Tapestries in Heaven

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I was listening to a speaker on a video the other day who was discussing the idea that some human creations or efforts will be represented in heaven one day.  We like to think that those of us with artistic ability will be able to put that to use as an offering to God on the new earth, and perhaps those with gifts in science or mathematics will forever discover and make known the wonder's of God's creation to His praise and glory.  If this is true, than the things that we are working at now, may very well be preparing us for our future in heaven. 

But then I thought about people like my dad, who find themselves working a job that doesn't seem to have much eternal value.  Many people don't get the privilege of having a vocation that suites their gifting or interests--yet they work diligently to provide for their family.

I'm reminded of the principle that is taught throughout the Bible that God looks at the heart, and is not as much concerned with outward appearances and actions as He is with the meditation of our hearts.  Not that my paintings and Sunday School lessons aren't beautiful in God's sight, but that perhaps it is the effort or motivation which I may utilize to create such things for His glory that really bring a smile to God's face.  And yet, how often I seek the smiles of human faces first and foremost!  Like the Pharisee of Luke 18, I run the very great risk of receiving my entire reward in full right here on earth, because people see my "eternal contributions" and praise them.  Or even more perilously, because I see my "eternal contributions" and esteem them!  This, I think, is the very great challenge and trial which those of us face, who are blessed with the opportunity to serve God in the ways we love.

For those like my father, the Bible offers this encouragement:

·      It is the man who lives out his days collecting taxes, in Matthew 18, who Jesus says will be exalted!  Not because of the eternal significance of that vocation--but because of the humble spirit it afforded him.

·      Matthew 5, one of the greatest passages for pointing out the rewards God offers, speaks not of rewards for any physical action or creation, but for attitudes of the heart - many of which result from struggle!

·      Romans 12:1 points out that it is the life of sacrifice that is holy, acceptable, and worshipful to God.

·      Hosea 6:6 says that it is steadfast love and knowledge of God that He desires in His servants--not tangible displays of service.

So what will represent the life work of the tax collector, the gas pumper, or the waitress in heaven?  I would like to speculate that perhaps the greatest tapestries adorning that great city will be those woven with threads of humility, faithfulness, patience, and hunger for God.  Like the prayers of the saints that are depicted as incense in Revelation 5, perhaps the spirit of servitude that God alone sees in the man who puts in another hard day's work--day after day, will be visible, quantifiable and cherished in heaven as the most extraordinary of crafts presented to the King.

a great use for facebook

"Satisfy us in the morning
with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice
and be glad all our days."

– Psalm 90:14

A friend posted this on facebook the other day and I really needed it.  It's returned to my mind often in the past couple of days.  What a great use for facebook!

Panic Attack!

I woke up in the middle of the night several days ago and couldn't get back to sleep.  I wasn't feeling very well (lovely pregnancy symptoms) and the baby was kicking.  So I laid there trying to get comfortable while my mind wandered.

I thought about all of the money we need to raise before we can go to Peru.  I thought about doing this while learning to care for a newborn.  I thought about living in Peru, trying to carry out daily activities completely in SPANISH.  I thought about trying to relate to people from a different culture and sharing the gospel with them in SPANISH.  Then I thought about the life and ministry that we have here right now.  A mini panic attack ensued.

And I thought to myself, "What's the deal, Laura?  Why all of these anxieties all of a sudden?"  And I realized (or perhaps it was the Holy Spirit answering for me) that I hadn't spent much one on one time with my heavenly Father lately.  Sure, I'd been leading Bible studies, preparing children's church lessons, and praying before meals and bedtime, but I hadn't really spent quality time with my God, making myself humble before Him.  I was beginning to operate under the premise that all of these tasks were up to me.

And then He reminded me of a verse from way back in my early childhood when I used to run around the living room in circles with my sister "dancing" to Psalty's Worship Workshop music (I'm pretty sure it was on a record). 

'It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD.

Zechariah 4:6

The next morning I found the verse and read it in context, doing a bit of research to discover that this was God's word to Zerubbabel, who was attempting the impossible feat of rebuilding the temple.

So what have I learned?  Well I'm still convinced that God has us pursuing ministry in Cusco, Peru.  As I've shared in earlier blog posts, He's been so good to give us many reassurances of this calling, and to give each of us the desire and willingness (yes, I believe it's His fault that we're willing - this way we cannot boast in any merit of our own).  But I NEED to stay dependent on Him.  I cannot do it alone, and quite frankly, I become overwhelmed even by allowing my mind to head in that direction.  God does things that are humanly impossible, and I don't have to understand how.

