offers up a prayer as you crawl out of bed in the mornings, it might go something like, “Who do you have for me to help out today?” Maybe you should try turning things around and praying, “Who do you want to use in my life today?” Of course that is a little bit scary and very dangerous. It could open the door for God speaking into your life through a wide variety of unexpected and even unwanted people. I mean it could be – an aspiring author, your lovely spouse, a disagreeable theologian, an insightful stranger or a cantankerous neighbor. And it could be one of your own children.

I had one of those conversations not so long ago. “Dad, what is our purpose.” “Well” I said, drawing it out to buy myself a couple of extra seconds. “I think I’ll have to go with the Westminster Catechism on this one. ‘The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever’.” To which she insightfully and somewhat mischievously replied, “Why don’t we stress the enjoy part?”

You know, she’s got a point there. We do tend to focus on the glorifying God part and even then it’s in a narrowly focused “serving Him” in some sort of way. Which isn’t bad; it’s just so much bigger than that. Gazing at the stars, writing a poem, working in the garden, playing the piano, having coffee with friends, sketching a picture, making donuts or snowboarding can glorify God too!

Do you enjoy God? And how in the world do we enjoy Him anyway? Well….it starts by enjoying His presence. Personally I appreciate a calm quiet place that reduces life’s static and lets me sense the God who is there. Maybe that’s why I like empty chapels, nature walks, attic rooms, cabins and lonely beaches. These types of places make it easier to ponder and enjoy.

Enjoying is also marveling at the mighty mysterious wondrous God. I hesitate to list the characteristics attributed to God. It seems so sterile, dry and impersonal. No, definitions alone will not do here. What we want is to interact with the omnipotent God at the Red Sea, to worship the holy God before whom David danced, to communicate with the gracious God who gave Hannah a son, to connect with the faithful God of Abraham. We enjoy a personal God whose supernatural attributes touch our very normal days.

To enjoy God we must let ourselves move beyond formalities, definitions and moralistic relationships. Ultimately we enjoy God most when we view our relationship with Him as He views it. God says He has lavished His love on us so that we are called sons and daughters. He says we are heirs and that we are His beloved. Hey, I’m not making this up. If we can truly believe this and if we can live with this reality in sight, our enjoyment of Him will know no bounds.

A Twist on Fellowship

2011-04-02T01:02:00.017-04:00

Surely fellowship is an elusive thing. Is it a greeting during a Sunday morning service? Or is it a donut and coffee before a meeting? Maybe it's a pot-luck dinner or church picnic? Actually it is all these things and a lot more. It’s also offering a listening ear, giving a shoulder to cry on, playing music and singing together. It’s giving some preference to the least among us, having folks over for games and taking food to someone under the weather. As we live life together, we live out our commonness. The unifying commonness of our fellowship always rests in our shared relationship with Jesus Christ. He is central whether through conversation or just being together in an unspoken acknowledgement that we are “in Christ.”

A twist in the idea of fellowship came to me the other day when someone handed off this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. “Corporate prayer, offered in the name of Christ, [is] the purist form of fellowship.” I see the truth of it. By joining at the throne of Grace we are (at least potentially) baring our hearts in transparent ways, interceding for one another, experiencing God’s presence and finding mercy in our time of need. Sounds like pure fellowship to me.

I’m reminded what great fellowship of prayer the early church enjoyed. There was an atmosphere of prayer that was second nature for them. Jim Cymbala says it this way, “The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimidated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray.” Acts 1:14 – “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 3:1 – “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.” Acts 4:24 – “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.” Acts 6: 3,4 – “We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” Acts 12:5 – “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”

I can see it now. A couple is struggling in their new marriage, and a group of friends find a quiet room to pray with them. Someone comes for prayer because of their previous involvement in the occult, and leaders pray with them for release. A young girl is preparing for adulthood, and ladies meet at her home to pray for blessings. Someone shares a problem with you after a morning service, and you pray together. A child is leaving for college, and friends say goodbye with prayers. A nice twist on fellowship indeed.

Prayer room at El Redil church in Medillin, Colombia

Second Verse Same As the First

2011-03-26T13:05:00.003-04:00

It occurred to me after writing Foggy Mountain Discovery a few weeks ago how similar the principles given for finding God’s direction are to the trials of life. It’s a “second verse same as the first” perspective. Indulge me in a rewrite of the original post to make my point.

While traveling through Pennsylvania last fall we crossed over a foggy mountain and came face to face with the unexpected difficulty of driving through a huge storm. Just ahead of us the tail lights of an 18 wheeler became our guide. With steering wheel gripped tightly, my concentration remained fixed on those lights until we were finally out of it. What a trial that was and what a relief to get through it.

Unexpected storms can be scary. It can be as equally scary when dealing with the personal storms of life – loss of job, unrealistic expectations, difficulties in marriage, unreasonable teacher, strained relationships, failing health, financial burdens, church problems, disappointment.

Recently I have discovered the benefit of trials. Because of the storms, the problems I begin a journey of seeking the face of God – lingering, enjoying, acknowledging, worshiping, wrestling, listening, surrendering, returning. In the end it increases our intimacy together and gives me an opportunity to walk by faith. And those benefits are more valuable than storehouses of gold.

I have further discovered that in the difficult times as I seek God, He intervenes with - godly counsel, a specific Scripture, an unexpected encouragement, patience, His shepherding, unexplainable peace, praying friends, a new perspective, just the right book. Seldom does a trial go away overnight, but instead it’s a one step at a time journey that eventually leads to change in us and maybe a change in our circumstances too.

Sometimes we will become discouraged and fail to see God’s hand in these gentle interventions. That’s okay. We’re all human enough to become discouraged during the trials of life, and He is gracious enough to continually send encouragement ….multiple times. We so want life to be trial free, but life doesn’t work that way, neither does the integration of the spiritual life. Both can be messy. Thankfully we have a God who understands the messiness, the storms of difficulty and our need to discover Him in the process.

Makes me wonder how many other life themes fit within the principle of seeking His face, walking by faith, and recognizing His hand at work.

The Ultimate Checklist

2011-03-22T19:26:00.007-04:00

I don’t do it very often, but I actually purchased a book recently because it represents exactly what I don’t believe. It was akin to purchasing The Book of Mormon or The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. The Ultimate Checklist for Life gives us 949 “I Will’s” and “Things to Do” to help bring some extra structure and guidelines to follow in our Christian lives.

Here is a sampling: “Make a list of practical ways to serve people you do life with and then commit to those actions; reduce the numbers of worries I currently have; be diligent about getting to know God; introduce yourself to a new person in church; be aware of others who may be struggling even if they look like they have it all together; take an exercise class; listen to Scripture CD’s in the car on your way to work; list twenty things you are thankful for today; do my best and trust God for the results; the next time you find yourself getting impatient, take a time out; stay focused on, and committed to my key life goals; share my goals with God and ask Him for the wisdom and the will to achieve them; strive to develop a thankful heart; make a personal commitment to develop habits that will help you persevere in your relationship with God; chose a close friend to be a prayer and accountability partner; remember that sacrifice is not an option for one who truly loves Jesus; rate your spiritual life by giving yourself grades; serve your family rice for breakfast, lunch and supper; print BE LIKE GOD on a card and put it on your mirror, rely on God to help me help my kids manage their emotions; surround yourself with equally committed people; remain joyful despite the obstacles; rely on the Word of God and His Spirit for guidance; encourage someone who is having a rough time staying committed; know when to quit.......”

Good things indeed. As was the law that served as a guardian and protector until it had fulfilled its purpose. It kept the Israelites from a lot of bad consequences. It gave them some really good ones. It helped them to see their need. It didn’t nourish their souls. Rule-keeping has never had power to create life in us.

Whether intentional or unintentional the Christian life is often conveyed as our best disciplined effort to follow Biblical principles, to follow the rules, to meet expectations as more and more are piled on. It’s a trap as old as the Christian faith itself. "“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”

In time our human effort to live a good Christian life becomes burdensome, and we feel so weighed down. It’s not as uncommon as we might think. I remember well being approached with the question, “Don’t you ever get tired of doing the right thing?” Yes, I do. And so will all of us, unless or until we move into an authentic relationship with the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Only then we will experience the freedom for which we have been set free.

Read Any of These?

2011-03-14T11:05:00.004-04:00

It doesn’t take much poking around our house to discover that we love books. They take up space in almost every room in the house including the………uh-ummm, bathroom. We read on vacation, in waiting rooms, in bed, in coffee shops, on planes, on trips and in used bookstores. Hardback or kindle, internet or magazine, audio book or paperback any will do. Here are some of our favorites that have been shaping our lives and thinking over the last year. Have you read any of these?

The Indwelling Life of Christ – Major W. Ian Thomas
In this All of Him in All of Me subtitled book, Thomas reminds us that our best efforts to live the Christian life fail because it takes Jesus Christ living His life through us by His Holy Spirit. Thomas and his wife are the founders of Torchbearers Schools, one of which Daniel attends.

The Cross Centered Life – C.J. Mahaney
Keeping the Gospel the main thing is easier said than done. Mahaney not only encourages us to let the cross define our lives but also gives some practical suggestions to center every day around the cross.

The Grace and Truth Paradox – Randy Alcorn
“Truth without grace breeds a self righteous legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world away from Christ. Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ.” Alcorn reminds us that both are essential and inseparable.

The Prodigal God – Timothy Keller
While we often consider the idea of “prodigal” in negative terms, by definition it means recklessly extravagant and can apply to the Heavenly Father’s extravagant love for us. Both sons were alienated from the father, but Keller particularly focuses on how the Elder brother’s legalistic morality was just as self-seeking.

