Okay, so this isn't really a post about religion...it's about coffee!!! Some might argue that those two topics are one in the same. I'm not here to argue, but to enlighten you all with the revelations we are receiving at Morningstar :) Here goes:
Oh Coffee, you dispel the worries of the great, you point the way to those who have wandered from the path of knowledge. Coffee is the drink of the friends of God, and of His servants who seek wisdom.
As coffee steeps in the cup it gives off a musky aroma and turns the colour of ink. No one can understand the truth until he drinks of its frothy goodness. Those who condemn coffee as causing man harm are fools in the eyes of God.
Coffee is the common man's gold, and like gold it brings to every man the feeling of luxury and nobility. Coffee differs from pure, gentle milk only in its taste and colour. Take time in your preparation of coffee and God will be with you and bless you and your table. Where coffee is served there is grace and splendour and friendship and happiness.
All cares vanish as the coffee cup is raised to the lips. Coffee flows through your body as freely as your life's blood, refreshing all that it touches; look you at the youth and vigour of those who drink it.
Whoever tastes coffee will forever forswear the liquor of the grape. Oh drink of God's glory, your purity brings to man only well being and nobility.
- by Sheik Ansari Diezeri Hanball Abd-al-Kadir, 1587.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Your Daddy Loves Me
Hi Samuel,
Your father is so smart. He figured out that mommy needed a break, so he took you to Sam's Club and drag-raced you through the nearly empty aisles last night. He said,"Ready, Set..." and you would fill in, "GO!" And then he would take off down the aisle, pushing you in the grocery cart (AKA bascart). You are so cute. It was definitely a good break for mommy.
Love you, Samuel!
Your father is so smart. He figured out that mommy needed a break, so he took you to Sam's Club and drag-raced you through the nearly empty aisles last night. He said,"Ready, Set..." and you would fill in, "GO!" And then he would take off down the aisle, pushing you in the grocery cart (AKA bascart). You are so cute. It was definitely a good break for mommy.
Love you, Samuel!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Hot Pursuit
Dear Sammy,
I can't believe I almost forgot to write about such a wonderful thing - HOT PURSUIT! You see, a few weeks ago you realized that you could run. You could run away, and you could run to someone. I have to say you look pretty funny because you don't know exactly what to do with your hands. So you just put them up in the air to keep them out of the way. It almost looks like you're trying to catch a baseball flying high into the outfield.
Somehow while you were learning to run, we discovered how much you love to play chase. I say, 'I'm gonna get you', and you take off running and squealing like little boys do. It is such intense excitement for you to challenge your strength and speed against daddy's. You must love getting an adrenaline rush from all the excitement. Sooner or later, you do the most unexpected thing - you turn around giggling, arms wrapped around yourself to protect from tickling, and you run full force back into my arms. The first time you did this I was so surprised, but I learned something through you that day. Not only do you love to be pursued, but you also love to be caught!
I suppose as children grow up and become more competitive, they don't like to get caught. But you are the type of child that is never content to go off and do anything until you are sure you can come back to daddy's arms any time. I am the same way with my Daddy - my Heavenly Father. I have a great desire to be chased by Him, and also a great desire to be caught and held by Him. There is no greater place for me than in His arms where I find comfort. I realize that you are acting out these same desires with me because I am the only daddy you understand right now. But one day, your affections will transfer to your Heavenly Father, and you will find in Him the same glee that you have when you turn and run full force into my arms. I encourage you son, turn, and run full force into your Daddy's arms. There is no better place to be.
I can't believe I almost forgot to write about such a wonderful thing - HOT PURSUIT! You see, a few weeks ago you realized that you could run. You could run away, and you could run to someone. I have to say you look pretty funny because you don't know exactly what to do with your hands. So you just put them up in the air to keep them out of the way. It almost looks like you're trying to catch a baseball flying high into the outfield.
Somehow while you were learning to run, we discovered how much you love to play chase. I say, 'I'm gonna get you', and you take off running and squealing like little boys do. It is such intense excitement for you to challenge your strength and speed against daddy's. You must love getting an adrenaline rush from all the excitement. Sooner or later, you do the most unexpected thing - you turn around giggling, arms wrapped around yourself to protect from tickling, and you run full force back into my arms. The first time you did this I was so surprised, but I learned something through you that day. Not only do you love to be pursued, but you also love to be caught!
