Thanksgiving Challenge

I recently preached a sermon at Denton Community Church on Ps. 107, and I'd like to recommend a devotional activity. Read through the Psalm thanking God for his great redemption and steadfast love (I recommend ESV, because it uses steadfast love [loyal love, covenantal love]). Notice the 4 examples of those who were in a place of humility, lowliness, need, and even on the brink of fainting, death, and insanity. Notice the structure of each of the 4 examples.

Then, take some time and write your own story of His redemption of you through salvation. Here's the structure:
1) A description of who you are, where you are, and the problem you have
2) A cry out to God for deliverance - Then they cried out the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
3) God delivers you and meets your specific need
4) A challenge to thank God for his steadfast love and wondrous works - Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
5) A further explanation of God's specific redemption of you and / or a further challenge to praise God with sacrifices of thanksgiving, songs of joy, and public praise of His glorious name and steadfast love.

Here is what I came up with for my own redemption story. Enjoy:

Some were following a form of godliness
Yet denying it’s divine power.
For they had established a law for themselves,
Attainable by their own will
A false hope in their “holy ways”
Unknowingly rejecting God’s necessary enablement
So by the sin of their hearts, He convicted them
By the blood on their hands, He rebuked them
They beat their chests for mercy knowing their enemy lay beneath
Of which the skin, muscle, and bone could not hide
A heart of stone beating tainted blood
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And he delivered them from their distress.
He transformed hearts, stone to flesh,
And purified their blood in the Sacrificed Lamb
A covenant of Grace and a life of the Spirit
A new law, a new godliness, a new walk
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
For his wondrous works to the children of man!
Let them praise His holy name among all people,
Let them shout with songs of joy to all the earth.

Drowning Fish

A typhoon had temporarily stranded a monkey on an island. In a secure, protected place on the shore, while waiting for the raging waters to recede, he spotted a fish swimming against the current. It seemed obvious to the monkey that the fish was struggling and in need of assistance. Being of kind heart, the monkey resolved to help the fish. A tree precariously dangled over the very spot where the fish seemed to be struggling. At considerable risk to himself, the monkey moved far out on a limb, reached down and snatched the fish from the threatening waters. Immediately scurrying back to the safety of his shelter, he carefully laid the fish on dry ground. For a few moments the fish showed excitement, but soon settled into a peaceful rest. Joy and satisfactions swelled inside the monkey. He had successfully helped another creature.

This story comes out of Duane Elmer's book Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility.

We read this book in my Cross-Cultural Anthropology class for MTI and I thought it was incredibly valuable. The monkey in a way is what could be called a 'benevolent oppressor'; the monkey has the kindest of intentions but his understanding of the fish is that fish need air to breathe not water, and in attempting to serve the fish, the monkey killed it. Elmer builds off of this theme for missionaries. Often times, missionaries go to the field thinking, "I have the key, the information, the education, the resources to fix this country up to where God has always intended it to be." Somehow that pride, that sense of wanting to fix things that are broken seep in without us realizing it. Instead of pride we must be humble, instead of thinking we have all the answers we must serve and learn from the people we are serving. It is a great reminder, and the book as a whole is worth a read whether you are a missionary or not. I was quite convicted about how I evaluate people and make small judgments about them without even knowing them. I like to people watch, I think it is fun. But when people watching turns into thinking you know who they are based on what they wear or how they act in a certain place or time is another.


Along with that class, MTI has been going strong this semester. We are in the middle of the Protestant Reformation in Church History which is appropriate since tomorrow is REFORMATION DAY (a.k.a. Halloween). We are trying to understand English and Greek grammar in New Testament Exegesis of Epistles, but often failing - grammar is a language of its own. And we are priveleged to read and study the New Testament in a survey class. All in all, things are great and I cannot believe that in six weeks I will graduate from the Missions Training Institute! Craziness.

Plus! Great news. Several new people joined my financial support team putting me at around 40%! Praise God for His provision!

Thanks for reading, praying, giving, and loving!

I still have Africa on my shoes...

Hello everyone, I have a small newsletter entitled: "I still have Africa on my shoes..." Click the link to download the newsletter. Feel free to print it out, show your family, or throw it up on the fridge.

Thanks for reading and praying!

Pictures!

Ladies and Gentlemen and kids of all ages. I have finally edited my 1,000 pictures I took this summer to around 250. I hope you enjoy them and can get a glimpse of what my summer was like. Don't worry, some words are on their way too with an update of some sort. Click on the link below. I suggest the "Slideshow" view in the top left, above the thumbnails. ENJOY!

Kenya 2008 Photo Album

Shillings to Dollars

Sixty-five shillings to a dollar.

In many ways that describes cultural re-adjustment to me. When I went to Kenya there were 65 new things I had to learn for every one thing I already knew. Now, upon coming back to America, things are reduced significantly. I find it so easy to slip back to the way of life I have known for so long. Small things are interesting though. I enter into a house and automatically take my shoes off as they do in Kenya. I drove for the first time since I've been back and very briefly find myself on the left side of the road. I find myself staring at American money and thinking, "Has it always looked so weird?"

I watched a little television yesterday which is something I am realizing that I prefer not to do. It really makes sense that Americans are so solution-oriented. You got a problem or any minor discomfort in life? Fix it. Do it yourself, take hold of the reins of life and buy, buy, buy my product! I had forgotten how weight-oriented, image-focused, and drug-happy us Americans can be. If you watch television, may I suggest a technique of my friend Josh McCallister? Mute the commercials and yell at your television saying, "I don't need a new cell phone! I don't care if it's truck month. Every month is truck month and I don't need a new truck!" How great would it be if your kids started saying, "I don't need that new toy, I'm perfectly content with the one I have." Not likely, but you never know unless you try.

But you know, that's our culture...which isn't to say we accept everything that our culture feeds us, yet we don't give in to it either. Everyone fights culture at times and rides the current of it at other times. Wisdom is found in knowing what to fight and when to ride.

Regardless, I'm very glad to be home. Why? Because it is home, and nothing will ever change that.