The Emotionally Healthy Church – Peter Scazzero
Scazzero contends that, “It is not possible for a Christian to be spiritually mature while remaining emotionally immature.” He then gives helpful ideas for individuals and church leaders to take an honest look at themselves and encourages them to live in vulnerability.

What’s So Amazing About Grace? – Phil Yancey
Yancey is a word artist who paints a beautiful picture of God’s grace toward us. He reminds us as children of God, “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.”

Grace Awakening – Chuck Swindoll
Wanting Christians to live in grace and be released from legalism, Swindoll writes to awaken us. He encourages us to be ministers of grace as well and asks, “1. Do you add to others’ guilt, or do you lessen it? 2. Are you the type who encourages another’s liberty or restrains it?”

Passing It On

2011-03-08T00:22:00.005-05:00

So much of what we are has been passed on to us by our parents. And so much of what our children are has been passed on from us. Thinking about it is enough to take us to the heights and to the depths in the same split second. Graciousness and grouchiness; service and selfishness; love and lust; trust and fear only scratch the surface of the characteristics that are passed down generation after generation.

I came across a story recently by Phil Yancey highlighting this reality. He writes: “I have a friend whose marriage has gone through tumultuous times. One night George passed a breaking point. He pounded the table and the floor. ‘I hate you! He screamed at his wife. ‘I won’t take it anymore! I’ve had enough! I won’t go on! I won’t let it happen! No! No! No!’

“Several months later my friend woke up in the middle of the night and heard strange sounds coming from the room where his two-year-old son slept. He padded down the hall, stood for a moment outside his son’s door, and shivers ran through his flesh. He could not draw a breath. In a soft voice, the two-year-old was repeating word for word with precise inflection the argument between his mother and father. ‘I hate you….I won’t take it anymore….No! No! No!

“George realized that in some awful way he had just bequeathed his pain and anger and unforgiveness to the next generation.”

I remember the dull thud that hit my stomach in a moment of realizing some of the ugly things I have passed on to our kids. And I remember the wise advice that came my way at that time. “Focus on what God is doing in your life not what you have failed to do in your children’s lives.” The best way to turn the tables is by our children seeing the unrelenting power of the gospel continually transforming our hearts. That’s certainly worth passing on.

Jesus Never Fails

2011-02-27T17:00:00.003-05:00

Preacher Brown and his wife, Emma, came to the Smoky Mountains by way of Persia. She is said to have had royal blood which must have made their descent into missions scandalous. They followed God’s leading to the backwoods of Cocke County in the early 1900’s. It’s the same county for the setting of the historical fiction Christy written by Catherine Marshall. A short description of the Christy book gives you an idea of what life must have been like for the Browns. “The novel explores faith and mountain traditions such as moonshining, folk beliefs and folk medicine.”

In the mid-forties just after the war, my grandparents came to carry on the work. At that time the Browns were not only leading churches but also went into many of the small country schools to teach Bible lessons – a work our family continued into the 80’s. Among the things they left behind was a small handmade plaque of Preacher Browns that read simply, “Jesus Never Fails.” It became a fixture in their home, and I can remember growing up with its ever present proclamation.

The plaque even impacted our family in a Balaam’s donkey sort of way. My aunt had taught her parakeet, Buttercup, to say things like, “Buttercup is a pretty girl”, “Kept by the power of God, 1 Peter 1:5”, “Are you happy?….Hallelujah” and, yes, you guessed it “Jesus never fails.” One morning as my grandpa poured out his heart in prayer concerning work for my dad, almost on cue Buttercup belted out a timely reminder, “Jesus never fails.”

Now we are privileged to have it hanging in our own home pouring forth the same proclamation it has for almost 100 years. It’s a great refrain during these days of economic uncertainty, world unrest and personal searching. I can almost hear it interwoven into Scripture (Psalm 136 fashion) as a blazing reminder of His faithfulness:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, Jesus never fails.
and all these things will be given to you as well. Jesus never fails.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, Jesus never fails.
for tomorrow will worry about itself. Jesus never fails.
Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus never fails.

Foggy Mountain Addendum

2011-02-21T17:26:00.006-05:00

A 437 word post is just not enough space to say everything that’s on my mind concerning discovering God’s direction. I should have known it would take another post when I started cutting and slashing awkward one sentence add-ons. They all seemed to be important but detracting as well.

“You didn’t say anything about…” keeps rolling around in my head. So here’s a little addendum. I can’t guarantee it will be my final thought. As a matter of fact I expect it not to be.

First Then Principle – Sometimes we want to know God’s will in the things the Bible is unclear about, while knowingly disobeying the things it addresses very clearly. First we give our heart to the direction He has revealed in the Bible, then we’re in a position to ask for the more personal direction He hasn’t.

He Never Contradicts Himself – Does God ever lead us to have an adulterous affair because our spouse is difficult? Does He ever lead us to cheat on income tax returns? Does He ever give us the go ahead to be drunk with wine? No! No! No! He never ever gives us any leading that contradicts what He has already told us in His Word.

More Hints – I listed various “hints” God might use in our lives as signposts for us to follow. Here are a few others “Most times God guides us in subtle ways, by feeding ideas into our minds, speaking through a nagging sensation of dissatisfaction, inspiring us to choose better than we otherwise would have done, bringing to the surface hidden dangers of temptation…” (Yancey)

Still Unsure – Sometimes those subtle hints lead us to confidence in knowing exactly what we should do. Sometimes we come to a place where we remain unsure, but a decision has to be made. When that happens I find myself praying something like this, “Father, I plan to_________, which is the decision that makes the most sense at the moment. I want your will to be done and ask You to redirect if needed.”

Seeing in Retrospect – It’s often easier to understand God’s leading by looking backward then looking forward. We might find ourselves saying, “So that’s what He was doing in that situation.” It’s just another reason to stay close to the One who is orchestrating it all.

Foggy Mountain Discovery

2011-02-11T19:50:00.011-05:00

While traveling through Pennsylvania last fall we crossed over a foggy mountain into a huge storm. I probably should have pulled over, but fear of being rear-ended kept me going. Just ahead of us the tail lights of an 18 wheeler became our guide. With steering wheel gripped tightly my concentration remained fixed on those lights until we had finally reached our destination. Even as I relive that moment through writing, I let out a sigh of relief.

Fog can be scary. It can be as equally scary when facing a foggy personal uncertainty not addressed for us in Scripture – job, mate, school, weekend plans, which medical procedure, timing. Two opposite end approaches seek to bring clear objectivity to this fogginess.

The first says that the will of God is found exclusively in the Bible, and as long as you are living in obedience make any choice you desire. It’s a good start but seems to remove God’s supernatural outworking in the specifics. The second says God speaks in various ways to give crystal clear direction. I like the idea but I also fear my humanness – a humanness that can be confused, can mix in my own wishes or even be mis-led. I’m not quite comfortable with either. For me there seems to be a middle ground.

Recently I have discovered the benefit of fog. Because of the fog, the uncertainty I begin a jourey of seeking the face of God – lingering, enjoying, acknowledging, worshiping, wrestling, listening, surrendering, returning. In the end it increases our intimacy together and gives me an opportunity to walk by faith. And those benefits are more valuable than storehouses of gold.

I have further discovered that in the foggy times as I seek God, He gives little hints of leading (never contradictory to Scripture of course) - a circumstance, a prompting, a small decision, godly counsel, a specific Scripture, something remembered, an impression, a chance encounter. Seldom does the end view come into sight immediately, but instead it’s a one step at a time journey that eventually leads to the destination.

Sometimes we will miss or misunderstand these gentle hints. That’s okay. We’re all human enough to make a mistake, and He is gracious enough to redirect….multiple times. We so want direction to be in a straight clear path that saves face when outsiders think we are making a mistake. Life doesn’t work that way, neither does the integration of the spiritual life. Both can be messy. Thankfully we have a God who understands the messiness, the mountains of fogginess and our need to discover Him in the process.

Above: Maria and Christina meet Rachel Black at the Dare 2 Share conference. Rachel and her husband Zane are also on staff at Timberline Lodge.

Top: Daniel snowboarding in CO

Middle: Girls snowboarding at Winter Place, WV

Living the Cross-Centered Life

2011-02-03T23:22:00.007-05:00

More than ever my sights are set on the cross and living the cross-centered life. I credit it all to God’s graciousness. He has been sending fresh winds of insight from unexpected corners of life – a chance meeting, a weekend retreat, a recommended book, an illuminated thought. The latest was an internet discussion group involving John Piper with this thought provoker, “The apex of the glory of God is seen in Christ and the apex of His glory is seen in the cross…therefore to be God-centered leads to Christ-centered leads to cross-centered.”

The message of the cross has so many aspects – deity, humanity, perfection, death, resurrection, atonement, salvation, reconciliation – to name a few. Everything that is involved in the message of the cross is the stuff that makes up a comprehensive doctrine. It’s the foundational basis of truth for living the cross-centered life. Yet more importantly than being able to articulate a doctrinal outline of the cross is for it to break through the structures and to sense it in our heart. In other words, the theology of the cross is not just an intellectual act but an interaction process that authentically thrills and transforms our heart.

So how does the cross break through and become a powerful reality? I’ll offer a few ideas that have been gleaned along the way. Just keep in mind these are growing possibilities not a Pharisaical "to do" checklist.