Just this morning I was listing to a Piper sermon that reaffirmed all of this in my mind.  It's FANTASTIC.  And if you've ever wondered about that verse where Jesus says that it's harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then this sermon will be of interest to you too (which was my original reason for listening to it).

MTW Missionaries to Peru!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this blog now belongs to an MTW missionary.  Derek and I were officially accepted by Mission To the World as short term missionaries to Cusco, Peru a few weeks ago, and we just got back from a week of training with them in Atlanta.  For five days we attended training sessions along with many others just like ourselves, who are headed to all different parts of the world with the gospel message.

We learned so much in a short amount of time, but it was fantastic, because it was getting us one step closer to Peru.  And it was so encouraging to hear how God has worked in the lives of so many different people, calling them and equipping them to serve Him. 

Another really uplifting part about it was that each morning was started off with a worship time.  There's nothing quite like worshiping with other believers to start your day off right!

So now we have returned home feeling super pumped about what God is doing, and eager to get started building our support team over the next year.  I know that this is a spiritual high, and that we'll face some really difficult and challenging things in the next few years, but for now I am thankful and happy for the comradery and encouragement that can exist in God's family.

Us with the group at MTW

This song is running through my mind:

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name

A Helpful Title

I love how every time I come to my blog I am reminded by the quote at the top that THIS is a key moment. 

This moment, as I sit on my sofa, looking out the window and the sunny weather outside with my prenatal vitamin in hand, is a key moment in time because God created it and orchestrated it for a reason.  So I am reminded to thank God for the beautiful day, for my comfortable couch, and my nasty, big prenatal vitamin.  I thank God for the spare moment to reflect on His goodness, and sovereignty in my life.  And pray that I will remember Him more often.

Recognizing Weakness

I’ve been dealing with awful, miserable morning sickness for the past two months.  Yes, after a year and a half of trying and waiting on God, we are expecting!  Yet, while I am excited to have a baby one day soon, I’m absolutely NOT excited about what pregnancy has done to me so far.  Nausea is so crippling.  I feel so defeated and worthless all the time, and not knowing how long it will last is so depressing.

             I read a quote the other day, “You don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”  While I understand the gist of this quote, I feel that it is misleading.  It suggests that when trials come, we humans prove our real strength.  This trial, however, has shown me the magnitude of my own weakness.  I am not nearly as strong and persevering as I had always thought and hoped I would be.  I regularly feel completely defeated and cry out to God in desperation.  Yes, I’m still here, and life goes on, but it is only because God continues to breath breath into me and give me just enough grace to make it through another day.  I would rewrite the quote this way, “You don’t realize how utterly weak and dependent you are on God, until throwing up your hands is the only choice you have.”  or "You don't realize God's strength in you until your own strength gives out."

            Last night was one of these low points, and God was so gracious to give me a couple reassurances.  First, He brought to mind Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Then He apparently gave my child a burst of energy, because for the first time, I’m sure that I felt the baby moving – and not only that, but I felt him/her for a good 30 minutes.  It seemed that there was a little work out session going on in my abdomen.  God is there, and He loves me.  And my child is really there (not just a stomach virus), and he/she needs me.  Deep breath…  here comes another day.

Our Ministry Calling and Plans

Back in February I wrote about some of the ways that God has endeared my heart to overseas missions in this blog post.  In this post I want to tell you a little more about the calling that Derek and I feel God has placed on our hearts, about the 2-week vision trip that we took to Peru recently, and about how that trip has impacted our thoughts and plans for the future.

Our Calling
As we shared with our pre-teens small group from church this week, we believe that our lives are meant to be an expression of praise and worship to God such that the world around us can't help but recognize the reality of His beauty and value.  John Piper's exposition of Romans 12:1-2 explains this well in the first five minutes of this sermon.

We also believe that God is sovereign and has created each of us and equipped us with abilities and experiences based on His plan for how we are to live this way (see Jeremiah 29:11; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2:13; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28).  So how did God see fit to design Derek and I?

