Yesterday was the one month anniversary of coming to Honduras. I now have the best job in the world and in a week, it will only get better. Terri will be here with 85 of my closest friends and will be staying until I return on August 5th. I have missed having my wife here and am blessed that we enter this ministry together. Since we made this decision in February, Terri has been 100% comitted to making this her life work.
The past month has flown by and I will be writting a complete summary of the events of all of the TORCH Teams sometime after August 5th. Just know that there are 100's of people of all ages that have experienced a lifechanging time during the work that is happening in Honduras. Removing yourself from the traps of the world is exactly what it takes for many of the changed lives to come face to face with their Savior. Many see Jesus in Honduras and for a lot of people, it is the first real face to face experience that they have ever had. I was blessed to see Jesus face to face this afternoon. My interns and I went to a village called Villa San Francisco to build a house for a friend of Hannah Sawyer (sister of one of my interns). When we finished the house I looked into the eyes of Jesus - he told us that "whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me!" I saw Jesus in the eyes of the lady that has a new house and in the eyes of her children.
Blessings,
Marc
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Tough Decisions
When you are on a mountain and there are hundreds of houses that could easily be replaced, you can think of the "Starfish Story" and be somewhat satisfied that you did indeed help one family at a time. The one big difference between people in need and starfish is that the starfish on the beach aren't running up to the guy helping them and pleading to be the next starfish that is saved. Since coming to Honduras a month ago, I have become the person on the mountain that makes the house decisions - this is the toughest thing that I've ever done. I pray every night that God will help me make the right decision. In Nueva Oriental last week there were no less than 20 people that handed me written requests to be considered for a new house. Somehow my old (and now lost) cell phone number fell into the hands of the mountain and one day I had 40 or more phone calls. I hope that the person that stole my phone isn't mean to the people that call him asking for a house.
How, how, how - is anyone supposed to know which family is more deserving than another? I pray that this is the wisdom that God promised - if we ask for it. I'm asking!
Blessings!
Marc
How, how, how - is anyone supposed to know which family is more deserving than another? I pray that this is the wisdom that God promised - if we ask for it. I'm asking!
Blessings!
Marc
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Smiles, Giggles, & Wiggles
Yesterday was a first for many people. I had talked to the leader of the Atlanta team that is working here for the next week and asked if they would be interested in taking a youth group from one of the mountains to dinner & a movie. We agreed that in spite of the language barrier, the idea would be a lot of fun. I ran the idea up the flagpole with one of the leaders of the Los Pinos Church and we were off. The plan was for Timoteo & I to go to the mountain in our trucks to pick up the anticipated 17 or 18 kids and take them to meet our TORCH group at the mall. When we arrived at Los Pinos - there were 43 people waiting and two pick-up trucks. No hay problema! I just loaded 23 excited people in my truck and Timo loaded the rest and we were off to the mall. I think that 23 in my truck may be my record for carrying a group - once I counted 18 in the back of a tiny Toyota but - I had 9 inside so there were only 14 in the bed of the truck. Anyway it was sort of funny going through a police stop because they just waved us on through. That is funny because I've been stopped with only 8 gringos in the back and told that I was breaking the law which only allows 6 in the back of a PU.
We made it to the mall and met up with the Atlanta group and were forced to make a quick change of plans. Originally (with 17 in mind) we were going to eat at TGIF but our new size required a change in plans and that led us to the food court. Our group of 43 from Los Pinos and our team of 20 enjoyed Pizza, cokes, & laughs. We later went to Shreck (in Spanish) and took the group home.
What our TORCH group didn't know was that of the 43 kids from Los Pinos - more than 30 had never been to the mall and more than 35 had never seen a movie in a theater. These kids were all smiles and were as happy to be in a new place with strangers as anyone that I've ever seen. Our blessings have led us to be complacient with what we have and because of that our expectations and demands for instant gratification sometimes keep us from experiencing the simple joy that the kids from Los Pinos had yesterday.
Some long team joy also happened this past week in Santa Ana. A group of ministry students wourke with Noel and the community and there were 14 people that made a decision to give it all up for Jesus! The work in these mountains is fruitful and very worthwhile. The dedicaiton of many of these workers is amazing. Working in a community like Los Pinos means walking up and down the mountain just to meet the people and to talk to them about Jesus. I met a 60+ year old lady last week that leaves her house every Sunday morning at 6 so that she can walk to be with her Christian family at 9:30. That's dedication!
I am blessed to be here!
Marc
We made it to the mall and met up with the Atlanta group and were forced to make a quick change of plans. Originally (with 17 in mind) we were going to eat at TGIF but our new size required a change in plans and that led us to the food court. Our group of 43 from Los Pinos and our team of 20 enjoyed Pizza, cokes, & laughs. We later went to Shreck (in Spanish) and took the group home.
What our TORCH group didn't know was that of the 43 kids from Los Pinos - more than 30 had never been to the mall and more than 35 had never seen a movie in a theater. These kids were all smiles and were as happy to be in a new place with strangers as anyone that I've ever seen. Our blessings have led us to be complacient with what we have and because of that our expectations and demands for instant gratification sometimes keep us from experiencing the simple joy that the kids from Los Pinos had yesterday.
Some long team joy also happened this past week in Santa Ana. A group of ministry students wourke with Noel and the community and there were 14 people that made a decision to give it all up for Jesus! The work in these mountains is fruitful and very worthwhile. The dedicaiton of many of these workers is amazing. Working in a community like Los Pinos means walking up and down the mountain just to meet the people and to talk to them about Jesus. I met a 60+ year old lady last week that leaves her house every Sunday morning at 6 so that she can walk to be with her Christian family at 9:30. That's dedication!
I am blessed to be here!
Marc
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Coming Home
Luvin is home.
Some of you may not even know who Luvin is or why being home is important. Luvin is a 10 year old boy - we first thought he was 12 but, he had stretched his age a bit.
Last month a judge asked the children's home to take a chance and to take in one angry little boy. Luvin is scarred because of his past abuse and the scars are on his body and in his head. He has learned to hit back.