The Cross of Christ continues its heart-permeating work in us as we:
• Lean heavily on the Spirit’s supernatural interaction within us (mysterious and unexplainable as it is)
• Don’t lean heavily on ourselves (we are so prone to older brother moralism/legalism)
• Read about, dwell on, pray over, rejoice in and talk about its comprehensive message
• Ask God to apply its freeing power to specifics (like anxiety, pride, control issues, fear, anger, self-hate, emptiness…at their roots)
• Begin grasping and concretely affirming our belief through worship
• Are conscientious to live out of our true identity in Christ
• Remember His death at the Lord’s Table

The chance encounter I mention above was with Colombian missionaries Phil and Deene. His words after a late night conversation still ring in my ear. I leave them with you. “If you give yourself to this, you will be changed. It will come into effect.”

Society's Gray Morality

2011-01-28T15:01:00.006-05:00

A while ago I was invited to participate in an informal survey on marriage. The basic purpose was to determine if marriage was becoming or had become obsolete, particularly as it relates to health care and social security benefits.

I find surveys in determining issues of morality intriguing. When we formulate moral standards based upon the opinion of society’s simple majority we leave ourselves at the mercy of that majority and their ever changing whim. For example, euthanasia may be rejected by the majority today as cruel but in five years it may be accepted as merciful to the individual who is terminally ill. In ten years it may be accepted as merciful to the individual who is a stroke victim and in fifteen years accepted as merciful to the individual living in depression. In twenty years it may be required as merciful to the society at large to euthanize all people who are over 83 for economic survival. In twenty-five years it may also be required of all who are downs, have cerebral palsy, MS or cancer as merciful to the world to avoid economic drain and produce a stronger, healthier humanity.

Economics, societal norms, preferences, prejudices, comfort, personal gain can all play a factor in the shaping of the opinions of a society in determining what is morally acceptable or unacceptable at any given time. In the end we come up with a very unsure, uncertain and unclear gray morality. I would prefer we make moral decisions based upon a moral code, moral law, moral truth that supersedes public opinion and is unchanging and absolute. (Granted this moral law can be misinterpreted, misconstrued and misused but does not diminish the viability of its truth.)

For me personally, I believe marriage is a God-given institution that is timeless and therefore incapable of becoming obsolete regardless of economic, social or personal factors. Far from being a tyrant I think God gave marriage as a beautiful gift and only within the marriage vow do we fully find the partnership, purpose, sexuality, procreation and dreams for which our hearts long.

And for you who have a philosophical bent here’s a thought from Francis Schaeffer:

"Why has our society changed? The answer is clear -- the consensus of our society no longer rests upon a Christian basis, but upon a humanistic one…Humanism is man putting himself at the center of all things, rather than the creator God. The humanists push for ‘freedom,’ but having no Christian consensus to contain it, that ‘freedom’ leads to chaos or to slavery under the state (or under an elite). Humanism, with its lack of any final base for values or law, always leads to chaos. It then naturally leads to some form of authoritarianism to control the chaos. Having produced the sickness, humanism gives more of the same kind of medicine for a cure. With its mistaken concept of final reality, it has no intrinsic reason to be interested in the individual, the human being. Its natural interest is the two collectives: the state and society.”

Mexico Revisited – A Photo Journal

2011-01-24T13:10:00.012-05:00

My all time favorite photo of the Puebla Cathedral – taken in 2005

The strong character written in his face makes a compelling subject – it’s my “people need the Lord” shot

This takes the bread delivery business to a whole new level

I love the lighting on these xylophone players in Cuernavaca

This mesmerizing shot of Popo was unexpected but worth backtracking for the camera

The market experience was not your normal grocery stop

I wanted to capture the same fabulous shot my buddy Keith took at the San Francisco Convention Center but this multi-color shot had to do

Oh, here’s Keith hanging out with St. Francis of Assisi

Typical Mexican candies from “Sweet Street”

In honor of my dad who is a first rate mechanic

Outdoor cafés in winter are the bomb

Young girl stands before the beatitudes

Change Who?

2011-01-14T23:42:00.004-05:00

For most of my adult life I have been a professional minister. It’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do. An opportunity to love Christ, study the Bible, tell others about Jesus were all simple and compelling reasons to pursue ministry vocationally. And so I did. I can’t imagine myself having done anything else.

While caring for souls is an honorable profession, danger looms for one’s own soul. For what begins as a pure motivation to help others can over time deteriorate into the mentality to fix others. As professional ministers it’s easy to see our “job” as evaluating a life and then…encouraging…helping…exhorting…fixing. All the while forgetting or at least ignoring that the most important changes need to be taking place in our own hearts.

“Lord, change Jim. Use me to show him his self centeredness and bitterness. His wife is suffering because of it, and it’s hurting the reputation of the church. Thank you, Lord, that I’m not like Jim. I read my Bible every day, take my wife on a date once a week and serve you faithfully.” Okay, maybe that is a reach, but somehow it has a familiar ring to it.

I've been thinking lately that my prayers for others might also include phrases like, “pour out Your grace in their life; bless them; may they live as Your beloved child; continue the work You have already began in them.” And those for myself, “control me; reveal my blind spots; transform me; change me.”

The Times of London once invited G.K. Chesterton (his writings influenced the conversion of C.S. Lewis) and other notable authors to write essays on the question, “What’s wrong with the world?” His response went right to the heart of the matter: Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton. And in spirit of that response we have the answer to our own question, “Change who?” Change me.

American See Saw

2011-01-07T18:40:00.006-05:00

The window is closing quickly for having first impressions of the USA. After eight months what seemed so vivid at the time is now dimming as we are immersed back into our home culture. What we saw in May seems almost normal now.

We saw a country of affluence and indulgence. We like things BIG - big screen TV’s, super-sized meals, big houses, wide aisles, overstuffed furniture, large portions, wide streets, big rooms, big trucks, big yards. Why in comparison we are even big people. I don’t think prosperity makes us an evil empire as some seem to want to paint us, but as indulgent consumers we sure could use a good dose of compassion for others and simplicity for ourselves.

We saw a divergence into designer spirituality that adheres to individualistic comfort and wishes. Any given conversation may reveal an atheist searching for universal intelligence through UFO’s…….a post-modern urbanite wiccan communicating with a spirit guide……..a “recovering” Christian practicing Yoga and transcendental meditation….a Native American blending ancestral beliefs and Buddhism. While all of these are far reaching, they are not farfetched. Relative truth is coming of age in America.

In Mexico one of the common concerns expressed was machismo. As defined it is a strong or exaggerated sense of masculinity stressing attributes such as physical courage, virility, domination of women, and aggressiveness. Machismo dictated a narrowly prescribed behavior for both men and women. Returning from that culture, we saw a mingling and confusion of sexual identity that stood out in stark contrast.

Here are three other quick observations: 1) We like to be comfortable and casual whether shopping, working or attending services 2) Christian information is readily available from conferences to books to radio stations to churches…makes me wonder how much our faith is market driven 3) We tend to politeness. Maybe we noticed that because of our Texas entry, where almost everyone is southernly polite.

That’s what we saw when we first returned to America. Just wondering if you see some of the same things we saw?

Significant Dates of 2010

2011-01-01T22:58:00.007-05:00

I often wonder if these journals are more to bring some clarity to my thoughts and to have a written account, too. That is never more true than when posting about significant happenings in our previous year as we take a backward glance in the rearview mirror. But, oh well, here goes anyway.

January 1st – We were sitting in a cold (relatively speaking) airport in Mexico City waiting to send Daniel back with his grandparents to live. He came back to the worst snow winter in West Virginia history.

February 19th – It was a treat to travel with friends to Michoacán and see the “king” of butterflies, the Monarch. Amazingly these little dainty creatures can travel up to 2500 miles.

February 27th-28th – About as unlikely and refreshing as finding an ice cold root beer in the middle of the jungle was finding ice skating lessons in Mexico. These dates mark the culmination of their hard work with a competition in one of the local ice parks.

April 28th – Crossed the border from Mexico into the US after a 13 hour marathon that began at 3:30 a.m.

May 11th -12th – We arrived at the Grand Canyon to snow flurries, but the day broke clear allowing us to be inspired by its magnitude. The Colorado Rockies stood majestically before us the next day as we completed a two day extravaganza of natural wonders. These places make having a spirit of reverence for the Creator very easy.

May 20th – Driving back into our hometown for the first time in four years was a pretty surreal moment. Lots of memories came flooding back as West Virginia lived up to the state motto of “Wild & Wonderful.”

September 8th – Daniel begins school at Timberline Lodge in Fraser, Colorado. There are so many good things going on here for him that I cannot begin to recount them all. Suffice it to say we are encouraged and recommend Dan Thomas and the staff of Timberline.

October 2nd,8th,23rd – Autumn in Vermont, Autumn in Lancaster County, Autumn in the Smokies. It was so nice to see the colors of fall again.

December 31st – We met with long time friends to celebrate 2010 and to ring in the New Year. Now I’m working really hard to get this posted on 1/1/11. May the Lord’s grace and peace overflow your cup this coming year.

Random Christmas Notes

2010-12-26T17:05:00.006-05:00

One of our Christmas traditions is to buy a new ornament for the tree each year. That all started our first Christmas when one of Diana’s 1st grade students gave her a “First Christmas Together” ornament. The one we selected this year is a good reflection of our return home. It is wood cut in the shape of our state and reads “Christmas in West Virginia.”

One cold delight this year is having a white Christmas. Five years is a long time to go without the splendid beauty of snow falling against a gray backdrop, a show shelter, sledding or a good snowball fight. The girls particularly can’t seem to get enough, while Daniel has been spoiled with Colorado where snow is measured in feet more than inches.