Derek -

• God gave Derek a passion for people.  As a child Derek's family moved to Indonesia and later to South Africa as foreign missionaries, and Derek got to see first hand the need for people to make disciples in other countries. 
• God gave Derek a passion for music and leading people into worship.  As a child he took piano lessons and did not enjoy it very much, but when as a freshmen in high school there was a need for someone to play the piano in church for congregational worship, he decided to try it out, and only then did he begin to really love playing music.  There were other young people who also had musical abilities that they were willing to put to use for the sake of church worship, so Derek was provided the opportunity to learn how to work with other musicians to lead people in worship.  God used this greatly to cultivate in Derek a desire to lead others into worship, and train up others to do so as well.  When Derek re-entered the United States after high school, Steve Whitner, the worship pastor at Altadena Church in Birmingham, took extra time to pour into Derek and encourage him in his passion for worship through music.  God led Derek to earn a degree in music ministry at a Christian College, and later provided a worship leader position for Derek to take at Cross Creek Church, a start up church plant in Birmingham.
• God has cultivated in Derek a desire to disciple men.  In the past few years through different opportunities and experiences Derek has had at Cross Creek, Derek has grown in his desire to get to know and pour into men for God's glory through leading Bible studies and small groups, and through getting together one on one with other men.

Laura -

• God gave me a passion for teaching people younger than me.  From the time I was a child I have naturally sought out opportunities to teach and lead children.  I love pouring into children through building relationships in an academic context, and discipling children through sharing with them how God has worked in my life.
• God gave me a passion for overseas missions.  Read more on that here. 
• God placed me in a family that moved every 2-3 years during my childhood, and so I was used to being "the new kid."  As I grew older I began to notice when there was someone else who was "the new kid" and found myself drawn to such people, desiring to reach out to them.  Then I found out about missionary kids, and the ways in which they are often new to their environment or different from others their age.  God has made me naturally drawn toward missionary kids.  I love to hear their stories, to hear their thoughts about missionary work, and to hear their struggles and frustrations.  I love to spend time with missionary kids.

So, by the time I was in college I knew that it was quite possible God had designed me to teach missionary kids overseas somewhere, and by Derek's second year of college, he knew that it was quite possible God had designed him to lead worship and disciple people overseas somewhere.  These were desires of ours, and God seemed to have equipped us for it in various ways.  Then we got to know each other.  I was drawn to Derek's passion for God and he was drawn to mine.  We realized that serving God together would be awesome, and over time we realized that God had not only designed each of us for our individual ministry callings, but He designed us for each other as well.  I could go on about that for pages and pages, but I'll spare you - at least for this post.  :)

So we decided to get married and start our lives together learning to be stewards of Gods gifts to us here in the United States, with the hope that after several years we would pursue overseas missions.  We have been so blessed by our time with our precious church family here in Birmingham.  We have grown in so many ways through the opportunities to grow in truth, live in community, and serve in the kingdom here.  We are positive that our experiences these past few years will serve us for the rest of our lives wherever God leads.

The Past Year
Last spring Derek and I attended a vision retreat with Mission To the World (MTW) in order to become better acquainted with the mission board and seek wisdom on whether that mission board would be a good sending agency for us.  We still had no idea when or where, though, so we were also hoping to gain some clarity on those things.  The week was fantastically helpful in each of those things, and we came away feeling quite excited about the idea of working with MTW in the future.  We also came away with a couple of different fields in mind and contact information for missionaries there.  By the end of last summer, however, it seemed that God was closing the door on both of those fields for us, for different reasons.  We were a little discouraged for a bit, but we spoke with our recruiter at MTW about seeking out other options, and within a couple of weeks we received an e-mail from the field leader in Cusco, Peru.

We were thrilled and amazed at how perfect the need in Peru seemed to match our callings.  There were 7 families there with MTW - 2 involved in church planting and 5 in medical missions.  There was a need for additional men to help disciple and teach and plant churches in Cusco, and there were around twenty missionary children who I could pour into and possibly help educate.  Other things we loved were the fact that Peru is a Spanish speaking country (I have always enjoyed getting to practice my high school Spanish and am excited about the idea of getting better at it), it is in South America (not nearly so far away as the Asian countries we were considering at one point), and it is a country that our church already has an invested interest in, as we have supported a couple different missionary families there, sent short term teams there each year, and our pastor is involved in shepherding the MTW missionaries there.

After a couple of skype calls with the missionaries in Peru, and some prayer, we set up a vision trip to Cusco in order to meet the families, get to know the work there, and determine whether Cusco is the place God has been preparing us for.   On April 3rd of this year we flew down to Cusco and spent two weeks there.