I suppose as children grow up and become more competitive, they don't like to get caught. But you are the type of child that is never content to go off and do anything until you are sure you can come back to daddy's arms any time. I am the same way with my Daddy - my Heavenly Father. I have a great desire to be chased by Him, and also a great desire to be caught and held by Him. There is no greater place for me than in His arms where I find comfort. I realize that you are acting out these same desires with me because I am the only daddy you understand right now. But one day, your affections will transfer to your Heavenly Father, and you will find in Him the same glee that you have when you turn and run full force into my arms. I encourage you son, turn, and run full force into your Daddy's arms. There is no better place to be.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Ahhh, Married Life
One of the great things about getting married, is that you get to own everything your spouse had before you got married. The best thing I got of Karen's was her Martin Sigma guitar. Sure we share, but I'm the one who always gets to play it. Unfortunately for Karen, I think the best thing she got from me was my gun and knife collection...woo-hoo. Needless to say, I'm quite sure she married me for love, and not for stuff.
But tonight, I discovered how much I hit the jackpot marrying her. She was looking for something in the bathroom, and whips out a set of nail clippers that you could use to prune a small tree! I mean, these things are mondo big. Now, Karen really has a thing for nail clippers. Before the Holidays I think we had 3-4 pair laying around various places in the house. Somehow we lost them all during a travels, so she come home with 3 new pair from the store last week. She likes to keep them in each room so she can cut nails wherever she might be at the time the spirit of grooming comes on her. Somehow I'm not worried about misplacing the tree pruners. They are the desktop model...a good conversation piece. Ahhh, married life. Life is good when your nails are trimmed.
But tonight, I discovered how much I hit the jackpot marrying her. She was looking for something in the bathroom, and whips out a set of nail clippers that you could use to prune a small tree! I mean, these things are mondo big. Now, Karen really has a thing for nail clippers. Before the Holidays I think we had 3-4 pair laying around various places in the house. Somehow we lost them all during a travels, so she come home with 3 new pair from the store last week. She likes to keep them in each room so she can cut nails wherever she might be at the time the spirit of grooming comes on her. Somehow I'm not worried about misplacing the tree pruners. They are the desktop model...a good conversation piece. Ahhh, married life. Life is good when your nails are trimmed.
Ah Boogers!
Dear Samuel,
You learned to blow your nose this week...ON MY SHIRT!!! Not quite what I was hoping for as a proud parent, but hey, I suppose you have to start somewhere. Mommy started training you months ago by accident. She has this little game where she pinches her nose and then pulls her fingers off while making a humming sound. It's quite a unique sound, and reminds me of the skills needed to play the mouth harp. She has been teaching you how to do this as well. So now blowing your nose seems to be a pretty easy transition. Boogers...who would have ever thought I'd be writing a blog post on boogers!
Baba
You learned to blow your nose this week...ON MY SHIRT!!! Not quite what I was hoping for as a proud parent, but hey, I suppose you have to start somewhere. Mommy started training you months ago by accident. She has this little game where she pinches her nose and then pulls her fingers off while making a humming sound. It's quite a unique sound, and reminds me of the skills needed to play the mouth harp. She has been teaching you how to do this as well. So now blowing your nose seems to be a pretty easy transition. Boogers...who would have ever thought I'd be writing a blog post on boogers!
Baba
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Head Lice
Anybody ever have head lice? I did once when I was in the first grade, I think. I remember leaning over the sink with my mom washing and rinsing the lice-killing soap out of my hair. Then came this super fine-toothed comb that she meticulously used on my wet head. Those were the days.
Then in nursing school, we did head lice checks at some local schools in Alabama and at Camp Ascca (look them up) in Jackson's Gap. That was fun--sweating in this small room with a bunch of other nursing students and nervous moms and dads under some super hot lamps so that we could see the little boogers. Summer humidity in Alabama...A little itchiness here and there...Parasites...Hmmm.
This journey down memory lane has been brought to you by Chad, a first-year student who was so strung out on drugs that when he came out of it, he was here at Morningstar. Neat, huh? He had long hair when he first got here and kind of reminded you of Jesus. He was very friendly and smiley--and Samuel liked him at once. He got head lice around Christmas and cut it off. And just last week, he ministered to 3 or 4 police officers by asking them, "So, are you guys filled with the Holy Spirit?" after a 40-minute interrogation. It was a case of mistaken identity and the funniest real-life story I've heard in awhile. Maybe I'll get Ashley to fill in the details. Don't worry, most of the characters here have stories just like him. :) People who got their lives turned around by turning to God.
Isn't God good? He's got the greatest sense of humor.