Luvin came to Casa with an attitude and because of that, we had to consider the safety of all of our other 15 kids. As much as it hurt, Luvin was taken back to the judge after a couple of really tough weeks. There were many tears and prayers about this decision. Luvin was taken to Casitas Kennedy to live (a really not so good place)
Well, on Thursday at about 6 PM, Luvin showed up at the casa gate - he had escaped from Casitas at about 5 that morning. He had quite an adventure that day. He first travelled about 40 miles in the wrong direction and ended up at the jimmy Hughes home. They gave him shoes and some money and they wrote Santa Ana on a piece of paper for him to show to bus drivers. His day ended at Casa de Esperanza where he had come to see if he could come home. He first wanted to apologize to the kids and then to see if he would be able to stay if he promised to not hurt the other kids.
Of course - we are all about second chances and Luvin has been granted his. We are working through the details of the situation with the judge - all that will be fine. We just need to pray that Luvin will know how good it is to be loved and not ever be abused again.
Luvin is home.
Blessings,
Marc
Some of you may not even know who Luvin is or why being home is important. Luvin is a 10 year old boy - we first thought he was 12 but, he had stretched his age a bit.
Last month a judge asked the children's home to take a chance and to take in one angry little boy. Luvin is scarred because of his past abuse and the scars are on his body and in his head. He has learned to hit back.
Luvin came to Casa with an attitude and because of that, we had to consider the safety of all of our other 15 kids. As much as it hurt, Luvin was taken back to the judge after a couple of really tough weeks. There were many tears and prayers about this decision. Luvin was taken to Casitas Kennedy to live (a really not so good place)
Well, on Thursday at about 6 PM, Luvin showed up at the casa gate - he had escaped from Casitas at about 5 that morning. He had quite an adventure that day. He first travelled about 40 miles in the wrong direction and ended up at the jimmy Hughes home. They gave him shoes and some money and they wrote Santa Ana on a piece of paper for him to show to bus drivers. His day ended at Casa de Esperanza where he had come to see if he could come home. He first wanted to apologize to the kids and then to see if he would be able to stay if he promised to not hurt the other kids.
Of course - we are all about second chances and Luvin has been granted his. We are working through the details of the situation with the judge - all that will be fine. We just need to pray that Luvin will know how good it is to be loved and not ever be abused again.
Luvin is home.
Blessings,
Marc
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Nuevo Oriental
Two years ago, I went to Nuevo Oriental for the first time. At that time it was (and remains) one of the poorest comunities that I had ever seen. Today the group from Florida and Mississippi built three houses there and I had a chance to revisit the area in a way that I hadn't in a long time - truly, today was different than any that I had ever had in this community.
While the crews were building, I met a lady that wanted to show me places and introduce me to families that needed new houses. I met with 8 or 9 families and all of them were in desperate situations - every one of the families needs a house and I am praying to have the wisdom to know how to decide who goes first.
Today I met the preacher that lives in the community - what a happy guy. He lives in a TORCH house and was all smiles telling me about the growth of the church in N.O. There are about 65 people attending Sunday services there and many more children. There was a building constructed in April and this weekend, one of our teams is adding Sunday School classrooms. God is good... all the time.
Marc
While the crews were building, I met a lady that wanted to show me places and introduce me to families that needed new houses. I met with 8 or 9 families and all of them were in desperate situations - every one of the families needs a house and I am praying to have the wisdom to know how to decide who goes first.
Today I met the preacher that lives in the community - what a happy guy. He lives in a TORCH house and was all smiles telling me about the growth of the church in N.O. There are about 65 people attending Sunday services there and many more children. There was a building constructed in April and this weekend, one of our teams is adding Sunday School classrooms. God is good... all the time.
Marc
Friday, June 15, 2007
Rainy Season
Don't know where you live but, if you have never lived in a place that only has two seasons and one is called "The Rainy Season", well - just say it's WET!
The good news is that a little (or A LOT) of rain and mud won't stop the work or the workers. It just makes for a little more adventure. For instance - yesterday I was in Santa Ana with a couple of the interns and Noel - the minister of the congregation in SA. We were out surveying the locations of 4 new houses that will be built when the next team arrives. It had rained all night on Wednesday (HARD - HURRICANE STYLE RAIN) and the main roads had mostly dried. Not true however about the back roads. I have a 4x4 and was in L4 which made me confident that my truck could roll through anything. Confidence and mud are a poor combination. Noel had just said - "this is a great truck" - about then I drove into what appeared to be an average sized mud hole. I was wrong to think this because my tires began to spin and before you could do anything about it we were stuck - the truck was so deep in the mud that it appeared to be sinking - the bottom of the doors were at mud level - and my truck sits high off of the ground.
I laughed and decided that this was going to be another part of our adventure and it was. We were rescued by a lady that had a large rope and a nice 4x4 of her own. We also had about 15 guys that came to assist in the push out - everybody was covered with poo-mud and everybody was smiling about it. (For the uninitiated "Poo-mud" is the result of combining rain or any other water source with close proximity to a poorly built outhouse - email me if you still don't understand).
I laughed at our adventure because I knew that we would get the truck out, that we were gonna get really dirty, and that we would finish our day in a shower and with a hot dinner. God has blessed those of us that were in my truck with these things.
The rainy season also reminds me that the mountains of Honduras are surrounded by families that really suffer because of the wet, the cold, and the mud. Three years ago, I was with a group of TORCH members that were building 2 houses in one of the most beautiful places on earth. We finished the houses and prayed together giving God thanks for the shelter for the 2 families that would live there. Just as we finished praying, a t-storm blew in and it poured. The rain that day showed us that the shelter was not good enough - until that day, we had build homes with dirt floors. As the rain waters poured through the dirt floor and the dirt became mud, we all knew that we could do better and we did. From that day forward, we have built houses with wooden floors that are raised above the mud.
Every time it rains here, I think about all of the families on the mountain and how an already difficult life becomes miserable. I especially pray for all the children and I hope that you will join me in that prayer.
Blessings,
Marc
The good news is that a little (or A LOT) of rain and mud won't stop the work or the workers. It just makes for a little more adventure. For instance - yesterday I was in Santa Ana with a couple of the interns and Noel - the minister of the congregation in SA. We were out surveying the locations of 4 new houses that will be built when the next team arrives. It had rained all night on Wednesday (HARD - HURRICANE STYLE RAIN) and the main roads had mostly dried. Not true however about the back roads. I have a 4x4 and was in L4 which made me confident that my truck could roll through anything. Confidence and mud are a poor combination. Noel had just said - "this is a great truck" - about then I drove into what appeared to be an average sized mud hole. I was wrong to think this because my tires began to spin and before you could do anything about it we were stuck - the truck was so deep in the mud that it appeared to be sinking - the bottom of the doors were at mud level - and my truck sits high off of the ground.