Our Vision Trip to Peru
Our two weeks in Peru was just what we had hoped it would be:

• We spent good quality time with each of the missionary families there, getting to know their families, finding out what ministry in Peru was like for them, and getting lots of our questions answered.  
• We got to see a lot of the life of the church there by attending two worship services, two youth group meetings, and Bible studies.  
• Derek got to attend a session meeting and he also got to play some music with the worship team one Sunday.  
• Derek got to spend a lot of time with Scott Dillon, one of the missionaries heavily involved in the church planting work, shadowing him in his day to day activities and learning about the work and need there.  
• I got to spend a lot of time with the missionary wives, learning both about their roles in ministry and also as wives and mothers in a third world country.  
• I got to spend some time homeschooling with a couple of the moms who are currently doing that with their children, and learned more about what that looks like for them and what their thoughts are for their children's schooling in the future.
• We got to see first hand some of the difficult aspects of life in a third world country and how the missionary families handle those things.
• We got to spend some time doing touristy, fun things in downtown Cusco, learning about what types of things the missionaries do for date nights or getaways.

By the end of the two weeks we felt like the time was spent very well, and we had gotten a pretty good feel (as well as could realistically be attained anyway) for what it might be like to serve as missionaries with MTW in Cusco--and we liked what we had learned.  We were impressed with the hearts and passions of the missionaries there, their commitment to raising godly families, and their unity as a team.  I loved my time with their children, and also loved getting to know the ladies.  We were really drawn to the community and fellowship that existed among the missionaries.

We were also drawn to the needs for discipleship and church planting work, and I especially was drawn to the need for ministry to the missionary families specifically through pouring into their children.  We continue to prayerfully seek God's plan for our lives, but for now He seems to be clearly pointing us toward moving to Cusco to serve there with MTW.  It seems that all of the things He has built into our lives, all of the experiences and training He has given us, and the desires and passions that He has cultivated in our hearts fit perfectly with the needs in Cusco.  Now, I say that with some measure of hesitation, because while I believe that God's plans for His children are perfect and are completely purposeful each step of the way, I also recognize that they very often don't feel perfect to us as we walk through them.  I recognize that if we move to Peru we will face very difficult trials and frustrations there.  There's no doubt about it.  Life there could very possibly be the hardest thing we've ever done.  But if that is where God has designed us to be, then we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

If our lives are meant to be expressions of praise to God such that the world around us can't help but recognize the reality of His beauty and value, then it makes sense to us that the best place for us to be is the place where our greatest passions and desires collide with a great need for the gospel to go forth.  God has presented us with the needs in Peru, and endeared our hearts to the ministry there.  So we believe that obedience right now for us is pursuing ministry there.  God could still close the door, or steer us in a different direction.  As James 4:13-15 cautions, we admit that our plans are only as sure as they align with His, and so we need to seek His face daily, accepting what He brings, acknowledging His perfection and our finiteness.  But for now we are headed toward ministry in Peru.

And Now . . .
After much prayer and discussion with MTW we have decided to pursue the short term (a 2-2.5 year commitment) with the intention that at the end of that time we will transition to being career missionaries with them if God so leads.  Our next step is to go through the interview and orientation process with MTW, which takes place in September.  During that process they will decide whether to officially accept us or not, and if that goes well, then we will begin the process of support raising (which will likely take 1-2 years).

We are so excited about all of this and feel blessed beyond measure.  We are sinful, feeble, and undeserving people, but God is so good, and His love is so comprehensive.  Our cup truly runs over.

Home Again and Feeling Grateful

DISCLAIMER: I had an amazing and awesome 2-week trip to Peru and I plan to elaborate on it in the coming weeks, but for now, my emotions involve gratitude for a number of things I have taken for granted.

I am so thankful for:

• my own bed.
• a normally functioning stomach
• bathtubs
• hot showers
• food that is not suspect
• water that is not suspect
• oxygen 
• being a safe distance away from the sun
• toilets that can handle toilet paper
• animal control
• clean, good smelling grocery stores 
• packaged meat
• traffic laws that actually apply
• theft laws that actually apply
• clean clothes
• my own bed.

How Do We Get Faith?

Lately I've enjoyed using biblegateway.com to look up all of the verses that speak on the subject of faith.  Faith seems to have been spoken of in so many different lights, and yet it is a crucial part of, well, our faith.  Case in point.  So I've been trying to learn more about it and how we get it, and the search has been so so good!  It's incredible how much the word of God can enrich one's life.  The truths revealed in the scripture about the Christian life go deeper and deeper the more you dig.

So what have I learned?  Well, I think the most significant thing I've learned is that faith is a gift of God.  It is not something I can muster on my own.  Romans 12:3 instructs us not to think of ourselves more highly then we ought, but in accordance with the measure of faith that God has "assigned" us.  I love John Piper's explanation of this passage.  He points out that faith is what we use to exercise God's other gifts to us.  All the faith we have comes from Him, so we cannot boast about our faith to utilize His grace.  Paul, in this passage, goes on to talk about how this faith and our different gifts are allotted in different measures so that we as the church can lean on and support each other.  We can't stand alone.