Then in nursing school, we did head lice checks at some local schools in Alabama and at Camp Ascca (look them up) in Jackson's Gap. That was fun--sweating in this small room with a bunch of other nursing students and nervous moms and dads under some super hot lamps so that we could see the little boogers. Summer humidity in Alabama...A little itchiness here and there...Parasites...Hmmm.
This journey down memory lane has been brought to you by Chad, a first-year student who was so strung out on drugs that when he came out of it, he was here at Morningstar. Neat, huh? He had long hair when he first got here and kind of reminded you of Jesus. He was very friendly and smiley--and Samuel liked him at once. He got head lice around Christmas and cut it off. And just last week, he ministered to 3 or 4 police officers by asking them, "So, are you guys filled with the Holy Spirit?" after a 40-minute interrogation. It was a case of mistaken identity and the funniest real-life story I've heard in awhile. Maybe I'll get Ashley to fill in the details. Don't worry, most of the characters here have stories just like him. :) People who got their lives turned around by turning to God.
Isn't God good? He's got the greatest sense of humor.
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Evangelism Pt 2
Note: Please check out my new downloads section in the right column. I've uploaded 3 tracks from a speaker about evangelism that has revolutionized my ability to introduce people to Jesus.
It's funny the notions we have about evangelism. On one side, we often dread approaching friends (or strangers) about such personal matters. When we do, sometimes we feel like we are trying to make the deal sweet enough for them to accept. On the other side, sometimes we feel the best approach is to take such a strong stand for God and His truth that everyone is offended. This behavior is intended to weed out those who would make weak commitments to the Lord so that only those with the most hungry hearts come to Him. Those who do this rationalize it by what is called the 'offense' of the gospel. I hope to have more time to write about that later. Suffice to say that I disagree with this method, although this is how I used to operate before attending MSM. In the New Testament, the people we see getting offended with the gospel were only those religious people who were trying to be holy by living up to the Law of Moses. They lived under a spirit of religion which caused them to believe they would have to spend the rest of their lives asking God to forgive them over and over again for their sins. Jesus kind of burst their bubble by finishing up that part and making time for them to actually hang out with God. This was the 'offense'. How could this dude Jesus ignore and disobey all the laws we've created to keep people feeling sorry for their sins?
Evangelism is much simpler and more fruitful than we have come to believe. Before training here, I often shared the gospel at work, but rarely saw any fruit. I prayed and hoped for people's hearts to change, but they did not. I was trying to fix them before they even invited Jesus into their hearts. But I rationalize the lack of fruit in my efforts by believing that true spiritual conversions would be marked by tears, amazing speeches, radical changes in behavior, and maybe even an angel popping down out of heaven to mark the event! After all, I didn't want it to be too easy for someone to come to Jesus, because they might not stick with Him if they didn't have to scratch and claw to get to him in the first place. At that time, I would rather no one get saved, than for someone to get saved and slip back into their worldly way of living.
My perspective changed immensely after hearing a message from a man who has had great success in evangelism. Instead of scaring people with the fear of hell and judgment, he tells them about the destiny God wants to invite them into. He doesn't argue apologetics with them, but simply gives them the invitation to accept. He has eliminated complicated words from his vocabulary to make the gospel sound as simple as it really is. He has found that many many people would invite Jesus in if they only knew how, and only realized that they could do it right now. The gospel really is good news to a broken world. It's good news that Jesus wants to come into our lives, take up residence with us permanently, and begin to change us to be more like him. He wants to eliminate poverty, sickness, broken relationships, and many other things that plague our societies. All we have to do is open the door and he comes in to live with us. Amazing! Check out the MP3's I've posted in the 'downloads' section (link in the right column). I hope it changes your mind as well.
Ash
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Humility - the Great Padding
I am kind of desensitized to the amazing idea that God would bother coming to earth to experience life as a man. Not only did he give up his amazing freedom and power to be constrained to the laws of physics. He also came as a servant in humility, and was eventually murdered by the very creatures he gave life and breath to.
I've been learning a little bit about humility here at the school. The other day we had a surprise assignment: follow a map to an unfamiliar location and minister to 6 random people in public. Even though I've done this a lot, I was shocked to find I was more than a little scared to walk up to strangers and talk about God. Thankfully, I've learned an important key to overcoming fear and the emotional pain of rejection when ministering in public - minister with humility. I have discovered since school started that a lot of my previous attempts to help people were propped up with pride and a personal agenda. I always walked away from those encounters personally offended or emotionally wounded. Now when I do public ministry, I assume that the other person is better than me and that my role is to approach them as a servant (not a know-it-all). Through many experiences of success and failure ministering in public places, I have discovered that most people will appreciate you anyway, so long as you present yourself with humility. It's like Charmin for the soul!