We made a sanity discovery this year too. In the past we decided that Christmas would be more than a one day event on the 25th but instead a season of celebrations. That gives room for lots of traditions. Over the years those seasonal celebrations have included everything from making Christmas cookies to hosting a living Nativity to attending concerts and filling Samarian’s Purse shoeboxes. So what did we discover? That for the sake of an unfrantic and enjoyable Christmas it is not necessary to do every possible tradition every year. That’s a relief!

A good portion of our week has been spent with Diana’s family. We had everyone over for Christmas dinner. Nineteen of us put our feet under the table to feast on turkey and its trimmings. What a treat and what a scrunch.

Here are a couple of Christmas videos we have enjoyed this year. While I haven’t made the leap into the social networking of Facebook, this clip is very creative. The second is a song written by Andrew Peterson and sung by Jill Phillips. We discovered it a couple of years ago posted on a friend’s blog.

The Most Unlikely of Gifts

2010-12-21T14:52:00.002-05:00

The other evening I was listening to a segment on NPR concerning the mindset of the American consumer in light of the economic downturn. Their guest was making the point that people were tightening their belt this Christmas and “may only give a child ten gifts instead of the usual twenty.” What a commentary on our society. Materialism aside, we readily carry a mindset of excess. Limitations on the other hand, are at best tolerated and more than likely resented. Who wants to work with limited resources or have a limited selection of cereals or limit their calorie intake during the Christmas season?

Counter to our way of thinking, limits seem to be woven into the essence of Christmas. “Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, but stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!” (Philippians 2:6-7 Amplified) God-given limits for God. Limited privileges. Limited rightful dignity. Limited to a servant. Limited to a human body. Limited to space and time. Limited to a purposeful death.

Funny, but somehow while celebrating an Incarnation that accentuates limits it’s easy to resent ours. “Suck it up, work harder, figure a way around it…,” we tell ourselves. All the while we refuse to accept that our God-given limits are His imprint on our lives. Seasons of life are not negatives. Personality types are not failures. Emotional/physical/intellectual capacities are not curses. Neither are life situations. Yet they all define us and limit us.

Our limits are His gifts. Strange way of looking at it but true none the less. God gives and uses these to direct our lives into His thoughtful purposes. In our weakness His power is exhibited. It’s not the American way but most definitely God’s way. Maybe this Christmas is the perfect time to embrace the most unlikely of gifts.

Freedom from the Muck

2010-12-13T13:05:00.007-05:00

Looking below the surface of our lives can be a threatening, enlightening, scary proposition. There’s a good bit of muck down there, and it takes some courage to even take a peek. We want to be free, but it’s much safer to rationalize that everything is okay, to settle into an uneasy comfortableness that shelters us from changing. Occasionally, however, the pain becomes so great we are forced out of our self imposed comfort zone in search for answers.

Lately I’ve been raking up some of the muck in my own life as I step back to take a spiritual and emotional inventory. It’s not like it’s all bad, there’s sunshine but there’s also some definite mis-shaping. Like the tendency to be anxious - separation anxiety that started as a child and spread to other areas of my life as an adult. And the inclination to need approval from others – resulting in discouragement when it’s lacking. And the propensity to be defensive at honest feedback – rather than asking questions to better understand myself.

The good news is that there’s no need to stay stuck in shortcomings and sin. There is hope, liberation…freedom. An honest assessment beneath the surface of our lives is only the first step. The next step is to realize how our theology is lived.

So, I’m beginning to try to piece together how the gospel with all of its implications does its deep work in me. How does my inheritance as a reconciled son come into play when I feel defensive and unapproachable? Where does my anxiousness or anger meet up with Christ’s transforming power? My position in Christ makes me come alive inside, so how does it release me from internalized lies I’ve believed about myself? If it was for freedom I have been set free, why do I live in slavery to others’ thoughts and approval? How does daily attention to the Lord increase the reality of being a beloved son?

It’s in the willingness to see ourselves as we really are and in the willingness to be continually transformed by the gospel that we are finally and steadfastly set free from the muck of our lives.

Homebodies To Highlights

2010-12-03T20:26:00.004-05:00

This may sound a little crazy, but we have always considered ourselves homebodies. We were content to be at home and methodically plod through life. The settled life is the good life. Then like a whirlwind our course changed direction, and we were traveling hither and yon, seeing all kinds of sites.

A few weeks back we were reminiscing about our adventures over the last ten years and decide to rank our favorites. It’s pretty interesting how it all came out especially since each of us seemed to use a different criteria to select our fave five. Here are the highlights:

Family Top Five:
1. Veracruz (Mexico)
2. Sight & Sound (Lancaster County)
3. Whit’s End (Colorado Springs)
4. Grand Canyon (Arizona)
5. Len Su Chinese Garden (Portland)

Christina’s
1. Sight & Sound
2. Ben & Jerry’s
3. Whit’s End
4. Glen Erie Castle
5. Maine State Park

Maria’s
1. Teotiuacan Pyramids
2. Grand Canyon
3. Sight & Sound
4. New York City
5. Colorado Rockies

Diana’s
1. Veracruz
2. Monarch butterflies in Mexico
3. Williamsburg
4. Maine State Park
5. Massanutten

Ken’s
1. Veracruz
2. Williamsburg
3. Pacific Coast
4. Colorado Rockies
5. Grand Canyon

Thanksgiving Time Q & A

2010-11-25T23:05:00.004-05:00

What was on your table of bounty this year? Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, Amish pickles, stuffing, corn, fruit salad, rolls, cranberry sauce, sparkling juice, pumpkin pie, coffee

Any creativity flowing for Thanksgiving? Yes, Diana came up with the idea of writing our thanks on leaf shaped paper and putting it on a money tree.

Could you tell us a little about how home ministry is going? We are approaching our year of home ministry in three phases. First, to transition back (reporting to supporters; making medical visits; settle into housing; getting our son and daughters situated for stability). Secondly, the one we are moving into now is restoration (establishing some better physical habits; taking emotional inventory; refreshing spiritually). Thirdly, is to inquire of the Lord concerning our future (Josh. 9:14, Jer. 10:21).

How many medical visits have made so far? Twenty-One

Are you serious? Yeah…………….crazy huh? We are playing catch up after four years away.

What’s up for the family tomorrow? It’s the first day of the Christmas season as we spruce the house up with all kinds of festive decorations. It will start with Maria making a breakfast of American eggs, Canadian bacon and English muffins – very international. It will end with a fondue supper and watching The Nativity Story.

Got anything you want to share from one of the kids? Here’s something from Christina entitled Thanksgiving

Praise God for he is great;
Praise him in the town and at the city gates.

Think upon his greatness;
And meditate upon his graciousness.

Remember his works and power;
Fear him and his covenant will be with you forever.

Food and land will be given to you;
He is righteous, faithful and just too.

Fear God and be given wisdom;
For praise belongs to God and every righteousness is to be given to him.

Happy Thanksgiving - Happy Everything

2010-11-20T11:43:00.005-05:00

I am very happy. That’s a deliberate usage of the word. I’ve been down on happiness for a while. Rejoicing, thankful, blessed and joyful seemed to be my words of choice. Then I run up against verses like Psalm 68:3 “But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.” And James 5:13, “Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” So in a spirit of happiness I offer up these:

I am happy for…

…the house being filled with the aroma of turkey and all the fixin’s on Thursday.
…the brilliant oranges, reds and yellows of autumn.
…the ease in getting good books and audio books, too.
…the afternoon sunshine coming through the Venetian blinds and splashing all kinds of cheerful shadows across the wooden floors.
…nice sunny walks with the family.
…a fresh perspective that being away for four years brings.
…lots of cool opportunities for our kids - like snowboarding, music lessons, Bible studies and a trip to New York City.
…friends coming over to our house to hang out.
…a chance to see our culture through the eyes of another culture.
…crowded aisles at the local grocery store two days before Thanksgiving reflecting the bounty we enjoy in this country.
…laughter.
…family…from WV to CO to TN.
…the prospects of a snowy Christmas.
…sitting at Starbucks with the three ladies in my life and drinking a buy one get one free holiday drink.
…central air and gas logs on a cold fall day.
…swimming at the YMCA for the girls.
…a whiff of the autumn air.
…festivals throughout WV like the Lewisburg Holiday Open House this Sunday afternoon.
…knowing the cultural ropes for a change.
…fluffy mashed potatoes.
…our family tradition of always eating the first pumpkin pie the day before Thanksgiving.
…another family tradition of decorating for the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving.
…that after 29 years of walking with the Lord there are new depths of spiritual dynamics to rise to the surface. God is Awesomely Awesome!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY EVERYTHING!

Appalachian Tapestry

2010-11-15T00:42:00.008-05:00

In The Tapestry Edith Schaeffer uses the analogy of our life being a thread to tell the story of L'Abri. (L’Abri was Francis and Edith's home in Switzerland where disillusioned youth of the 60’s came to sort through the Scriptural worldview of absolutes and the predominate worldview of existential relativism.) She points out that in community we affect each other’s ideas, understandings and attitudes as our lives are woven together into a tapestry. This influence is powerfully true from those who make up our ancestry and immediate family.

Our recent visit to Tennessee serves to remind me that I am woven in an Appalachian Tapestry. I like cornbread, mountains, folk music, dogs and extended family. A trip back usually means visits with uncles, aunts and cousins. Stereotypical I guess. Isolated by the mountains over past generations, we in Appalachia became fiercely independent (rebels some would say), church going, country loving and simple living people with just a bit of fatalism sprinkled in. For my part, I can’t get around the fact that I have been shaped by these roots.