Another passage that has greatly intrigued me is Luke 17:5-10.  The disciples, here, ask Jesus to increase their faith, and Jesus' responds,

“If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.  Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’?  Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’?  Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded?  So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, and He reminds them that they should serve Him and do their duty and consider themselves unworthy servants.  God does not grant faith based on our merit, but according to His pleasure.  According to Piper in this article, Jesus is telling the disciples that the quantity of their faith is not the issue.  Even a mustard seed's worth of faith can move a mulberry tree.  The object of our faith is the issue.  If our faith is in God, we don't need much.  His power works with small amounts of faith.  He seems to believe that comparing faith to a mustard seed refers to the amount, or size, of the faith.  I've read other articles, however, that feel there are other qualities of the mustard seed which are referred to in this comparison.

The mustard seed analogy is still somewhat of a mystery to me, but the second part of this passage seems clear.  What the disciples needed was to serve faithfully, utilizing that which God had given them for His glory.  Just as a servant does not expect special favors from their master we must serve gratefully and in humility.  Perhaps in doing so, God will increase our faith, but it is according to His pleasure, not our works.

I haven't finished working through all of the passages on faith yet, but so far I've been blessed by the search for understanding here.  If anyone can recommend a good read on the mustard seed analogy, do share!

The Life of Christ Today

I listened this morning to a biographical audio by John Piper about George Muller.  Derek and I have listened to a few of these free podcasts about different "heroes of the faith" lately, and I've just been so blessed by the testimonies to God's working in people's lives.  If only every person could write a biography and publish it for God's glory to point to the ways that God has been faithful.  It builds my faith so much to hear about God's handiwork in a person's life.  This, I think, is a chief way that God reveals Himself to us today.  

Jesus Christ is not with us in the flesh anymore, but He lives in each of His children and speaks through them (if they are willing) in order to demonstrate the gospel in all of life.  Perhaps this is part of why Jesus said that it is better for us that He return to the Father so that the Holy Spirit might be sent.  While Jesus was in the flesh He was one man, one life, to impact the world of humanity, but now He lives in the form of a mother, a father, a doctor, a teacher, an architect, a banker,...  the list goes on.  I don't think that we are all called to be Jewish rabbis as Jesus was, and so while we are called to be like Him, our calling is also unique and specific.  Perhaps my life is meant to show the world what Jesus' ministry would look like today if He chose to come as a children's ministry director and as a wife.  Or maybe I should phrase that differently... Maybe Jesus DID choose to come today as a wife and children's ministry director.  He chose that when He chose me - just as He also chose to live out His life before the world in an altogether different way when He chose you.  What an incredibly high calling we have!  Not only are we image bearers of the Diety, but we are vessels of His very Spirit.

I think that in my life, I have experienced the growing of my faith most often and most significantly through Jesus Christ's ministry in the life of other people - often through biographies like those of George Muller, Hudson Taylor, Corrie Ten Boom, and Joni Earickson Tada, but also through people who God has placed in my life to live the gospel before me day in and day out.  My father and mother, a couple of professors I had in college, a roommate, a student in my 5th grade class - regular everyday people who were willing to be real before me about their struggles and victories as a believer in Christ.  Through sharing their stories they share with me the gospel as God is weaving it into their life, and I am once again convinced that He IS sovereign and He DOES have a plan and above all HE IS WORTHY!

So there's my sermon for the day...   share your life with someone.  Share your story.  You may never know this side of heaven how God uses it to touch a life.  But I know that without a doubt, He will.  After all, He is the author of our lives, is He not?  And what author desires to keep their work only to themselves?

Here is a quote from John Piper's audio about George Muller in which he quotes Muller.  I found it especially profound:

“He [George Muller] was about to lose a piece of land that he really thought he needed for the next orphan house and said, ‘If the lord were to take this piece of land from me it would be only for the purpose of giving me a still better one.  For our Heavenly Father never takes any earthly thing from His children except He means to give them something better instead.’ That’s not the gift of faith, that’s believing what the Bible says.  ‘No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly [Psalm 84:11]’”  - John Piper

Oh that we would take Him at His word.