BTW, one man gave his life to Jesus during our assignment. That makes 4 people that I have personally led to the Lord since coming here. I am amazed and thankful that I now have the confidence and understanding to lead people to the Lord. I'll be talking much more about evangelism in the near future.
God bless,
Ashley
I've been learning a little bit about humility here at the school. The other day we had a surprise assignment: follow a map to an unfamiliar location and minister to 6 random people in public. Even though I've done this a lot, I was shocked to find I was more than a little scared to walk up to strangers and talk about God. Thankfully, I've learned an important key to overcoming fear and the emotional pain of rejection when ministering in public - minister with humility. I have discovered since school started that a lot of my previous attempts to help people were propped up with pride and a personal agenda. I always walked away from those encounters personally offended or emotionally wounded. Now when I do public ministry, I assume that the other person is better than me and that my role is to approach them as a servant (not a know-it-all). Through many experiences of success and failure ministering in public places, I have discovered that most people will appreciate you anyway, so long as you present yourself with humility. It's like Charmin for the soul!
BTW, one man gave his life to Jesus during our assignment. That makes 4 people that I have personally led to the Lord since coming here. I am amazed and thankful that I now have the confidence and understanding to lead people to the Lord. I'll be talking much more about evangelism in the near future.
God bless,
Ashley
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
English Tea
Today I went to visit a friend I recently met at church. Sarah attends the school of ministry and has 4 boys and 1 girl, all adorable. I had a great time with her and her daughter while her boys went to the cinema. She made me English tea with milkman-delivered milk (!), and it was neat to be transported-in a way-to another culture for awhile. It was awesome to see once again how the Lord provided for them in getting them there to Morningstar all the way from Northern England-even after the guy who was about to buy half their company backed out of the agreement. This was initially intended to fund the trip, etc., but God always has other plans to teach and train and mold us. It's so cool, yet nervewracking!
The doorbell rings.
In comes another Sarah, 2 doors down, also from England and also in the school of ministry! She is here to borrow the vacuum to "hoover" her bedroom that Sarah O. has helped decorate. "Lovely." Sarah B. is the second one, to clarify. Sarah B. talks about dancing and learning to tango at a local restaurant/bar that has a dance floor.
Turns out, the tango is quite an interesting dance. It requires the woman to be in a position of submission, in a way. She (and he) must actually lean into the other partner, so that if he were not there, she would fall. Her hand actually grasps the bicep muscle to sense where the man will lead. It is a very intuitive dance. She said that if she tried to anticipate the man's moves or lead the dance, she would "tread" on him and it would not be very beautiful. But if she let him lead her and she trusted him to do it, she would be able to follow his lead and the dance would be very fluid and beautiful.
She also mentioned that the rhythm in the dance is sporadic with pauses here and accelerations there, so that at some points, they would be standing still during the dance and then suddenly move in another direction very quickly.
Isn't that the way it is with God sometimes? We want to direct things...We want to lead...We wonder why we are seemingly standing still...
It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 32:8-10, 11 (NKJV)
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
He guides us with his eye. We long to be close enough to see where His eyes are looking and then go in that direction. Isn't that so amazing...and challenging? I want to be that close and trust him.
The follow up verse:
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
When I finally left her house today, I thought, "Crumbs! I am starting to think with an English accent!"
The doorbell rings.
In comes another Sarah, 2 doors down, also from England and also in the school of ministry! She is here to borrow the vacuum to "hoover" her bedroom that Sarah O. has helped decorate. "Lovely." Sarah B. is the second one, to clarify. Sarah B. talks about dancing and learning to tango at a local restaurant/bar that has a dance floor.
Turns out, the tango is quite an interesting dance. It requires the woman to be in a position of submission, in a way. She (and he) must actually lean into the other partner, so that if he were not there, she would fall. Her hand actually grasps the bicep muscle to sense where the man will lead. It is a very intuitive dance. She said that if she tried to anticipate the man's moves or lead the dance, she would "tread" on him and it would not be very beautiful. But if she let him lead her and she trusted him to do it, she would be able to follow his lead and the dance would be very fluid and beautiful.
She also mentioned that the rhythm in the dance is sporadic with pauses here and accelerations there, so that at some points, they would be standing still during the dance and then suddenly move in another direction very quickly.
Isn't that the way it is with God sometimes? We want to direct things...We want to lead...We wonder why we are seemingly standing still...