I laughed and decided that this was going to be another part of our adventure and it was. We were rescued by a lady that had a large rope and a nice 4x4 of her own. We also had about 15 guys that came to assist in the push out - everybody was covered with poo-mud and everybody was smiling about it. (For the uninitiated "Poo-mud" is the result of combining rain or any other water source with close proximity to a poorly built outhouse - email me if you still don't understand).
I laughed at our adventure because I knew that we would get the truck out, that we were gonna get really dirty, and that we would finish our day in a shower and with a hot dinner. God has blessed those of us that were in my truck with these things.
The rainy season also reminds me that the mountains of Honduras are surrounded by families that really suffer because of the wet, the cold, and the mud. Three years ago, I was with a group of TORCH members that were building 2 houses in one of the most beautiful places on earth. We finished the houses and prayed together giving God thanks for the shelter for the 2 families that would live there. Just as we finished praying, a t-storm blew in and it poured. The rain that day showed us that the shelter was not good enough - until that day, we had build homes with dirt floors. As the rain waters poured through the dirt floor and the dirt became mud, we all knew that we could do better and we did. From that day forward, we have built houses with wooden floors that are raised above the mud.
Every time it rains here, I think about all of the families on the mountain and how an already difficult life becomes miserable. I especially pray for all the children and I hope that you will join me in that prayer.
Blessings,
Marc
Friday, June 08, 2007
June Mission Report - The beginning
On Monday June 11th I will leave for Tegucigalpa and will be there until August 5th. Terri will remain in the states until July 19th when she will be travelling with our regular TORCH group and will return to the states on July 31.
Lot's happening this summer -
TORCH - there are teams from around the country that will be working for Jesus in Honduras. When I arrive, there will be a group from Alabama and Kentucky already there. I will also be meeting up with my intern team when I land. There are 5 guys that will be my crew for the summer and I am blessed that they are all full of Hondo experience. There are 2 Andy's and 2 Stephen's and one Brett - so, there will be a few folks with new names by the end of next week. As soon as we are all together on Monday we will be unloading 2 containers - one from Florida and one from New Orleans. Both are filled with supplies for the TORCH Teams use in clinics, construction, benevolence, etc. God is good!
There are going to be a total of 9 TORCH Teams this summer and there will be about 450 total missionaries travelling to Honduras for our work. The groups will build about 100 houses, distribute many tons of food, clothes, shoes, and love. All of this will be going on while many people are taught the good news of Jesus. God is Good!
Casa de Esperanza - many of the TORCH teams will be involved in projects at Casa de Esperanza. Every group will be touching the lives of our children. We are going to complete construciton of a new dorm sometime this month and are already planning on where we will build the next one. I just interviewed a lady that is very interested in the potential of moving to Honduras to manage one of our new dorms! Wow - God is good! Terri and I will be living in Santa Ana by sometime in September.
Santa Ana Church - we just found out this week that the TORCH team from Tupelo, MS will sponsor construction of 2 sunday school classrooms in Santa Ana. God is Good! By the end of June, the children (about 60 to 70 of them) will be able to have real classrooms for Sunday School.
Please keep Terri in your prayers whild I am away from her. My wife is amazing and I am so proud of her for her strength aaand determination in our mission.
Please pray for Casa de Esperanza and our kids there.
Also, pray daily for the mission teams and their work for the Lord.
Blessings,
Marc
June 8, 2007
Lot's happening this summer -
TORCH - there are teams from around the country that will be working for Jesus in Honduras. When I arrive, there will be a group from Alabama and Kentucky already there. I will also be meeting up with my intern team when I land. There are 5 guys that will be my crew for the summer and I am blessed that they are all full of Hondo experience. There are 2 Andy's and 2 Stephen's and one Brett - so, there will be a few folks with new names by the end of next week. As soon as we are all together on Monday we will be unloading 2 containers - one from Florida and one from New Orleans. Both are filled with supplies for the TORCH Teams use in clinics, construction, benevolence, etc. God is good!
There are going to be a total of 9 TORCH Teams this summer and there will be about 450 total missionaries travelling to Honduras for our work. The groups will build about 100 houses, distribute many tons of food, clothes, shoes, and love. All of this will be going on while many people are taught the good news of Jesus. God is Good!
Casa de Esperanza - many of the TORCH teams will be involved in projects at Casa de Esperanza. Every group will be touching the lives of our children. We are going to complete construciton of a new dorm sometime this month and are already planning on where we will build the next one. I just interviewed a lady that is very interested in the potential of moving to Honduras to manage one of our new dorms! Wow - God is good! Terri and I will be living in Santa Ana by sometime in September.
Santa Ana Church - we just found out this week that the TORCH team from Tupelo, MS will sponsor construction of 2 sunday school classrooms in Santa Ana. God is Good! By the end of June, the children (about 60 to 70 of them) will be able to have real classrooms for Sunday School.
Please keep Terri in your prayers whild I am away from her. My wife is amazing and I am so proud of her for her strength aaand determination in our mission.
Please pray for Casa de Esperanza and our kids there.
Also, pray daily for the mission teams and their work for the Lord.
Blessings,
Marc
June 8, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Refuge
Have you ever heard of things that had to be real because they are so "unreal" that nobody could make them up? Beyond imaginaton.
In Santa Ana, Honduras there is a little girl named Pamela who is 10 years old. Pamala came to live at Casa de Esperanza last week and her's is one of those stories that no normal person could make up. Pamela came to us with her little brother and her little sister. To Pamela and her little family, Casa de Esperanza is the real house of hope that it was designed to be. Casa de Esperanza is a refuge.
Before Pamela and her little brother and sister came to us, Pamela's mother was making her work. In third world countries - a child working and helping to bring in food isn't unusual - enen at 10 years old. What makes this story different is the type of work that this little girl was forced to do. Pamela's mother had forced her into the dark world of prostitution. It makes me sick to think that in our world, a child is forced by anyone to do this but, coming from the one person that God put here to protect you is gut wrenching. I have cried every day since I heard about little Pamela and the world she was forced to live in. I have also thanked our great and awesome God for building the refuge that we call Casa de Esperanza.
He's My Rock! He's My Deliverer!
marc
Friday, May 18, 2007
That's My King
Here is a sermon delivered in 1976 by a man named S M Lockridge.