Educating Backward

I think that in many cases education happens backward, that is, people are taught to emulate results rather than taught the fundamentals which lead to said results.  In my own experience, I have seen this in elementary schools, in the teaching of music and sports, and also in education that happens at church.  I suspect it that it applies to other realms of education as well.

As a student of education, I have recently taken a course in math education from a constructivist point of view, that dramatically altered my thinking on how math ought to be taught to elementary students.  I have become convinced through research and proven statistics that when children are taught a formula for multiplying 2 digit numbers, for example, their minds, in a sense, turn off, and they go through the motions of carrying and borrowing, and arrive at a result that is hopefully to the teacher’s liking.  The student, however, could never explain why those particular steps were employed, and could certainly never do the multiplying without a pencil and paper.  They are able to produce the results, however, and so all parties are happy.  This repeated ignorant computation in all variety of math problems, however, invariably leads to the child becoming one of thousands upon thousands who truly believe they are “bad at math.”  They are bad at math only because they were never given the opportunity to really learn it.

When taking piano lessons students are taught that particular symbols correspond to particular keys, and they learn through memorization and lots and lots of practice to be able to see a conglomeration of notes and spontaneously press each of the represented keys on the piano, followed by more and more of these sequences making up an entire musical piece.  Often, however, the student is not taught why those particular notes show up together so often, or why certain notes never show up in a particular piece of music.  They simply see symbols, and press corresponding keys, like any competent robot would.  If, however, the student is taught the whys of it all, then they may be able to do more than simply see and regurgitate, but they may be able to create.  They may be able to improvise.  They may be able to embellish. 

When I was in middle school I joined a girls basketball team and along with the onslaught of drama that accompanies all activities with middle school girls, I was shortly introduced to “plays.”  We had a play for this and a play for that.  When the other team had an exceptionally accurate 3-point shooter we would run one play and when the score was close we had another.  When there was a fast point guard we would run these plays and when there was a tall center we would run those.  The problem was, and I see this clearly now in hind sight, that the point of the game became sticking to those plays.  We focused more on keeping to the code of the play than on getting the ball in the net.  Our team did not do very well, and it was not for lack of effort.  We didn’t have the fundamentals of the game.

We like results and we like to get them fast.  We take shortcuts, and end up with results that are fake and meaningless.  I believe we do this in teaching Christianity to children as well.  We teach our children that a good Christian spends time doing these things and not those, dresses this way and not that, goes to that place and not this, says this word and not that one, and keeps company with these people and avoids those.  Now, we may say that it is because we love God and want to please Him that we do these things, but do we teach children to fall in love with God?  Do we honestly love Him ourselves?  Or are we just accomplished actors?

We like results and convince ourselves that they must be evidence of something true, something authentic, but how often are we merely artists using a “paint by number” canvas?  If the fruit we produce is the point of it all, then at some point we will realize that it is empty and pointless, and certainly not fun.  And we will probably leave the church – or we’ll stay and be miserable.

So how do we teach the fundamentals?  What even are the fundamentals of the faith, and can they even be taught?  How does a child of God disciple another child of God? 

I deeply desire to grow in my knowledge of these things.  I think the answer probably lies in the study of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Jesus was a teacher, and He was perfect.  How did Jesus teach?

·       Jesus shared His life with his pupils spending every waking moment with them, building relationships with them.  I have to ask myself as a teacher, do I share my life with my students, or are they only receivers of information to me?  Do they know about the experiences in my life that have led me to the convictions I now share with them?  Or do they assume I tell it to them merely because it was told to me?  Maybe I do.

·      Jesus taught by example.  He used every opportunity to show them truth and live it before them.  It’s one thing, as a teacher, to say what you have rehearsed at home and written in your lesson plan, but do I live it out when pandemonium erupts in the classroom? 

·      Jesus used stories.  I think we underestimate the value of a story in western culture.  Stories represent life, and can tie concepts to reality in a way that no other form of pedagogy can.  I think we tend to be very good at using Bible stories to teach children lessons, (a very good thing!), but how often do we use stories from our own lives?  I think children benefit immensely from knowing about the inner struggles and joys that authentic Christians experience as they walk through life, and they only get this if we tell them our stories.

·      He used scripture constantly.  Do relevant verses roll off my tongue when a child tells me something that causes them fear or sadness?  What about when children are arguing, or when I am frustrated with the class for not listening?  The word of God is powerful and transformative, and I know that I all but completely neglect it’s usefulness for teaching.

I want to think some more on this, definitely study the teaching of Christ more closely.  As I think about teaching my own children someday, I want to grow in understanding of how to foster love in my children, rather than to merely require loving actions. 