It reminds me of the verse in Psalm 32:8-10, 11 (NKJV)
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
He guides us with his eye. We long to be close enough to see where His eyes are looking and then go in that direction. Isn't that so amazing...and challenging? I want to be that close and trust him.
The follow up verse:
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
When I finally left her house today, I thought, "Crumbs! I am starting to think with an English accent!"
Monday, January 15, 2007
Funny Moment
Dear Samuel,
Tonight was probably one of the funniest moments I've ever had with you. As usual, you fell asleep about halfway through the church service on my shoulder while I walked you around. The speaker said something that everyone agreed with, so they started clapping. You were instantly awake, looking around, and clapping wildly with the crowd in agreement. I wish I could describe the mixture of fright and joy in your eyes at the moment. You were frightened by the noise, but you were very happy to have another opportunity to clap with everyone. As soon as the clapping was over, you slumped back down on my shoulder...instantly asleep. You make fatherhood a great thing. I have one question I'd like to ask...why do you love to clap so much?!
Love,
Baba
Tonight was probably one of the funniest moments I've ever had with you. As usual, you fell asleep about halfway through the church service on my shoulder while I walked you around. The speaker said something that everyone agreed with, so they started clapping. You were instantly awake, looking around, and clapping wildly with the crowd in agreement. I wish I could describe the mixture of fright and joy in your eyes at the moment. You were frightened by the noise, but you were very happy to have another opportunity to clap with everyone. As soon as the clapping was over, you slumped back down on my shoulder...instantly asleep. You make fatherhood a great thing. I have one question I'd like to ask...why do you love to clap so much?!
Love,
Baba
Friday, January 12, 2007
Growing in Faith
Simon Birch is one of those love-hate movies that seemed tremendously profound last week, but I would probably be ashamed to watch with anyone else in the room this week. So first off, let me say that I'm NOT recommending this as a good family movie for next Saturday. That said, I was deeply impacted by the message of it recently. It is basically the story of an unwanted, deformed little child who grows up in a very hostile world by himself. But in spite of all the odds stacked up against him, he still has the faith to believe that he was created by God with a unique purpose.
Over the past months here at Morningstar, faith has been something the Lord is beginning to teach me about personally. You would think someone who moved off to go to ministry school would already know something about faith, but I'm beginning to see that I had more of a head knowledge without any real experience of how to live by faith. I'm more of a pessimist by nature. During our faith course assignments (similar to street ministry), we had some tremendous failures followed up immediately with amazing divine appointments. It was comical that we could fail so miserably, walk across the street, and have an amazing ministry experience at the next assignment. I wish I could explain why we failed so badly, but I honestly can't figure out why the Lord would allow such failure, and then provide such blessing. But what I did begin to understand was that if God had taken so much care to arrange a divine appointment for us to minister to a single mother in a gas station parking lot at 9:43 pm, He certainly knew we were going to mess up everything at the grocery store at 8:12 pm that same evening. We had divine appointments every time we went out to minister, and I'm really beginning to understand that God sees everything, and that he is paying attention to the details of our lives.
Seeing God move this way time and again has begun to transform my mind from the pessimistic, discouraged person that I have always been, into a man who is full of faith. I'm beginning to actually believe that God sees the problems and difficulties that I am facing today, and that He is already planning on how He will save me out of those troubles.
Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, and the substance of things not seen. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. Faith for Abraham did not consist of having 15 children running around his legs by age 40. Faith for him was being 100 years old with no children, and holding firmly to the promise that God had given him. In the same way, faith for my family is not in having our lives, finances, and housing plans figured out for the next 10 years. It is in knowing that if God has truly called us to come to MSM, He will help us work out the other details when the time is right. When the Lord called us, we gave up a great job and moved to a location where I can no longer work in my training. But through our time here, we are beginning to realize that there are vast, creative ways for the Lord to provide for us and keep us holding firmly to faith in Him. I am beginning to believe that God takes care of those who follow him, and that my best provision will come as I am obedient to His voice.
The following poem has become one of my favorites. I hope you like it:
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will:
It's all in his state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You'll ever win that prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.
Attributed to Author Napoleon Hill circa 1973
Over the past months here at Morningstar, faith has been something the Lord is beginning to teach me about personally. You would think someone who moved off to go to ministry school would already know something about faith, but I'm beginning to see that I had more of a head knowledge without any real experience of how to live by faith. I'm more of a pessimist by nature. During our faith course assignments (similar to street ministry), we had some tremendous failures followed up immediately with amazing divine appointments. It was comical that we could fail so miserably, walk across the street, and have an amazing ministry experience at the next assignment. I wish I could explain why we failed so badly, but I honestly can't figure out why the Lord would allow such failure, and then provide such blessing. But what I did begin to understand was that if God had taken so much care to arrange a divine appointment for us to minister to a single mother in a gas station parking lot at 9:43 pm, He certainly knew we were going to mess up everything at the grocery store at 8:12 pm that same evening. We had divine appointments every time we went out to minister, and I'm really beginning to understand that God sees everything, and that he is paying attention to the details of our lives.