Something else I can’t get around is the German background of my surname (Harer) and the Scottish background of my mother’s maiden name (Barnes). Dad’s family came from Pennsylvania to bring the Gospel while Mom’s family was born to the land. These two families meshed together to create the atmosphere of my life. A dynamic full of history, stories, lives and experiences both good and bad. As with all our family backgrounds, it’s a picture of everyday heroes and down to earth strugglers.

We are all caught up in the weaving influence of our tapestry. Think about your own family: What made your family laugh together? How was conflict handled in your family? Tensions? When did you hear, “I love you” or “I’m proud of you”? What activities did your family enjoy? What was considered “success” in your family? How was money handled? How was spirituality expressed?

Honest answers to those questions and others like them bring clarity to my life, to our lives - helping us see and understand why we do some of the things we do, why we react the way we do and why we have certain attitudes. And it makes me wonder, what does the weaving of your tapestry look like?

Grace/Truth: A Both/And Proposition

2010-11-06T23:24:00.008-04:00

When our family traveled to Portland to study culture a few years ago, we had no idea how impactful the teaching of Dr. Wan would be on us. In his quiet, humble Chinese way he turned our thoughts down the path of considering the difference between the either/or western mindset and the both/and eastern mindset. We westerners feel most at home with clarity, with definitiveness, with the one right answer. On the other hand, those in the Orient feel comfortable living with the tension of two equal truths residing in balance.

Dr. Wan’s perspective has followed me into an arena that has captured my attention over the last year – grace and truth. As a good southern boy growing up in a fundamental rich background, I have focused on the truth end of the equation. For me that has meant things like picketing an abortion clinic, lobbying the WV State Senate for a cause, confronting believers over clear immorality, doing “the right thing” and standing for the truth against “bad" theology. Sadly, I haven’t always done so with graciousness. How unlike Jesus I am, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Lately, I’ve bumped into Randy Alcorn who is saying some of the things I’ve been thinking about grace and truth………only better. Don’t you hate that? Here are some of his thoughts to bring balance to this both/and topic:

"The gospel flies with the wings of grace and truth. Not one, but both.

"Truth without grace breeds a self-righteous legalism that poisons the church and pushes the world away from Christ. Grace without truth breeds moral indifference and keeps people from seeing their need for Christ.

“The ancient historical Jesus came full of grace and truth. The modern mythological Jesus comes full of tolerance and relativism. Even in the church truth has given way to subjectivism and cowardice. Grace has deteriorated into permissiveness and indifference.

“Without truth, we lack courage to speak up and convictions to speak up about. Without grace, we lack compassion to bring the solutions people desperately need."

Thank you, Randy. I think Dr. Wan would be proud!

Autumn Psalms: From the Smokies - A Photo Journal

2010-10-29T17:08:00.010-04:00

“Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains” Psalm 36:6

"One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

“He leads me beside quiet water he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1

“I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:1

“He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber…” Psalm 121:3

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13

“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11

Starting Points

2010-10-22T11:48:00.006-04:00

It wasn’t a cheap shot, but it sure did hurt. Phil Yancey passes along a conversation he had with a friend involved with Alcoholics Anonymous. "I asked him to name the one quality missing in the local church that AA had somehow provided. He stared at his coffee for a long time, and then said softly this one word: dependency.

“‘None of us can make it on our own – isn’t that why Jesus came?’ he explained. ‘Yet most church people give off a self-satisfied air of piety or superiority. I don’t sense them consciously leaning on God or on each other. Their lives appear to be in order. An alcoholic who goes to church feels inferior and incomplete.’”

Could this be true? Is there more vulnerability, understanding and support at AA than with a group of Christians? Have we created an environment that stifles or worse yet kills off honest sharing?

I’m sure all of us at some point have been burned by being vulnerable. We bared our soul only to bring upon ourselves more pain and resolutely determined to never be that honest again. So we set out on a journey of slowly dying inside.

What’s the answer for those of us who want to be real in a relationship? Who want to unload a burden in order to find the path of support and some victories? Who want the church to be a place of healing?

Good questions but who among us has those answers? I’m sure I don’t have pat answers for complex questions. Indulge me to suggest a few starting points to hopefully get us headed in that direction. Maybe a good starting point would be for us who presume to be leaders in the church to stop protecting ourselves and begin honestly sharing our struggles. Maybe a starting point for all of us who have been hurt is to be on the lookout for an appropriate person who aches for the same relationship. And maybe another starting point is for us to take a look inward to determine how approachable and open we are.

Maybe most of all we can learn from Phil Yancey’s AA friend and begin by acknowledging we have a problem with dependency. At least it’s a starting point.

Photo's from Daniel's trip to Moab, Utah

Vulnerability: 11 Bulletin Board Points

2010-10-16T20:31:00.007-04:00

Lately, I’ve been entertaining the concept of vulnerability. But I don’t want to talk about it. ;o) Actually I do but don’t have enough cohesive thoughts to put in paragraph form so instead I offer these 11 bulletin board points:

* I’ll be the first to admit it isn’t easy to say, “I feel overwhelmed”, “I’ve been wrong” or “I’m hurting” without feeling like a failure or worrying about repercussions. It’s much easier to convince myself that, “Nothing’s wrong”, “I’ll be fine” or “I’m not bitter, just hurt.”

* As Christians we’ve somehow given the mistaken notion that we have to have it all together and to acknowledge otherwise makes us immature failures.

* Worrying about what others think and protecting our image is a death blow to vulnerability.

* When I wall myself in and others out, I run the risk of convincing myself everything is okay and short circuiting the Spirit’s work.
* Christians have struggles, weaknesses and sin issues like everyone else. Vulnerability admits it and allows us to take an honest look to see what’s going on beneath the surface.

* Transparency is like looking into a café window and seeing me sitting at a table. You can see me with clarity, make some observations, but we have no meaningful interaction. Vulnerability on the other hand is when you step inside the café, sit down beside me, and we share honest open conversation.

* Transparency says, “I’m struggling” but holds you at arm’s length. Vulnerability says, “I’m struggling” and invites input.

* Transparency is good. Vulnerability is better.

* My inheritance in the Gospel reveals my true character, my true self, my true identity.

*Seeing myself in honesty allows the Spirit to continually apply the implications of that Gospel to my interior life and transform me.

* It’s freeing to live life without having anything to prove.

We Are Back Home - A Photo Journal

2010-10-08T21:28:00.012-04:00

Vermont country roads……………….take me back to West Virginia

We stayed ½ mile from the Canadian border and ventured over one day

A tour of Ben & Jerry’s produced some good samples of Chocolate mint

The Van Trapp’s of Sound of Music fame ended up in Vermont after their escape from Austria

Little cabin in the back woods of Vermont where we purchased maple syrup

In Lancaster County we were hosted by Keith & Dawn - good friends and former teammates

One of the hundreds of farms owned and operated by the Amish

The 2010 model of the standard black Amish buggy – horse not included

The Red Caboose Motel is one of the most intriguing motels we have ever seen

Sight & Sound theatre visualizes and dramatizes Biblical truth through live stage productions – the Joseph story was unbelievable and a highlight of the trip

Getting to the Point

2010-09-25T15:30:00.009-04:00

Being Deliberate

In keeping with our promise “to be deliberate as a couple to enjoy beautiful things” our family attended the opening reception of the Beckley Art Gallery watercolor show today.

See a few entries below.

Then and Now

I used to be ignorant
And I didn’t do any school.
But now that I am learning,
I think I’d rather be a fool.
– Christina Harer

10 Words or Less

Of the 322 weekly “rope-holders” quotes that have gone out, here are six short ones to the point:
52. "The future is as bright as the promises of God." - Adonirum Judson
109. “Self-reliance is God-defiance.” - Geoffrey Bull
207. “It is never a waste of time to wait on God.” J. Hudson Taylor
230. "He who intercedes most, helps most" - Andrew Murray
248. "Both legalism and self-indulgence distort the gospel." J.I. Packer
313. “All that is not eternal is out of date.” - C.S. Lewis

Classic WV Festival

Here’s one we don’t want to miss: Autumn Harvest Festival & RoadKill Cook-off * September 25, 2010, Marlinton, WV. The West Virginia RoadKill Cook-off is one of the region’s most exciting and fun annual events. If you’ve ever wanted to taste exotic dishes like squirrel gravy over biscuits, teriyaki marinated bear or deer sausage, this is the place!

Standing the Norm on its Head

2010-09-18T17:28:00.007-04:00

“Bare obedience can harden us to God more than disobedience can.” Now that statement by Mark Buchanan, author of Your God Is Too Safe, certainly turns the Christian norm on its head. He goes on to say, “If you doubt it, compare the older boy with the younger one in the parable of the prodigal; compare the Pharisees and religious rulers with the tax collectors and prostitutes in the stories of Jesus. Or just look at Jonah.”

I can see his point. How many among us are Christian atheists unawares? Saddled with the outward obedient forms of the Christian faith without having vitally, truly, honestly connected with God. That isn’t to say “bare obedience” doesn’t reap good citizens and hand out good consequences. It does. Or that obedience isn’t necessary. It is. But again from Buchannan, “Oh, God wants our obedience. But He wants something deeper than that.” What He wants is our affection, our heart, our undivided attention.

In reading this startling statement I was reminded of a similar head standing comment by John Piper in his book Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. Speaking to pastors he urges them, “We have all told our people to serve God. The Bible says ‘Serve the Lord with gladness.’ But now it may be time to tell them not to serve God.

There is a way to serve God that belittles and dishonors him…“What is God looking for in the world? Assistants? No. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It is a help-available ad. Nor is the call to Christian service a help wanted ad. God is not looking for people to work for Him but people who let Him work mightily in and through them.