My Lightning Bolts

As Derek and I have been taking steps toward overseas missions in the past year, I've thought that at some point we should begin a blog to keep people interested in our ministry up to date.  I'm not sure whether it would be better to do that on a separate site.  I feel like that would make it too complicated for me, though, so for now I'm thinking I'll take the easier route.  Maybe I'll change the color scheme...

We've been preparing the past month or so for our church's missions conference, and I've been learning about several missionary "greats" in the process: Gladys Alward, Samuel Morris, John Patton, and Amy Carmichael.  In hearing these people's stories, I am fascinated to learn not only how God used them in remote parts of the world, but about how God brought them into that ministry.

As a little girl I had read about missionaries (more on that later) and occasionally a missionary family would visit our church and speak about their ministry or show slides with pictures of their everyday lives overseas.  And I always assumed that God had sent them a lightning bolt, or grown them from different stock than the rest of us.  How else would one come to be a missionary?  Occasionally you hear the story about the grandmother who prays everyday that her grandson will become a missionary, and so that, I supposed, could do it as well.  In my life I don't think it was any of these things, though.

When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade my mother bought a series of historical fiction books for me to read.  I hated reading for the most part at that point in my life, and viewed it as a task to check off so that I could get on to the more exciting things in life.  Like Barbie dolls.  But these books, the "Trailblazer Series" they were called, opened a new chapter in my relationship to books.  I loved them.  They presented mystery, suspense, and adventure, and I could always understand what was going on!  On top of all of that, they were about missionaries.  I'm sure I patted myself on the back for that to some degree. 

Parents, if you do not want your children to fly to a foreign country some day as a missionary, don't allow them to read the books in the Trailblazer Series.  Yes, they are historical fiction in that they are told through the eyes of a usually fictitious child, but the stories hold pretty true to fact with regard to the child's interaction with the missionary featured in each book.  These books created in me a fascination with missionary work and tangible nature of God's work in the lives of His children who walk by faith.  These books set the platform, I believe, for my desire to become a missionary.

The event that solidified in my mind the desire to become a missionary, was my father's participation in a short term mission trip when I was around 11 years old.  That's right, it wasn't I who went on the missions trip - it was my father.  Parents, if you don't want your children to be interested in missionary work, don't go on a short term missions trip.  In taking that trip, my father showed me that people like us could be involved in missionary work.  It's not just people in books, or people who speak at conferences, or preach.  It's people like us too. 

When my father came back from that trip he told us about how there were so many groups of people who wanted to hear the gospel, and even wrote letters pleading for a missionary to be sent to them.  He told us stories about whole tribes of people who had come to know Jesus, casting aside the fear and darkness they had lived in for centuries, because a missionary family was willing to go and tell them.  I admit that at that point the idea of foreign missions was definitely a big glamorized in my mind, and I saw it as a fun adventure as well as incredibly important work that must be done.  But this is how God chose to put the desire in my heart.

There were obviously many other things along the way that God has used to point me in the direction He has for me, as he has done for Derek as well, but these were the first things.  These were my lightning bolts: some children's books and a trip my dad took.  You never know what the Holy Spirit will use in your life, or in the life of your children. 

A Radient Moment

It's amazing how dramatically the weather can affect one's mood.  After quite a few rainy days in a row, I was struck, yesterday, by how wonderful life felt in the sunlight.  I felt like I would be happy to do anything in the world in that bright cheery weather.

I thanked God for the reminder of His presence, and then wondered about whether this was a small measure of what will transpire in my heart when I get to heaven.  I imagine the brightest, cheeriest day here will seem dark and gloomy when compared with heaven's radiance.  Hearts will leap with joy at the mere sight of it I'm sure.

This morning my Bible study directed me to read 2 Corinthians 3:18.  Don't you love it when God teaches you something in a variety of different ways all at the same time?

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Perhaps I, too, can radiate God's glory.  I shall pray for this.

Not only Key Moments

I've been reading C. S. Lewis quite a bit lately...  I had the privilege of going to a theatrical rendition of "The Screwtape Letters" recently, and became interested in reading other works of his.  In the past couple of weeks I've enjoyed reading both "The Great Divorce" and "Till We Have Faces."  Tonight I ventured into the rain and and darkness to the public library in search of more Lewis books, and I came across his sci-fi series, which I'm looking forward to reading, as I always enjoy that sort of creativity in literature, and also a tiny little book called, "Made For Heaven." 