Seeing God move this way time and again has begun to transform my mind from the pessimistic, discouraged person that I have always been, into a man who is full of faith. I'm beginning to actually believe that God sees the problems and difficulties that I am facing today, and that He is already planning on how He will save me out of those troubles.
Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, and the substance of things not seen. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. Faith for Abraham did not consist of having 15 children running around his legs by age 40. Faith for him was being 100 years old with no children, and holding firmly to the promise that God had given him. In the same way, faith for my family is not in having our lives, finances, and housing plans figured out for the next 10 years. It is in knowing that if God has truly called us to come to MSM, He will help us work out the other details when the time is right. When the Lord called us, we gave up a great job and moved to a location where I can no longer work in my training. But through our time here, we are beginning to realize that there are vast, creative ways for the Lord to provide for us and keep us holding firmly to faith in Him. I am beginning to believe that God takes care of those who follow him, and that my best provision will come as I am obedient to His voice.
The following poem has become one of my favorites. I hope you like it:
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will:
It's all in his state of mind.
If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You'll ever win that prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.
Attributed to Author Napoleon Hill circa 1973
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
My 30th
I turned 30 today. Samuel peepeed in his potty today (read Arrow in the Hand blog for more details-haha). These are two of the major things that have happened today, but there have been so much more that has happened in this time we've been up here. Too numerous and too hard to explain...that's probably because I am still going through them!
You know how some women fear growing older, but to me 30 is different. Towards the end of my 29th year, I started rounding up, saying, "I'm 30." It actually felt good. It felt better than when I turned 16 and was able to check out 3 videos from the Madison County Public Library or 18 or 21.
Maybe because I've got a little wisdom under my belt, and I know that there's a lot more that I don't have and still need.
Maybe it's because I can look back on my life and truly see where God has led me, directed me, and kept me from going in the wrong direction.
Maybe because I am realizing that living through eyes of faith is where the true adventure and glory of God is. How angels long to understand this! They see the glory of God and worship, serve, and adore. But we, the created human, see through a glass dimly and through our weak efforts, still love, worship and adore Him. I can't see Him, but I love Him.
I've reached this milestone, but I feel like I'm just starting and it feels good.
Go for it.
You know how some women fear growing older, but to me 30 is different. Towards the end of my 29th year, I started rounding up, saying, "I'm 30." It actually felt good. It felt better than when I turned 16 and was able to check out 3 videos from the Madison County Public Library or 18 or 21.
Maybe because I've got a little wisdom under my belt, and I know that there's a lot more that I don't have and still need.
Maybe it's because I can look back on my life and truly see where God has led me, directed me, and kept me from going in the wrong direction.
Maybe because I am realizing that living through eyes of faith is where the true adventure and glory of God is. How angels long to understand this! They see the glory of God and worship, serve, and adore. But we, the created human, see through a glass dimly and through our weak efforts, still love, worship and adore Him. I can't see Him, but I love Him.
I've reached this milestone, but I feel like I'm just starting and it feels good.
Go for it.
Victory!!!
Dear Samuel,
This morning was your first of many crowning moments! You pee-peed in the potty on command! You are the smartest little boy in the world. Then you looked up at me with a smile and did your head-bob/head-bang thing in glee and applauded yourself. It was so cute!!! Not only that, but you did it two more times since! You were so proud! Daddy and I are so proud!
When you were younger, we would put you in the bathtub, and you would stand there in your birthday suit and pee pee in the tub. We would both exclaim, "Pee pee!" and you would hit your belly and laugh. Maybe we started training you then, but we are thankful it has been this easy. We had prayed that this transition would go very smoothly, and it has so far. You haven't gotten enough strength to flush yet, but you will!
Sometimes you don't need to go potty, but you try really hard, looking up at us-even grunting in effort. That is so cute! I hope you will read these later and laugh and groan at your mom and dad's efforts to capture your days. We love you very much!