“We will serve by believing His promise of fullest joy and walking by that faith. We will not serve by trying to put our power at His disposal for His good, but by doing what is necessary so that His power will be ever at our disposal for our good…The only right way to serve God is in a way that reserves for Him all the glory…Until the people understand this, brothers, tell them not to serve God.”

Home Tour

2010-09-11T11:21:00.011-04:00

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

I don’t profess to have an across the board understanding of the intricacies of applying this passage. I also admit that when we sold our double wide and left home for the gospel I couldn’t really envision us coming back to a particularly nice home, but we have indeed received much. Not that we are living in a mansion, far from it. Our home is modest by all accounts, but it suits us well. It does have three features we have always dreamed of – wood floors, gas logs, lots of windows.

We are still on the lookout for a name that reflects the restful, peaceful place we are hoping to create for ourselves and others – a virtual sanctuary, a refuge, a place of renewal and refreshing. Kychom has come to mind, it’s an African name for “a place to rest” and Khaya meaning “a restful place.”

Here's a little tour:

Gas logs awaiting a snowy day

Lots of windows for welcoming the cheery sunshine

Wooden floors - YES!

The Quiet Garden

Nice patio, dusk, firebowl, friends, music

- what more could you want?

"Lord, may this room and this home provide the restful,

peaceful santuary we dedicate it to be."

News Notes

2010-09-03T17:38:00.007-04:00

Christina was baptized on Sunday! She has long waited for the opportunity, but for a myriad of reasons it never worked out. Finally, happily she was able to make a public allegiance to Jesus - the true and better Priest, Prophet, King and Sacrifice. The water was freezing cold, but the moment was refreshingly warm. Afterwards we threw a big celebration with family and friends to help set the memory of the occasion in stone.

Daniel is less than a week away from flying out to Colorado for a year of study at Timberline Lodge. Selling a car, purchasing tickets, working out connections, gathering wilderness gear and school supplies, saying goodbye has been on his unwritten “to do” list. “Timberline Lodge is one of twenty-six Torchbearers schools located in twenty countries. The original school began in northern England at Capernwray Hall in 1947 when Major W. Ian Thomas, a British Army officer, returned from the war, and with his wife, Joan, opened their hearts and doors to European young people. Major Thomas taught, ‘when you and I received Christ as our Redeemer, He gave us, through His Holy Spirit, the fullness and power of His resurrection…Grasp this well, for otherwise your Christianity will remain boring, sterile, and impersonal. Christ Himself is the very life-content of the Christian faith.’”

My dad and mom made a trip from Volunteer Country to Mountaineer Country this week. It was the first time in almost five years they have stayed with us in our home. We had a good family reunion made even more special by showing them around our new place which is a tour we want to take you on soon. A highlight was our evening games of croquet in the back yard.

One thing I didn’t mention about Christina’s baptism day was the additional excitement the day provided. Diana was up early that morning peeling potatoes – lots of potatoes, over twenty potatoes to be exact. Putting the peels down the disposal became not such a good idea. My friend Google told me not to fear that potato peels are often a culprit of food disposal drain problems and that I need only take the trap off and clean it out. The trap was metal and rusty. It was also stuck. You can guess the rest. Potato juice went squirting everywhere so the remainder of our day became a blur of preparing food, entertaining guests, celebrating baptism all around the constant work of Eddie, our friendly plumber. What a memory.

One More Thing About Plateaus

2010-08-27T08:56:00.005-04:00

So here we are running free and running wild on this remarkable plateau. We feel the refreshment of a cold mountain waterfall after a hot summer day’s hike. Discovering, growing, learning, renewing. It’s great! But there is one more thing about plateaus. They often come at price. And some times they come at a very painful price.

I discovered the eye-popping, grace-awakening truth of submission to the Lordship of Christ just before I turned twenty. At that point in my life I was finally ready to acknowledge that there wasn’t peace doing things my way. But it took four years of stiff-necked selfishness and emptiness before I was open for God to swoop in with this life giving truth.

The next big plateau came almost twenty years later. I desperately needed to learn that Christ lives His life in me through the indwelling work of the Spirit. That nugget was received only after more personal struggle. Reflecting on that time I’ve said things such as, “Trying harder just wasn’t enough, and honestly we were both feeling like failures in marriage…Being a husband and father is enough to break a person. It seemed I was often reacting out of frustration. I remember one evening saying to God, ‘I just can't live the Christian life. I am a failure.’”

It seems that there is something in our humanness that makes us most prepared to receive a golden nugget of truth at our point of weakness. In humiliation and struggles, in brokenness and floundering the Lord is ready and willing to reveal Himself in new ways. It’s like He’s saying, “I’ve been waiting for you to get to the end of your rope, but is it ever worth it. I’ve got something really special waiting for you.”

I’ll have to tell you about our Mexico experience sometime. It was filled with challenges but has yielded up one of those valued plateaus. In the meantime let’s ask ourselves what lies behind the door of our current difficulties and what lush stately garden awaits us.

Plateaus

2010-08-19T00:10:00.005-04:00

Plateaus get a bad rap. No athlete wants to hear the death blow whispers - “He’s plateaued.” It’s a kin to saying “washed up” or “failure.” I prefer to see plateaus as high lands filled with lush green fields, surrounded by dense forests with a stunning view of the valley below. It’s a place to be explored and refreshed before embarking on next part of the climb.

At a backward glance I can see that my personal growth has been one of plateaus. Life places where God has been very intentional to plunk a spiritual nugget in my heart, then give a few years and freedom to discover, to grow and to be refreshed before the ascent to the next plateau.

Without going out on a limb to say this is a norm, I do wonder if many of us haven’t had a similar experience. More than likely the nugget wasn’t brand new, but became so much more real that we were left wondering how we could have been blind to it for so long.

For me one of those plateaus was the ministry of the indwelling Spirit, and another was my true identity as a reconciled son of God. For others it might be an awareness of the depths of personal sin or the riches of the grace of God or the daily ministry of the Trinity. The specific truth theme isn’t so much the issue as is the refreshing aliveness God brings to it in our heart.

A few years ago a friend wrote a Christmas letter summing up his particular plateau. He said, “…while listening to that tape something dawned on me that 14 years of Christian School, 4 years of Bible College and a lifetime of Christian experience had never occurred to me. I realized that I was living my life for Christ instead of letting Him live His life through me. It was as if someone had opened a drapery and let the sunlight flood into a darkened room. Everything in the room was in order, but I had been stumbling in the dark. And now the orderliness of the room made sense for the first time because I can see its purpose more clearly.” He goes on to say, "This revelation is still so new to me that I haven't quite got a handle on it, and I suspect that I may never handle it because it is too wonderful for human comprehension."

Another friend paints this word picture of his, “Most of my life I have known the words of the Christian life, I just now feel as though I’m hearing the music.”

So, maybe we should give this whole plateau idea a second thought and a second chance. Expecting that for a life time God is going to surprise us with a twist on what we thought we already knew and letting us run wild on His plateaus.

Stories Worth Remembering…and Telling

2010-08-12T20:57:00.002-04:00

“Daddy, what do these rocks mean piled up by the river?” “Grandpa, why on all other nights do we eat sitting, but on this night we eat reclining?” “Mommy, why is that altar built on the mountain?” “Why do you have shoe strings on the shelf?” “What is the meaning of that key?”

“Children, you do my heart good with your inquires. Curious items indeed and all part of the telling. I have a true and fascinating story to share with you of how God wondrously intersected our family’s life.”

Our first encounter with a memorial shelf came while visiting friends five years ago. Each item was thoughtfully placed to represent a significant story in their lives and one they want to be passed on from one generation to the next. Stories that say, we are a royal priesthood and a peculiar people. Stories that say that the Lord our God is not safe…but He is goodly awesome.

“Go over before the ark of the LORD your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.” Joshua 4:5-7b

“I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old – what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done…so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” Psalm 78:2-4;6-7

So, being a man, a husband and a father who wants to rehearse to our children the faithfulness, power, wonders and praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, I figure it’s high time I get started. After a little coaching from the Scriptures and a little mentoring from our friends, we now have among other things a scrap of wood, a scorpion, shoe strings, wristband from Colombia and a key on our own memorial shelf. It’s just waiting for you to stop by for a cup of loose leaf tea and hear a story worth remembering…and telling.

Q & A For Home Ministry (aka Furlough)

2010-08-04T12:30:00.002-04:00

So, what are you up to these days? Between traveling to report to our supporters, going for doctor and dentist check-ups and reconnecting with friends, we are moving into and organizing our house. It’s pure pandemonium.

Any first impressions of the US? I could take a whole journal to answer this one, but what we continually notice is the bigness of the United States. We seem to take some special satisfaction in doing things big – overstuffed furniture, big vehicles, wide lanes, super sized meals and big screen TV’s. The list goes on and on.

What do you miss about Mexico? Mexico is filled with open air cafes and restaurants. We miss having that available year round. Bright colors, fresh corn tortillas and u-turns. I really like the idea of u-turns – anytime, any place.

Anything you don’t miss? We don’t miss Microdyn! It’s the solution we used to soaked our fruits and vegetables. It’s really nice to just wash, rinse and eat. We don’t miss always watching over our shoulder for the police and the paranoia of it all. Nor do we miss altars, shrines, scorpions and dry itchy skin.

What foods have you been enjoying since returning? I know this sounds absurdly crazy, but we like Taco Bell even though it has little resemblance to authentic Mexican. And the $1 ice tea at McDonalds. Oh yeah, Turkey Hill ice cream. Which by the way I’m finishing off some chocolate peanut butter cup at 11:47 p.m. while I wait for Maria to get back from a trip to Carowinds.