My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King. Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my King. He's God's Son. He's the sinner's saviour. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's honest. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent. He's the grandest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of historic theology. He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King. He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He's the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's the Almighty God who guides and keeps all his people. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. That's my King. Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you . . . but He's indescribable. That's my King. He's incomprehensible, He's invincible, and He is irresistible. I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King. He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King! Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever. . . And when you get through with all of the ever's, then . . .Amen!
My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King. Well, I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don't try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is the only one of whom there are no means of measure that can define His limitless love. No far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of the shore of His supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. He's enduringly strong. He's entirely sincere. He's eternally steadfast. He's immortally graceful. He's imperially powerful. He's impartially merciful. That's my King. He's God's Son. He's the sinner's saviour. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He's honest. He's unique. He's unparalleled. He's unprecedented. He's supreme. He's pre-eminent. He's the grandest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the supreme problem in higher criticism. He's the fundamental doctrine of historic theology. He's the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That's my King. He's the miracle of the age. He's the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. He's the only one able to supply all our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He's the Almighty God who guides and keeps all his people. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. That's my King. Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you . . . but He's indescribable. That's my King. He's incomprehensible, He's invincible, and He is irresistible. I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King. He always has been and He always will be. I'm talking about the fact that He had no predecessor and He'll have no successor. There's nobody before Him and there'll be nobody after Him. You can't impeach Him and He's not going to resign. That's my King! That's my King! Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We're around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but in the end all that matters is God's power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honor and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? Forever and ever and ever and ever. . . And when you get through with all of the ever's, then . . .Amen!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
What's Important?
On Monday morning I was at the Y for my morning workout. I usually go about 7:30 which puts me in between the 8 - 5 folks and the mommy brigade. I'm usually still working out when the mommy crew arrives and most of the time pay no attention to the world around me. On Monday, it was different because there were two moms on the machines next to me and they were engaged in a conversation that I couldn't help but over hear. One of the moms was giving the family success update - "we just picked up our new boat and can't wait to get it on the lake... I don't know if we'll keep it at the lake or at our house....of course we've finally started construction of the new house and can't wait till October when we can move in.....blablabla...what about you? " The other mom was one that I've seen several times at the Y - you know the kind...always 'coordinated', her conversation was sorta like this, "wow! a new boat and a new house! well, we have been so busy....and it's so hard to get the workouts that I really need - what with the kids and all....my regular sitter hasn't been able to work so I've been 'stuck' keeping the kids in the afternoon when I'd really like to be doing a lot of other things besides that....being stuck with the kids makes me feel like I'm in jail."
I wasn't trying to listen in but, what I heard made me wonder what is going on in families around the country? What's different about these families than most of the world around us? What's important anyway?
I wasn't trying to listen in but, what I heard made me wonder what is going on in families around the country? What's different about these families than most of the world around us? What's important anyway?
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Life Changes
Terri & I are moving to Honduras!
Yep, after 29 years in the business world, we are going to to make a move into full time ministry and we are way excited about what God has planned for us.
Right now, our plan is to work until Nicole's wedding on June 2 - preparing for our ministry and building support - for our mission. I will travel to work in Hondo with TORCH teams about June 12 or so and Terri will be coming with our usual team on July 19th. We will return to the states in August to finish up our stuff here and we plan to be in Honduras in early September.
We will be working with Casa de Esperanza and will plan to build a house on the property. Our plans include helping with staffing the clinic, growing the work at Casa, working with new churches, working in feeding and clothing programs, and growing the work of short term missions.
We believe that our God has been training us for this work and have often talked about doing this "sometime". Over the past few weeks we have literally stood face to face with our Lord and had to answer the question - If not now, then when?
I'll plan to use this blog to keep friends and family posted on our progress as we work toward our move to Central America. In the mean time, please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the greatest adventure ever.
Marc
Yep, after 29 years in the business world, we are going to to make a move into full time ministry and we are way excited about what God has planned for us.
Right now, our plan is to work until Nicole's wedding on June 2 - preparing for our ministry and building support - for our mission. I will travel to work in Hondo with TORCH teams about June 12 or so and Terri will be coming with our usual team on July 19th. We will return to the states in August to finish up our stuff here and we plan to be in Honduras in early September.
We will be working with Casa de Esperanza and will plan to build a house on the property. Our plans include helping with staffing the clinic, growing the work at Casa, working with new churches, working in feeding and clothing programs, and growing the work of short term missions.
We believe that our God has been training us for this work and have often talked about doing this "sometime". Over the past few weeks we have literally stood face to face with our Lord and had to answer the question - If not now, then when?
I'll plan to use this blog to keep friends and family posted on our progress as we work toward our move to Central America. In the mean time, please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the greatest adventure ever.
Marc
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
The Answer
Have you ever prayed for direction - asking God to help you with an answer when you already had in mind what His answer would be? ...only to have an obvious answer that was completely different than the one that you assumed. Well, it happens to me more often than I'd like to admit and it happened again just this past week.
On Friday I was travelling from Salt Lake City to St Louis via Chicago and as usual, turned my phone on as soon as the plane touched the ground in Chicago. There were a bunch of messages - nothing unusual except there were about 5 from my friend Tim and knowing that he was in Honduras, these were the first messages that I read. By the time that I finished the messages, I realized that there was an urgent situation with 5 little boys that needed a home and perhaps, Casa de Esperanza would be able to help. I called Tim and that led to calls to Jennifer - who is currently in Ohio for a mission conference - and Karen in Santa Ana. We all agreed that we would pray for God to guide our way and show us what he would have us do. We had just taken on 5 more kids about 10 days ago and the quick addition of 5 more would be unexpected to say the least. By the end of the weekend, I think that all of us had concluded that if these children needed a home, then we were the ones called to take care of them. Then on Monday morning and Karen was preparing to go into Tegucigalpa to meet the boys, she received a call from the lawyer that they had already been placed in another home. So, there ya' go! Here we all thought that God's answer was going to be that we were the ones to take care of these kids and - well, we were surprised with the direct answer that we received. Our God is good...all the time.
I am blessed to be associated with people like Karen & Jennifer that are so willing to listen to God's answer - even if it would mean that life would be turned upside down by following Him.
Can you imagine going from 5 kids in October to 15 two weekd later. All of them under 7 years old!
The answer is to trust God. It's that simple.
The answer in Honduras and so many other third world countries for the children is YOU & ME. If we know that there are children in need and we don't do anything about it, then we are showing the extent of our love or lack of it. There is a Proverb that says "If you hear the cries of the poor and do nothing, then one day you too will cry out and not be heard!"