MommyK
P.S. You are sleeping with Daddy on the bed and wearing Nemo potty pants. I wonder what to do about #2??? We'll pray. :)
This morning was your first of many crowning moments! You pee-peed in the potty on command! You are the smartest little boy in the world. Then you looked up at me with a smile and did your head-bob/head-bang thing in glee and applauded yourself. It was so cute!!! Not only that, but you did it two more times since! You were so proud! Daddy and I are so proud!
When you were younger, we would put you in the bathtub, and you would stand there in your birthday suit and pee pee in the tub. We would both exclaim, "Pee pee!" and you would hit your belly and laugh. Maybe we started training you then, but we are thankful it has been this easy. We had prayed that this transition would go very smoothly, and it has so far. You haven't gotten enough strength to flush yet, but you will!
Sometimes you don't need to go potty, but you try really hard, looking up at us-even grunting in effort. That is so cute! I hope you will read these later and laugh and groan at your mom and dad's efforts to capture your days. We love you very much!
MommyK
P.S. You are sleeping with Daddy on the bed and wearing Nemo potty pants. I wonder what to do about #2??? We'll pray. :)
Communication is Key
Hi Sammy,
You are full of surprises! Your little face fills me with joy everytime I see you. You truly are a blessing from the Lord! Your recent discoveries delight me, especially the fact that you are communicating more using sign language and verbal gestures. You can say some words and mimic some, but each effort is so precious and cute. I ask Daddy if he heard each word you said, but sometimes his hearing isn't as good as mine, so I have to get you to repeat the words. I'm telling you, he needs to learn the Chen family intercom system. I hope that you will learn this system well also.
You are already well versed in the early attention-grabbing methods that I used when I was younger. You get our attention by approaching us and slapping us on the head or some other body part. This used to be so cute until you got stronger, and now we have to teach you that some body parts (namely the head/face) is more sensitive than other body parts. Again, you have learned this very quickly.
We are so thankful for you, and I can't wait to see what you will discover today.
Love,
MommyK
You are full of surprises! Your little face fills me with joy everytime I see you. You truly are a blessing from the Lord! Your recent discoveries delight me, especially the fact that you are communicating more using sign language and verbal gestures. You can say some words and mimic some, but each effort is so precious and cute. I ask Daddy if he heard each word you said, but sometimes his hearing isn't as good as mine, so I have to get you to repeat the words. I'm telling you, he needs to learn the Chen family intercom system. I hope that you will learn this system well also.
You are already well versed in the early attention-grabbing methods that I used when I was younger. You get our attention by approaching us and slapping us on the head or some other body part. This used to be so cute until you got stronger, and now we have to teach you that some body parts (namely the head/face) is more sensitive than other body parts. Again, you have learned this very quickly.
We are so thankful for you, and I can't wait to see what you will discover today.
Love,
MommyK
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Grace
I love the heavens. I've always loved the outdoors, but especially to gaze up at the stars and planets after dark in wonder of their vastness. I don't care so much to get a telescope and inspect the heavens, so much as I enjoy the feeling of awe when I walk outside on a clear, bright night in the quiet and see so many of the stars shimmering in the waves of differential heat churning in our atmosphere. I love to lay in the grass, look deeply into eternity, and imagine how all these things came to be. The scriptures say that our loving Creator spoke a word, and all these things came into existence! Matter did not just come into order at that moment. It must have come into existence at his spoken word too. Why? God is spirit, and did not dwell in the physical realm from eternity past. The realm of matter was spoken into existence during Creation - hence the name. What unfathomable power is this, that it creates something out of nothing?! We humans have become pretty clever over the years. We have learned to harvest the resources of the earth to create all kinds of products - automobiles, computers, electricity to name a few. But what man has ever created something out of nothing? It is beyond our comprehension. We could not fathom existence apart from this space-time continuum that God has created and placed us in. Yet, before these things were, God already was. And they are all held together by the authority of the name of Jesus. What does THAT mean? Atom, you can't split because the authority of Jesus will not permit it. Molecule, you must combine by that same authority. Atomic law, structure of all matter, your parameters have been established by this authority, and you must comply. It makes me think of the scripture:
But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him? -Hebrews 2:6
We scarcely understand the value that God has placed upon mankind.
Monday, January 1, 2007
Easy Listening
Dear Sammy,
Happy New Year! This is your second one, and you still don't have much interest in fireworks. I'm sure that will change in a few more years because you are ALL BOY! Mommy rearranged the furniture a little, and you discovered that you could shimmy up over the arm of the futon, using the decorative lateral rails as a step. Of course, you still land on your face after scaling the armrest, but hey, I probably wouldn't be much more graceful than that if I was just learning to climb either. You have discovered that you can stand on nearly anything to boost your height, but haven’t yet learned that some things aren't very safe to stand on. You are potential energy in motion (if that makes any sense).