What’s the funniest thing one of your kids has said in the last 24 hours? Christina and I were on the way to pick up one of her friends today when we passed a “bump” sign on the road. She said, “That was a bump? That wasn’t a bump daddy. Americans are so civilized.” Funny thing is she’s right.

And your plans for the next couple of months? Maria and Christina get back into the swing of things next week with school. They are so excited – not really! Daniel has settled on going to a Torchbearer’s school for the coming year. They have schools all across the world. This particular one is in Colorado. We still need to travel to Pittsburg, Vermont, Tennessee, Virginia and as well as make some stops in West Virginia.

Tell us a couple of interesting things in parting. I’m not sure how interesting it is, but we loved picking blueberries last week. I got a bocce ball set for my birthday if there are any bocce ball enthusiasts out there.

Moving

2010-07-28T13:38:00.004-04:00

Moving - chaos and excited discovery;
Sifting for a needle in a haystack.

Moving - cleaning and mountainous boxes.
Organizing is an x-treme sport.

Moving - tired and weary adrenaline;
Sorting through banjo-stringed emotions.

Moving - friends and serendipitous help;
Waiting for His renewed strength.

Moving – refuge and uneasy normalcy
Journaling is required to take a back seat.

“Daily Offerings”

2010-07-21T08:18:00.001-04:00

When I visit Starbucks I usually take note of a sign behind the counter. It reads simply “Daily Offerings.” There you will find some sort of special drink for the day like a coconut freeze latte with goat milk whipped cream and brewed with a mix of Kenyan and Guatemalan coffee. That sign intrigues me, stirs me, prods me.

I think maybe we should post a similar sign in our quiet place as a reminder - a reminder that He is worthy…a reminder that our songs, meditation, praise, groans, music and shouts are not reserved only for Sundays…a reminder to bring an offering of praise into His courts…a reminder that a “daily offering” is fitting for our King.

“Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:2

Grandpa's Prayer: The Rest of the Story

2010-07-12T12:47:00.006-04:00

O.W. Harer pictured with the author

Grandpa was a student of God’s Word and a respected Bible teacher in our community. He left me a legacy of faith summed up in his rhetorical question to a group of high school students, “HE hasn’t failed me yet; do you think HE ever will?” Grandpa cared about those students and had taught most of them in the public school ministry he carried on for years.

In the 70’s someone got the idea of building a huge lounge in our little Blue Ridge community and dubbing it the Bunny Lounge. It dominated the landscape and was just about a mile from the high school. Grandpa didn’t like it! One particularly cantankerous doctor asked him at the time if he would pay the cover charge to get into the Bunny Lounge. His reply, “I would pay to get out.”

It was in these days that Grandpa expressed to the church his concern about the lounge and its impact on our community and our young people. A couple attending that morning recalls that during his prayer Grandpa prayed specifically that the business would “fail.” It took a little while, but the Bunny Lounge did fail. The Outer Space Connection took its place, and it failed too. So did Caesar’s Palace and the Music Barn. Over time in the framework of God’s handling of things, this couple would drive by, see a failed business, and the husband would comment, “God still answers prayer.”

Over twenty-five years later the lounge was purchased and converted into a business that manufactures splash guards for 18 wheelers. It’s owned by a Christian family who just recently erected a cross on the property with the words “Risen Savior” and “Jesus Saves.” A fine testimony that we should never ever underestimate the prayer of a righteous man. And as Paul Harvey would say, now you know the rest of the story.

Can’t Put God in a Box

2010-07-05T22:33:00.004-04:00

Jerry told us today that he would be glad to bring our boxes from Texas to Tennessee in November. It was the culmination of a story that only God could orchestrate and one that begs to be told.

We left 15 of our boxes in the hands of Clay and Amanda in April. They were planning on returning to Nashville with their company and offered to bring our things out of Mexico on their moving truck. In June we got a note from Clay, “I have some news. Amanda and I are working on raising support now so that we can stay.”

Out went a batch of notes to our friends, “We have run into a bit of a snag with getting some of our boxes out of Mexico. We are wondering if any of you might be driving out any time this summer or fall.” No response. Then, days later, a note from Rob and Laura to whom we had not written nor ever met, “Just wanted to let you know that we would be willing to help bring some of your things back to the border in July.” Yes!

One huge problem resolved…kind of. We still needed to get the boxes from Puebla to Cuernavaca two hours away, find a place to store them in McAllen, Texas, and then get them to West Virginia. So, out went another batch of notes and again no reply. Last Friday, less than a week before the window of opportunity closed on this one, Debbie wrote. Senor Ernesto whom we had met only once was willing to deliver our things to Cuernavaca. We were relieved, but still unsure what we would do once they arrived in McAllen. Our thought was God got them out of the country, we don’t have to have the other answers yet, we’ll trust.

On Saturday I was driving past a house that has been sitting empty since our return. At one point we had been interested in renting it, but had never been able to contact the owners. Now here before me were people loading up trailers with furniture. I stopped to inquire about it. In the course of the conversation, it came out that we had just returned from Mexico. The owners said that the guy helping them lives in Rio Bravo. Outside I met Tom a missionary with ICCD. We talked awhile about Mexico. “By the way,” I asked him, “what is the US border town near Rio Bravo.” “McAllen.” With a bit of hesitation and a bit of hope, I ventured the question, “Would you know of somewhere that we could store our things?” His answer made my heart skip a beat. “Yes, contact Melanie at the United Methodist Church. They have a storage room there to help in these kinds of situations. And contact Buddy and Fanny, they work out the logistics. And contact Jerry in Kingsport, Tennessee. He’s coming with a group in October and has a partially empty trailer on the way back.” Was this too good to be true? Would God send someone to within a mile of where we are currently living to work out the final details?

I called Fanny that evening to tell her our situation. She not only was willing to help but happily went beyond the call of duty. When I expressed amazement, she said, “We pray and ask for these things; we shouldn’t be surprised when God answers.” I called Jerry today; sure enough he’s pulling a sixteen foot trailer and more than willing to help too.

I stand amazed (although I know I shouldn’t be) that we are left with yet another story of divine intervention, and a reminder that when it comes to working out the impossible you can’t put God in a box.

An Overdue Goodbye – A Photo Journal

2010-06-28T14:59:00.014-04:00

Some came into our lives for only a brief time, others became close friends.
Some were brothers and sisters in the Christian faith, most weren’t.
Some we met with in a group, most we knew only individually.
Some invited us into their home, some we invited into our home, a handful lived with us.
They crossed our path at Cuernavaca, Universidad Internacional, Iglesia Biblica Renueva, Puebla, Los Heroes, Mercado Zapata, San Francisco, Momoxpan and El Puente.
This is a overdue goodbye to everyone in Mexico and a few photos that only scratch the surface:

A spark of joy to our family

The girls' ice skating instructor

We met together for worship, friendship and food

The two of us had many great discussions together

We will not forget you

Their weekly encouragement was a gift

Wonder of the Cross at work

More than a Spanish instructor – a friend

Men’s Bible study group

Appreciated by many

The Mexican ladies' tea society

Time For Dad’s Day

2010-06-21T23:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was time for Dad’s Day and it met up to expectations…..this is saying a lot. Often big days have turned out to be big bummers because of my big expectations. I’ve learned (a slow, painstaking process) to lower them a bit and just enjoy the day for what it brings. It was great! We had a great Father’s Day meal of steak fajitas and a round of encouraging words for Dad. Afterwards Diana and I went on a “date” for coffee, then the girls and I took a walk around Little Beaver Lake. Good stuff.

The girls gave me a Hallmark coupon book filled with great gifts like: This coupon entitles Dad to keep one gizmo, doodad, or thingamajig that he’s supposed to throw away; Redeem this coupon for uninterrupted viewing of any televised sporting event (offer extends to two of Dad’s buddies); This coupon is good for everyone’s undivided attention during one of Dad’s stories, even if it begins with “when I was your age.”; This coupon guarantees pizza for dinner…loaded with Dad’s favorite toppings! The Aero Sport cologne was a pretty cool gift too.

I had a chance to talk to my Dad. While it was still long distance, it seems a lot closer when we are only a couple of hundred miles apart instead of thousands. I’m proud to have a dad whose life reminds me not to get above my raising. Dad appreciates things from years past. I get the desire to live life simply from him. I also learned his approach to finances – set aside the “Lord’s money”, and if you don’t have it, don’t spend it. Oh yes, we still follow the Big Orange together.

Dad’s day was a good day. Made special by my dad and by my children. They make me proud and I love’em all!

Beyond Opinion

2010-06-16T17:49:00.004-04:00

One of the books I was reading when we were still in Mexico was Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias. You might know that he and his ministry team are leading apologists who offer reasonable, biblical and logical explanations to those who question or even attack the Christian faith. In the midst of this intellectual dissertation Ravi reminds us of the powerful importance of prayer.

“A few years ago, two or three of my colleagues and I were in a country dominated for decades by Marxism. Before we began our meetings, we were invited to a dinner by some common friends, all of whom were skeptics and, for all practical purposes, atheists. The evening was full of questions, posed principally by a notable theoretical physicist in the country. There were also others who represented different elements of power within that society. As the night wore on, we got the feeling that the questions had gone on long enough and that we were possibly going in circles.