Just because you can't actually hear the children crying themselves to sleep every night at Casitas Kennedy - they are and because we know that, we cannot ignore them. I can't.
Marc
On Friday I was travelling from Salt Lake City to St Louis via Chicago and as usual, turned my phone on as soon as the plane touched the ground in Chicago. There were a bunch of messages - nothing unusual except there were about 5 from my friend Tim and knowing that he was in Honduras, these were the first messages that I read. By the time that I finished the messages, I realized that there was an urgent situation with 5 little boys that needed a home and perhaps, Casa de Esperanza would be able to help. I called Tim and that led to calls to Jennifer - who is currently in Ohio for a mission conference - and Karen in Santa Ana. We all agreed that we would pray for God to guide our way and show us what he would have us do. We had just taken on 5 more kids about 10 days ago and the quick addition of 5 more would be unexpected to say the least. By the end of the weekend, I think that all of us had concluded that if these children needed a home, then we were the ones called to take care of them. Then on Monday morning and Karen was preparing to go into Tegucigalpa to meet the boys, she received a call from the lawyer that they had already been placed in another home. So, there ya' go! Here we all thought that God's answer was going to be that we were the ones to take care of these kids and - well, we were surprised with the direct answer that we received. Our God is good...all the time.
I am blessed to be associated with people like Karen & Jennifer that are so willing to listen to God's answer - even if it would mean that life would be turned upside down by following Him.
Can you imagine going from 5 kids in October to 15 two weekd later. All of them under 7 years old!
The answer is to trust God. It's that simple.
The answer in Honduras and so many other third world countries for the children is YOU & ME. If we know that there are children in need and we don't do anything about it, then we are showing the extent of our love or lack of it. There is a Proverb that says "If you hear the cries of the poor and do nothing, then one day you too will cry out and not be heard!"
Just because you can't actually hear the children crying themselves to sleep every night at Casitas Kennedy - they are and because we know that, we cannot ignore them. I can't.
Marc
Friday, October 27, 2006
My Dad
My dad & I love to play golf together. We don't get to be together very often but, almost every time we are, we play golf. So, what is it about this tradition that makes it so important that we rarely miss an opportunity to play? Well, I've seen both of us play and personally know that it's not exceptionally great golf. While both of us like to win, it isn't the chance to beat each other that draws us to the golf course. It isn't the senic beauty of the golf courses in Borger - they are mostly reformed cow pastures. It isn't the ideal weather of the Texas Panhandle - we usually get to play around the Christmas holidays when the wind blows ffrom the north and it's as cold as Canada.
The bottom line is this - the reason that my dad & I like to play golf together is because it gives us time to be alone and just enjoy being together. We kid each other, we pull for each other, we talk, and we just have a good time. That's it - 4 or 5 hours of uninterrupted time with my dad. That's what golf with my dad is.
I wonder if there will be golf courses in heaven - I suspect so.
Won't it be grand to play a 4-some with my dad, my Heavenly Father, & my son's - (I guess a 5-some will be okay in heaven. After all, I'll be playing with the "club president") Will it be okay to play on Sunday mornings in heaven? I'll bet that there will be a long wait to play in God's group. The good news is - even if it's once every 1000 years, we'll still have an eternity to play together. I wonder if you get to take mulligans in heaven? Do you think you will really need a "do over"? I wonder if there will be any sand traps & hazards on the course? I'll be pretty surprised if there are any weeds on the course. I wonder if there will be a dress code on the course - I doubt it. Won't need a glove because it would be impossible to get a blister.
Well, till I get to heaven, I'll just enjoy all the times that my dad & I get to be together on the course.
Love ya dad,
Marc
The bottom line is this - the reason that my dad & I like to play golf together is because it gives us time to be alone and just enjoy being together. We kid each other, we pull for each other, we talk, and we just have a good time. That's it - 4 or 5 hours of uninterrupted time with my dad. That's what golf with my dad is.
I wonder if there will be golf courses in heaven - I suspect so.
Won't it be grand to play a 4-some with my dad, my Heavenly Father, & my son's - (I guess a 5-some will be okay in heaven. After all, I'll be playing with the "club president") Will it be okay to play on Sunday mornings in heaven? I'll bet that there will be a long wait to play in God's group. The good news is - even if it's once every 1000 years, we'll still have an eternity to play together. I wonder if you get to take mulligans in heaven? Do you think you will really need a "do over"? I wonder if there will be any sand traps & hazards on the course? I'll be pretty surprised if there are any weeds on the course. I wonder if there will be a dress code on the course - I doubt it. Won't need a glove because it would be impossible to get a blister.
Well, till I get to heaven, I'll just enjoy all the times that my dad & I get to be together on the course.
Love ya dad,
Marc
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Tough Questions
One of my good friends struggles with faith and is always asking me questions about mine. I told her last week that I appreciate her because her questions - they make me a defender of my own beliefs and if we can't defend what we believe, then how can we really know if it is all real or not. One of the recent discussions that my friend and I had was based upon her question - "How do you know Jesus was really who he said he was?" Here is my answer -
Why do I really believe in Jesus? What makes me sure that he is real? How can I know that he is the living son of God?
You ask tough questions that make me search my own faith. Here are my top 10 reasons for believing - not in order of importance -
1. I believe because I choose to believe. When I was a kid, I believed in a lot of things like Santa, the Tooth Fairy, & monsters in my closet. Through the years, I could pretty much prove almost all of my childhood beliefs were just that - all except the one that Jesus was the son of God.
2. I believe because he answers my prayers - not all of them the way that I'd like but, in ways that are best for me.
3. I believe because - if he were a fraud, his ministry would have sunk over the years and it hasn't. People are still willing to give it all up to follow him.
4. I believe because following Jesus isn't forced upon me - it is my choice yet, he chose me. No other world religion is postured this way. Islam forces conversion and will kill those that reject it.
5. I believe because no other "God" has come to earth to live as a man and was willing to sacrifice his own life to save me.
6. I believe because of the example of the apostles. After Jesus rose, they weere willing to die before they would deny the resurrection.
7. I believe because without Jesus, there wouldn't be any hope.
8. I believe because the tomb was really empty.
9. I believe because my need for a God in my life has searched and found that he is real and that there is no true joy or happiness in this life if he is not in the center of it.
10.I believe because I want to be in heaven with people like you and so many others that my relationship with Jesus has filled my life with.