You had lots of fun with A Ma and A Gong (Grandma and Grandpa Chen) over the holidays. We went home for about 10 days, and then they came up to NC with us for the New Year's conference. A Gong discovered that you really love easy listening music. He was watching you one day and just randomly turned to a station. You two ended up sitting there for an hour just listening away, with an occasional clap of approval from you. Station 106.1 baby...Kenny Rogers, The Righteous Brothers, and who knows who else. I haven’t had time to check them out yet, and you're keeping a tight lip! You really enjoy music. We love to watch you clap and dance. I can't wait until you try to sing along. Happy New Year, Sam. May you sing and clap and enjoy your fresh new life all year. The Lord is singing and dancing over you.
Love,
Daddy
Happy New Year! This is your second one, and you still don't have much interest in fireworks. I'm sure that will change in a few more years because you are ALL BOY! Mommy rearranged the furniture a little, and you discovered that you could shimmy up over the arm of the futon, using the decorative lateral rails as a step. Of course, you still land on your face after scaling the armrest, but hey, I probably wouldn't be much more graceful than that if I was just learning to climb either. You have discovered that you can stand on nearly anything to boost your height, but haven’t yet learned that some things aren't very safe to stand on. You are potential energy in motion (if that makes any sense).
You had lots of fun with A Ma and A Gong (Grandma and Grandpa Chen) over the holidays. We went home for about 10 days, and then they came up to NC with us for the New Year's conference. A Gong discovered that you really love easy listening music. He was watching you one day and just randomly turned to a station. You two ended up sitting there for an hour just listening away, with an occasional clap of approval from you. Station 106.1 baby...Kenny Rogers, The Righteous Brothers, and who knows who else. I haven’t had time to check them out yet, and you're keeping a tight lip! You really enjoy music. We love to watch you clap and dance. I can't wait until you try to sing along. Happy New Year, Sam. May you sing and clap and enjoy your fresh new life all year. The Lord is singing and dancing over you.
Love,
Daddy
Deja Vu All Over Again
'...and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.' Matthew 19:29-30 When Karen and I were preparing to come to Morningstar, this was one of the scriptures the Lord comforted me with. Unlike so many of our friends growing up, Karen and I had little interest in leaving town for good. We liked to travel, but we knew that Huntsville was home. There was no reason to leave except the call of God on our hearts, drawing us to a new chapter in our relationship with Him. The transition was very painful and lonely, especially for Karen who had only the company of a toddler in the beginning while I was away at class or running errands. The Lord did eventually bring some relationships into our lives that have been real blessings to us, and life did indeed go on. My only fear was reopening the wounds of missed loved one over the holidays. We had a wonderful trip home for about 10 days, and then brought some friends and family back up for the New Year's Conference. (Don't ask me how the conference was...I was taking care of a sick baby most of the time). It was wonderful having our apartment full of people we have known and loved for many years, and helped to bridge the experiences of our old and new lives. But then, as the past three years of New Year's conferences have gone, it all ended and our friends have left to return to their homes and lives apart from us. We sent them on their way this morning, and came back to the reality of our new life away from all that is familiar. I knew going into the holidays that it would be this way, but that doesn’t make it any easier to experience. So as this wound is reopened, I take comfort in the Lord's promise to us again. Who can perceive the value of a one hundred fold reward from the Lord, AND eternal life, for what we have left behind?
Maybe now I can relate just a little to how Abraham felt when God called him to leave his family, and go live in the wilderness in tents awaiting the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. I suppose Abraham didn't have the luxuries of high-speed internet and Skype, and those tents were probably a lot more drafty than our apartment is this winter. But the pain of missed loved ones, and the longing for what is familiar has not changed over the years. As Rick Joyner always says, we are buying low and selling high.
PS. It occurred to me I should give credit to the title of this entry. It is taken from a Yogi Berra quote. He's a pretty funny, yet very profound person to quote. Google him sometime.
Maybe now I can relate just a little to how Abraham felt when God called him to leave his family, and go live in the wilderness in tents awaiting the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. I suppose Abraham didn't have the luxuries of high-speed internet and Skype, and those tents were probably a lot more drafty than our apartment is this winter. But the pain of missed loved ones, and the longing for what is familiar has not changed over the years. As Rick Joyner always says, we are buying low and selling high.
PS. It occurred to me I should give credit to the title of this entry. It is taken from a Yogi Berra quote. He's a pretty funny, yet very profound person to quote. Google him sometime.
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