I've always loved reading about and imagining heaven.  One summer while on a missions trip I read Joni Eareckson Tada's book, "Heaven," and I found it quite profound and uplifting (read my Xanga post about it here).  I have also enjoyed reading Randy Alcorn's books, "Heaven" and "Heaven for Kids."  Reading books like these makes me long for heaven, and seems to render brief adjournment from my preoccupation with myself (both my "virtues" and shortcomings).  As I was thinking about how good it is for my perspective on life to meditate on God and His plan for me like this, the thought came to me that perhaps this is part of why God has not yet given me children.  As a young married woman without children I am constantly told that I should cherish the life I have now (before children come along and start taking up all of my time), and of course I believe what they say is true (although I'm sure also that were I someone whose children had grown and left me I could say the same thing back to them and it would be an equally profound reminder), though I still wonder, often, why it is that God's plan for me right now involves infertility.  I know that it is His perfect plan, and that there is most definitely a reason, if not many, and I can't help thinking that if I knew those reasons, it would be easier to rest in His plan. 

So... all this to say, that I think one reason perhaps I have been called to the life that I have currently, is so that I might fall deeper in love with Him through the things I read.

Not only is this moment of my life a key moment, but this phase of my life is key as well.

Came across an archive...

I just came across an old "newspaper" that Kelly, David, Christy, and I made when we were little.  Various headlines, drawings, and articles are pasted onto a cut up paper grocery bag.  Apparently I was the editor.  I have laughed so hard reading it, so I must share...

About Freckels
Freckels are ugly.  Some are dark brown some are light brown.  A few freckles on your nose isn't bad but if they're all over your face it looks disgusting.  There isn't one advantage to having freckles.  Some people think they look cute but they are grose.  That is the way freckles are. by David Barton   

10 Advantages to Having freckles
1. Camoflauge.  If you are running away from a bad guy in the woods, they won't be able to see you as good as if you didn't have freckles.  You are more brown so therefore blend in
2.  They ward off cheek pinchers
3. They ward off prospective daters
4. Some consider them cute
5. They help you not to burn as easily in the sun
6. They help moles blend in
7. A face without freckles is like a night without stars
8. Mommy looks beautiful with them
9. why not have them
10. People won't notice it as much when your face is dirty.
  - Kelly

Poles
The Editor, Laura, is competent - No: Dad, Laura, Christy; Yes: Mom, Kelly, David
What Moostracks for desert - Yes: Kelly, David, Christy, Laura; No - Mom

10 Advantages to Having Big Feet
1. More Cheese
2. Better balance
3. Better for kicking
4. Better for picking up things with your toes
5. Helpful excuse in certain situations
6. Bigger shoes
7. You can crush things easier
8. Bigger toe nail clippings so if you drop it you can see it better
9. You get to write articles like thas.
10. You can jump higher
11. Better foot-eye coordination

  - Laura and Kelly

Double U, EE, AA, TE, ACH, EE, ARE spells weather.  100% chance of sunshine, %50 chance of rain.

Questions: answers
Q: Why do children like games but not work? - David
A: Because work accomplishes something. - Kelly

Q: Why do babies grow so fast? - Christy
A: They eat 24 hours a day & night too. - Kelly

Q: How are creampuffs born? - writer's Identity not to be revealed for security reasons

Q: Why do people ask such werd questions? - Laura
A: What Kind of a weird question is that? - Kelly

Letters To The Editor

Dear Editor
One thing I don't like about your newspaper operation is that you are the editor and not Kelly.  One thing I do like about your newspaper operation is that you hired me.  From David

Dear Editor
I like the picture of you.  love Christy

To the Editor
This newspaper is ridiculous!  I don't know why the brilliant genious Kelly ever signed up for this job.
Things I don't like
1. It only comes out once a month
2. Some of the writers don't know what they're talking about.  Ex. David thinks freckles are ugly.  Well it just so happens that I've got lots of them!  His article was insulting.  I like freckles.  Why - because it is fun picking on people with freckles.  Love, Kelly

Short Story :)
Once upon a time there was a little boy named Ju.  He lived in a little cottage in the woods.  He had a little cat named Leo.  Leo was a big trouble maker.  He killed mice.  He killed rats.  He killed birds.  He was a big flab and very hairy.  He was little.  His mother was lost from when he was 3 months old.  The End.  by Christy 

Hello!
This is me, Kelly.  All who want to subscribe to the newspaper let Kelly or Laura know.  They go out monthly.  Donations requested for this brief but extroardinary and exciting 1st edition.


*All spelling and punctuation has been transcribed accurately to reflect that of the original document.