Please allow God to nurture your heart. You don't need to be an expert on Jesus to seek his will for your life - all you gotta do is just ask him to come to you and to take you in his loving arms. He will.
Te quero mucho,
MARC
How would you answer this question if one of your friends asked you the same question?
Why do I really believe in Jesus? What makes me sure that he is real? How can I know that he is the living son of God?
You ask tough questions that make me search my own faith. Here are my top 10 reasons for believing - not in order of importance -
1. I believe because I choose to believe. When I was a kid, I believed in a lot of things like Santa, the Tooth Fairy, & monsters in my closet. Through the years, I could pretty much prove almost all of my childhood beliefs were just that - all except the one that Jesus was the son of God.
2. I believe because he answers my prayers - not all of them the way that I'd like but, in ways that are best for me.
3. I believe because - if he were a fraud, his ministry would have sunk over the years and it hasn't. People are still willing to give it all up to follow him.
4. I believe because following Jesus isn't forced upon me - it is my choice yet, he chose me. No other world religion is postured this way. Islam forces conversion and will kill those that reject it.
5. I believe because no other "God" has come to earth to live as a man and was willing to sacrifice his own life to save me.
6. I believe because of the example of the apostles. After Jesus rose, they weere willing to die before they would deny the resurrection.
7. I believe because without Jesus, there wouldn't be any hope.
8. I believe because the tomb was really empty.
9. I believe because my need for a God in my life has searched and found that he is real and that there is no true joy or happiness in this life if he is not in the center of it.
10.I believe because I want to be in heaven with people like you and so many others that my relationship with Jesus has filled my life with.
Please allow God to nurture your heart. You don't need to be an expert on Jesus to seek his will for your life - all you gotta do is just ask him to come to you and to take you in his loving arms. He will.
Te quero mucho,
MARC
How would you answer this question if one of your friends asked you the same question?
Monday, September 11, 2006
Questions
When Nehemiah went back to the land of his fathers, he wrote that “God has put this on my heart.”
How do you know when a thought is God putting something on your heart or if it just your own hearts wishes? Is it God’s call when it is all you can think about? When God puts something on your heart, does it come all at once or does it come in gradually? How do you know?
Nehemiah was going around with a long face and the king asked him what was wrong. He told the king and was sent off to answer the call and to go to work at what God had put on his heart. Pretty cool story – read it if you haven’t.
Lately I’ve been struggling with what I see and feel as my own wall that needs to be built. Yesterday morning I was able to attend the North Richland Hills Church in Fort Worth and my mind was swarming with thoughts of “what does God want from me?” I prayed for God to help clear things up and then the sermon started – the topic “What is your purpose in life!”
It hit me between the eyes. The needs are clear, I already understand what is on my heart, I just don’t yet know how to get there.
Te quero mucho,
Marc
How do you know when a thought is God putting something on your heart or if it just your own hearts wishes? Is it God’s call when it is all you can think about? When God puts something on your heart, does it come all at once or does it come in gradually? How do you know?
Nehemiah was going around with a long face and the king asked him what was wrong. He told the king and was sent off to answer the call and to go to work at what God had put on his heart. Pretty cool story – read it if you haven’t.
Lately I’ve been struggling with what I see and feel as my own wall that needs to be built. Yesterday morning I was able to attend the North Richland Hills Church in Fort Worth and my mind was swarming with thoughts of “what does God want from me?” I prayed for God to help clear things up and then the sermon started – the topic “What is your purpose in life!”
It hit me between the eyes. The needs are clear, I already understand what is on my heart, I just don’t yet know how to get there.
Te quero mucho,
Marc
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
..if a tree falls?
I always remember hearing the old saying "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?"
Good question but, we always knew the answer.....or did we?
Lately I've been bothered by all the trivia that people let get in the way of what is really important. Like hearing people cry out for help. It's almost like this tree question except it is people's lives that we're talking about or really not talking about. It is so easy to get caught up on our own little meaningless trivia so we can ignore the cries of the world around us.
Solomon said it best - "If a man ignores the cries of the poor, he too will cry out and be ignored."
Yet, here we sit in 2006 with the desire to argue about the trivia of worship style or one tradition or another when the world around us is starving, naked, hurting, and waiting for some good news. Good news that we already have and have been "COMMANDED" by the very words of Jesus to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD and MAKE DISCIPLES........
Satan is so good at what he does that he can con people into believing that "Fighting for the cause" means forgetting about good news and working toward narrowing the kingdom by excluding anyone that they have a disagreement with.
I hope I am never a part of anything like that and if I am, I hope my friends will slap me into place.
Marc
Good question but, we always knew the answer.....or did we?
Lately I've been bothered by all the trivia that people let get in the way of what is really important. Like hearing people cry out for help. It's almost like this tree question except it is people's lives that we're talking about or really not talking about. It is so easy to get caught up on our own little meaningless trivia so we can ignore the cries of the world around us.
Solomon said it best - "If a man ignores the cries of the poor, he too will cry out and be ignored."
Yet, here we sit in 2006 with the desire to argue about the trivia of worship style or one tradition or another when the world around us is starving, naked, hurting, and waiting for some good news. Good news that we already have and have been "COMMANDED" by the very words of Jesus to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD and MAKE DISCIPLES........
Satan is so good at what he does that he can con people into believing that "Fighting for the cause" means forgetting about good news and working toward narrowing the kingdom by excluding anyone that they have a disagreement with.
I hope I am never a part of anything like that and if I am, I hope my friends will slap me into place.
Marc
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Grace
So, What is it about grace that makes it so hard to just accept?
I have been in a couple of places lately where the lesson was all about making a list and checking it twice to make sure that we are doing all the stuff that God wants us to do. Now anyone that knows me knows that I am all about seeking out what God would have us do and getting about doing just that. The point is that I’m hearing people that seem to believe that the doing is the point of believing – that doing will make you believe more and will somehow get you a better seat at the table.
What really bugs me about all this is – well a couple of things –
1) All the lists of doing things and getting them done wouldn’t ever be enough to pay for the cost of my salvation. I know it’s hard to swallow but, Jesus died so I wouldn’t have to.
2) Grace is a gift from God and my God isn’t an “Indian Giver”. A lot of the talk I’m hearing is about falling in and out of grace. Man! My bible says that when God gave me grace, he made me his adopted son. From experience as a dad, once my son was my son, he was my son forever. I belong to Jesus! The parable about the prodigal son does tell me that I can turn my back on my father and reject him. It also tells me that when I walk away, he is always going to be there waiting for me to come home. The lesson from the son that stayed home also tells me that I certainly don’t have to be a perfect child to remain a son. Thank you Lord for that.