“At that point, I asked, if we could have a word of prayer with them, for them, and for the country before we bade them good-bye. There was a silence of consternation, and obvious hesitancy, and then one said, ‘Of course.’ We did just that – we prayed. In this large dining room of historic importance to them, with all the memories of secular power plastered within those walls, the prayer brought a sobering silence that we were all in the presence of someone greater than us. When we finished, every eye was moist and nothing was said. They hugged us and thanked us, with emotion written all over their faces. The next day when we met them, one of them said to me, ‘We did not go back to our rooms last night till it was early morning. In fact, I stayed in my hotel lobby most of the night talking further. Then I went back to my room and gave my life to Jesus Christ.’

“I firmly believe that it was the prayer that gave them a hint of what worship is all about. Their hearts had never experienced it. Over the years I have discovered that praying with people can sometimes do more for them than preaching to them. Prayer draws the heart away from one’s own dependence to leaning on the sovereign God. The burden is often lifted instantly. Prayer is only one aspect of worship, but one that is greatly neglected in the face of people who would be shocked to hear what prayer sounds like when the one praying knows how to touch the heart of God. To a person in need, pat answers don’t change the mind; prayer does.”

My Wonderful Wife

2010-06-08T14:48:00.008-04:00

I have a friend who reminds me every so often that I “married above my head.” Outside of my mom and a relative or two, no one would really argue the point. I’m alright with it too because I do indeed have a wonderful wife.

Last week Diana and I stole away to the Church Street Bed and Breakfast in Lewisburg to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. Friday afternoon found us sitting together on the second story porch. No hurried activity. Just being together. Reading, talking and saying nothing. As we sat there soaking up the moment it began to rain - slow and steady before rushing into a down pour……finally tapering off into drips off the trees as the birds made their reappearance to share their beautiful songs. It was a refreshing moment and an opportunity to appreciate my wonderful wife. Here are some things I jotted down about our lives together:

We live alive in the ordinary and the routine – I guess it’s a sign of getting older or maybe it’s just getting a big adventure out of the system, but there is aliveness in our relationship through the ordinary….a morning walk, sitting by a camp fire, having tea, reminiscing, listening to music, sitting on a porch swing or just reading. And it’s good.

We stand in the gap for one another – Diana compliments me in so many ways from accounting for the finances to helping find my keys....again. She is an amazingly gifted woman.

We journey and grow together – Journeys and the growth that comes through them are not always pleasant and sometimes they are. Either way it is very fulfilling to have a wife at my side with whom to share and glean insight and change and grow.

We share sacred moments – A quiet prayer, a needed spiritual insight, set apart time on Sunday morning, hanging out with a group of burning hearts, looking over the Grand Canyon ….as well as all the ordinarily sacred times I just listed above.

“Lord, I have found Your favor in the gift of my wonderful wife.”

This photo was snapped on the second floor porch just before the downpour.

In the back yard with books and a nice noisy fountain to keep us company.

The girls gave us this Willow Tree (Anniversary - Love ever endures) gift. We had been admiring these figurines for a good while now.

Boatload of Memories

2010-05-29T12:59:00.006-04:00

Being back home has afforded us the opportunity to accumulate a boatload of memories. There was the grand one at the Canyon but many little intriguing ones along the way too. I guess you could say that we are easily entertained, because some are comparable to sorting socks on a Friday evening. None-the-less here are a few of the memories we have made since arriving back in the States – seeing the wind blow tumble weed across our path while we were out west ** the girls eating caramel apples for the first time ** the sign at the Texas rest area that read “Watch for Rattlesnakes” ** eating fry bread at a Native American diner in Arizona ** getting within 200 yards of “Four Corners” only to be stymied by an under construction sign ** seeing bears at Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountain Park

The eternal “To Do List” seems to be our lot in life and at the moment it’s growing faster than we can cross things off. So if you were to take a peek at our list these days here’s a sampling of what you might see.
1. Take Vermox – there are all kind of creepy crawlies that might be in our system these days, and we want them OUT!
2. Get Inspection Sticker – our van hasn’t had a clean bill of health in over four years so it was off to the garage to have it stickered
3. Friends & Family – connect with them as fast and furious as possible
4. Krispy Kreme – still need to locate a “HOT” sign for KK and stop in for a fresh donut
5. Wedding Anniversary – June 4th marks our 22nd and we have some celebrating to catch up on
6. Small Stuff – find a house for the coming year; consider God’s calling in our lives and what’s next; travel to points between Vermont and South Carolina

While wide highways and orderly traffic is one of the things that we noticed upon our arrival home, it is by no means the only thing that grabs our attention in these first days back. In the Christian realm we are amazed at all the resources available, movements to follow, existing ministries, conferences to attend and detailed studies to read. It all stands in contrast to the spiritually parched land from which we have recently returned.

May 22nd Celebration – Christina’s Photo Journal

2010-05-23T22:15:00.011-04:00

She waited four years for a Chick-fil-a sandwich

Reconnecting with some good friends

Mom’s Girl

Ice Cream Cakes – A long held family tradition

Girls Will Do Their Nails

I Can’t Believe I Stayed Up So Late Last Night

I…………..Can’t…………………Breathe!

It was a Narnia theme

The Birthday girl loves webkins

Our Family Goes West

2010-05-14T20:30:00.013-04:00

We spent over 12 hours in the car on Mother’s Day in the van, eventually ending up in Albuquerque. Our plan was to have breakfast in the historic district and enjoy the adobe architecture, but instead we had breakfast at Starbucks and were on our way to Flagstaff.

Part of our trip was on historic route 66 which runs from Chicago to Los Angles and covers eight states. The girls ate at a diner for the first time on the route, complete with swivel stools, the old fashion metal milkshake machines and pancake tacos.

After four years without snow we didn’t anticipate seeing it for the first time at the Grand Canyon. The sun broke through in just a little while and added to the breath taking, stunning, spectacular view. We sat in the van at an overlook and listened to Joyful, Joyful by Casting Crowns. Listen to it here.

Mesa Verde (Green Table) was just ten miles from where we spent the night in Cortez, Colorado. This photo is the back side of a famous cliff dwelling ruin. We were really disappointed not to stop, but it would have taken three hours out of a very long travel day.

Traveling the back way to Colorado Springs gave us great opportunity to see the Rocky Mountains up close and personal. We fell in love with the Colorado country side. It was so refreshing and brought us back to our mountain roots. G. Harvey’s Reflecting His Majesty appropriately titles this area of our country.

We are at Whit’s End Ice Cream Shoppe waiting for our WodFamChocSod (World Famous Chocolate Soda). The Discovery Emporium is the Odyssey section of Focus on the Family welcome center. This ministry has been a big encouragement in our family’s life and to spend some time there was a pilgrimage of sorts.

This castle at Glen Eyrie is the headquarters of the Navigators. We spent Thursday afternoon touring the castle and the grounds. Then through a gift from some special friends, we enjoyed a formal tea there.

The tea consisted of a black tea called the Castle Blend, scones, mini quiche, fresh fruit, baby Gouda cheese, palmier and chocolate truffle. Our waitress was Jewish and pronounced a blessing, asking for the Lord’s favor upon our family. She explained that having the Lord’s favor was broader and more encompassing.

We finished up the day on Thursday at the Garden of the Gods, a National Park near Glen Eyrie. It was a beautiful drive through park with fascinating rock structures. I could only wish that we lived within sight of the Park and could take our morning walk there.

We providentially discovered Shelter Pines just outside of Colorado Springs. It’s a ministry that provides rest and renewal for missionary families. We sent three nights here and on Friday did nothing more than accomplish the purpose of the ministry. God is Good!

Let the Adjustment Begin

2010-05-08T23:43:00.003-04:00

Make no mistake about it, the adjustment is just beginning. That is, the process of re-learning what comes naturally for 99.9% of Americans. I’m sure it will take months; just as I’m equally sure we will be blindsided by it more than a few times. This journal isn’t going to bore you with every nitty gritty detail of every little adjustment, but do humor me to draw you into our crazy mixed up world for a moment.

“The Adjustment” as we will call it is very pervasive. It catches you off guard and leaves you feeling like a cross between a three year old and the village idiot. Our first morning back and I’m standing in line to buy a bottle of water. “$1.09” the cashier says, so I reach in my pocket and pull out a handful of change. It feels funny in my hand, like the coins have shrunk. I’m caught off guard for an instant and have to stop and think, “What coins do I need to use?” It’s a weird feeling for just a moment. And so was standing amazed that people were leaving their jackets unattended and my wife not being freaked out over water splashing around the food and asking the sales lady what length the teen girls wear their jeans and…

In days of old returning missionaries had weeks if not months to make “the adjustment” as they rode the slow boat from China. The elongated time allowed them to ponder, refresh and make ready for their return. In our own way we are taking a slow boat back home. To create a family memory we plan to hang a left in Dallas and head out to the Grand Canyon before returning back through Colorado and on to the Appalachians. It’s a time to think and to adjust.

“The Adjustment” will continue as we arrive home. How will we fit in? What will others expect of us? What will our expectations be of them? Will we reconnect with friends easily? Are we supposed to tip the bag boy? How do you drive in the snow? Where do you buy Oaxaca cheese? And on and on it goes.

May 3rd Celebration - Maria Photo Journal

2010-05-04T00:05:00.017-04:00

Two Beautiful Ladies on Maria’s 15th Birthday

Michaela Models For Saks Fifth Avenue

The Ice Cream Cake Was Very Moist

Partying at the Wegners

We Managed to Finding a Skating Rink in Houston Too!

Enjoying a Cup of Coffee with My Nephew David

Cousin Maria and Cousin Samantha

Clothes Were the Gifts of The Day

From Skating to Swimming

Getting a Big Hug From Karissa

There They Go - Here They Come - A Photo Journal

2010-04-23T20:56:00.003-04:00