3) Doing the stuff that my friends want on a list is a natural result of loving God. Just like a happy child, they want to do things to please their parents. They have a heart for serving because their hearts are connected by love. When you love the Lord your God with all your heart, your very character and nature change and all you can think about is making your father happy. You don’t need lists or even need to be told what to do – you just ask the Father to show you what he would have you do and you go about doing it.
4) I think we have a hard time with grace because we are struggling with PRIDE. Yep, we never had to take “charity” before and not gonna’ start now. Even if that charity is the only way we can get what we want so badly to work for – if we think we are earning it by working harder, we are only fooling ourselves into believing that our own Heavenly Father’s gift isn’t good enough to just take and be thankful for.
5) Grace is free.
6) Grace comes from a Father’s love.
Well, more than a couple of points but, that is the way my brain works.
Marc
I have been in a couple of places lately where the lesson was all about making a list and checking it twice to make sure that we are doing all the stuff that God wants us to do. Now anyone that knows me knows that I am all about seeking out what God would have us do and getting about doing just that. The point is that I’m hearing people that seem to believe that the doing is the point of believing – that doing will make you believe more and will somehow get you a better seat at the table.
What really bugs me about all this is – well a couple of things –
1) All the lists of doing things and getting them done wouldn’t ever be enough to pay for the cost of my salvation. I know it’s hard to swallow but, Jesus died so I wouldn’t have to.
2) Grace is a gift from God and my God isn’t an “Indian Giver”. A lot of the talk I’m hearing is about falling in and out of grace. Man! My bible says that when God gave me grace, he made me his adopted son. From experience as a dad, once my son was my son, he was my son forever. I belong to Jesus! The parable about the prodigal son does tell me that I can turn my back on my father and reject him. It also tells me that when I walk away, he is always going to be there waiting for me to come home. The lesson from the son that stayed home also tells me that I certainly don’t have to be a perfect child to remain a son. Thank you Lord for that.
3) Doing the stuff that my friends want on a list is a natural result of loving God. Just like a happy child, they want to do things to please their parents. They have a heart for serving because their hearts are connected by love. When you love the Lord your God with all your heart, your very character and nature change and all you can think about is making your father happy. You don’t need lists or even need to be told what to do – you just ask the Father to show you what he would have you do and you go about doing it.
4) I think we have a hard time with grace because we are struggling with PRIDE. Yep, we never had to take “charity” before and not gonna’ start now. Even if that charity is the only way we can get what we want so badly to work for – if we think we are earning it by working harder, we are only fooling ourselves into believing that our own Heavenly Father’s gift isn’t good enough to just take and be thankful for.
5) Grace is free.
6) Grace comes from a Father’s love.
Well, more than a couple of points but, that is the way my brain works.
Marc
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Faith
I met a grumpy lady a couple of weeks ago that made me think about how our God answers prayer.
In Honduras, a friend from the church in Los Pinos asked me to build a house for an old lady that lived on the mountain and was either confined to a wheelchair or bed. I never saw her out of her bed but, I did see a picture of her in a wheelchair. All that doesn’t matter, what does matter is how we don’t always see opportunities to serve in ways that we think we should. Let me explain –
After the group finished construction of the house for the old lady, I went into her old place to see how she was doing and how she liked her new house. I’d never in 6 years and 150 houses met anyone that was unhappy after they just had a new house handed to them - Built by TORCH & Courtesy of the God of this Universe. There is always a first for everything and this woman taught me a lesson about faith – even though it made me agitated at first and very uncomfortable. As I walked into the rook where this little woman lived, the smell was pretty foul. If you have been on the mountain of Los Pinos, you know that there aren’t many bathrooms and since this woman was confined to the bed, she used her room and the smell of that was there. Anyway, once I got past the smell, I asked her about the house and she began to talk. She talked and talked and the more that she talked, the more she asked for. She wanted food – specific kinds of food like chicken & fish & fresh fruit & potatoes & lots of other foods. She wanted a new bed and a new mattress and other things too. I’m not great at Spanish but, I well understood that she had in the period of about 5 minutes of nonstop talk – listed everything that she could think of to make her life more comfortable. At first thought, I was a little disappointed that this little lady was not all that happy with the new house and had the nerve to ask for more. Later in the day, I thought and thought about this list and realized that this woman was expressing her faith by telling me her needs. After all, if she had prayed about a new house and God delivered it through my group, then isn’t it an expression of faith to tell God’s servant her other needs? Of course it is. She must have known the words that James – the brother of Jesus gave us when he said how faithless it would be to deny this woman her needs if we had the resources to provide for her. She had the faith to ask and to expect God to deliver through us.
I just gotta build on the faith that everybody that God sends to me with needs won’t always be happy and pleasant. I likely wouldn’t be the happiest camper in the world either if I were in her shoes – except she didn’t have any shoes. She did get her new bed, and as much of the food list as I could find.
Our God is good... all the time!
Marc
In Honduras, a friend from the church in Los Pinos asked me to build a house for an old lady that lived on the mountain and was either confined to a wheelchair or bed. I never saw her out of her bed but, I did see a picture of her in a wheelchair. All that doesn’t matter, what does matter is how we don’t always see opportunities to serve in ways that we think we should. Let me explain –
After the group finished construction of the house for the old lady, I went into her old place to see how she was doing and how she liked her new house. I’d never in 6 years and 150 houses met anyone that was unhappy after they just had a new house handed to them - Built by TORCH & Courtesy of the God of this Universe. There is always a first for everything and this woman taught me a lesson about faith – even though it made me agitated at first and very uncomfortable. As I walked into the rook where this little woman lived, the smell was pretty foul. If you have been on the mountain of Los Pinos, you know that there aren’t many bathrooms and since this woman was confined to the bed, she used her room and the smell of that was there. Anyway, once I got past the smell, I asked her about the house and she began to talk. She talked and talked and the more that she talked, the more she asked for. She wanted food – specific kinds of food like chicken & fish & fresh fruit & potatoes & lots of other foods. She wanted a new bed and a new mattress and other things too. I’m not great at Spanish but, I well understood that she had in the period of about 5 minutes of nonstop talk – listed everything that she could think of to make her life more comfortable. At first thought, I was a little disappointed that this little lady was not all that happy with the new house and had the nerve to ask for more. Later in the day, I thought and thought about this list and realized that this woman was expressing her faith by telling me her needs. After all, if she had prayed about a new house and God delivered it through my group, then isn’t it an expression of faith to tell God’s servant her other needs? Of course it is. She must have known the words that James – the brother of Jesus gave us when he said how faithless it would be to deny this woman her needs if we had the resources to provide for her. She had the faith to ask and to expect God to deliver through us.
I just gotta build on the faith that everybody that God sends to me with needs won’t always be happy and pleasant. I likely wouldn’t be the happiest camper in the world either if I were in her shoes – except she didn’t have any shoes. She did get her new bed, and as much of the food list as I could find.
Our God is good... all the time!
Marc
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Life Lesson From Nicole
My baby - I'm sure that she will love being called that - is Nicole. Since she is a junior at Harding and not quite a baby any more - but, she is still my baby. Anyway, I'll be 50 next Wednesday and my mom still calls me her baby.
Well, Nicole is in Honduras for the summer doing what she loves and that means most of the time she is working out at Casa de Esperanza - a children's home and on her days off, she is working with one of the TORCH teams or occupying her time with all the kids that are around Santa Ana. I love Nicole - she is my daughter but, she is my buddy too. We are way too much alike - probably to her detriment. I love Nicole's heart and her passion for others.
A couple of weeks ago I was in Honduras for a weekend and Nicole & I had a chance to work together for about 4 straight days. It was great. On the Sunday night, I was taking some people back to the mission house and needed to stop at the Texaco for a cell phone card & I sent Nicole into the store to buy it. She was taking forever to accomplish this simple task and I of course was making comments about just how slow she was in doing this simple thing.
When she cam out of the store, she had an extra sack and she walked over to two little boys that were hanging outside of the store - opened the sack and handed each of them a hamburger. The boys were all smiles and I was a proud pappa.
Nicole taught me that I need to open my eyes to the needs that are right here in front of me. She taught me that if there is a need, then it is my responsibility as a child of God to do everything possible to resolve that need. Just like James - the brother of Jesus said, you have NO FAITH if you see a hungry person and tell them to go and be fed. Nicole taught me that it's okay to take a little extra time to do the work that God planned for us to do - even before the beginning of time.
Well, Nicole is in Honduras for the summer doing what she loves and that means most of the time she is working out at Casa de Esperanza - a children's home and on her days off, she is working with one of the TORCH teams or occupying her time with all the kids that are around Santa Ana. I love Nicole - she is my daughter but, she is my buddy too. We are way too much alike - probably to her detriment. I love Nicole's heart and her passion for others.
A couple of weeks ago I was in Honduras for a weekend and Nicole & I had a chance to work together for about 4 straight days. It was great. On the Sunday night, I was taking some people back to the mission house and needed to stop at the Texaco for a cell phone card & I sent Nicole into the store to buy it. She was taking forever to accomplish this simple task and I of course was making comments about just how slow she was in doing this simple thing.
When she cam out of the store, she had an extra sack and she walked over to two little boys that were hanging outside of the store - opened the sack and handed each of them a hamburger. The boys were all smiles and I was a proud pappa.
Nicole taught me that I need to open my eyes to the needs that are right here in front of me. She taught me that if there is a need, then it is my responsibility as a child of God to do everything possible to resolve that need. Just like James - the brother of Jesus said, you have NO FAITH if you see a hungry person and tell them to go and be fed. Nicole taught me that it's okay to take a little extra time to do the work that God planned for us to do - even before the beginning of time.
Monday, June 19, 2006
A Holy Man?
A holy man?
I don’t know if anyone has ever described me as “a holy man”. The connotation of that description is (or was in the past) – at least form my limited POV – someone that is very calm, Biblically learned, wise, and maybe a little self righteous.
Well, I’ve been wrong before and I was wrong about what a holy man really is. I don’t have all the answers but, I do know this – God has called all of us who claim him as our Father to be holy.
He also called on all of us to follow in the steps of Jesus – who by the way was certainly a holy man (and not the least bit self righteous). The Jesus I read of wasn’t afraid to get dirty, he was in and amongst the people, he ate meals in the homes of the “sinners”, he wasn’t afraid to touch the untouchable, he never talked down to people, he found out why people were hurting and he helped them, he taught by the way he lived, when his friends were hurt – he cried with them. This man was the absolute Holy Man and he is so completely different than what I’ve let my mind wonder off and define differently.
I think we have changed the way we think about holy because many times we would rather spend time in studying “holiness” than becoming holy. Becoming holy would mean that we would need to leave the comfort of our air-conditioned pew and actually serve others (like Jesus). Becoming a “holy man” means that we are willing to take up the cross and follow Jesus up the hill. Becoming a “holy man” would mean less talking about it and more doing it. Becoming a “holy man” would mean loving the unlovable of this world. Becoming a “holy man” would mean completely changing my character and nature – yet knowing that we would still have the imperfections of man – but covered up by the grace of the savior.
I don’t know if anyone has ever described me as “a holy man”. The connotation of that description is (or was in the past) – at least form my limited POV – someone that is very calm, Biblically learned, wise, and maybe a little self righteous.
Well, I’ve been wrong before and I was wrong about what a holy man really is. I don’t have all the answers but, I do know this – God has called all of us who claim him as our Father to be holy.
He also called on all of us to follow in the steps of Jesus – who by the way was certainly a holy man (and not the least bit self righteous). The Jesus I read of wasn’t afraid to get dirty, he was in and amongst the people, he ate meals in the homes of the “sinners”, he wasn’t afraid to touch the untouchable, he never talked down to people, he found out why people were hurting and he helped them, he taught by the way he lived, when his friends were hurt – he cried with them. This man was the absolute Holy Man and he is so completely different than what I’ve let my mind wonder off and define differently.
I think we have changed the way we think about holy because many times we would rather spend time in studying “holiness” than becoming holy. Becoming holy would mean that we would need to leave the comfort of our air-conditioned pew and actually serve others (like Jesus). Becoming a “holy man” means that we are willing to take up the cross and follow Jesus up the hill. Becoming a “holy man” would mean less talking about it and more doing it. Becoming a “holy man” would mean loving the unlovable of this world. Becoming a “holy man” would mean completely changing my character and nature – yet knowing that we would still have the imperfections of man – but covered up by the grace of the savior.
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