work work work

Currently working on things for our fundraiser bbq tomorrow. So much work, but it's all worth it. Check out Ephesians 2:10 for some inspiration! We all do what God wants us to do!

June Reading, Second Half!

We are SO close to Africa!! Now's the time to dedicate ourselves even more into the Word. Here's the reading for the second half of June!

Jun 16: Matt 9-10

Jun 17: Matt 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17

Jun 18: John 6

Jun 19: Matt 15; Mark 7

Jun 20: Matt 16; Mark 8; Luke 9:18-27

Jun 21: Matt 17; Mark 9; Luke 9:28-62

Jun 22: Matt 18

Jun 23: John 7-8

Jun 24: John 9:1-10:21

Jun 25: Luke 10-11; John 10:22-42

Jun 26: Luke 12-13

Jun 27: Luke 14-15

Jun 28: Luke 16-17:10

Jun 29: John 11

Jun 30: Luke 17:11-18:14

Had a realization today as I counted down the seconds to my 21st birthday alone in my room: no matter how alone I may feel here on earth, I know my Father in Heaven was dancing for joy for his daughter while I was quietly wishing for someone to come in and give me a birthday hug. Well, He did. Thank you God for my 21 years, and thanks for always being with me. Especially when I couldn't tell You were.

Cake without the Stomachache

Our second Bible Study at The Annex was last night. A lot of good points were brought up, my favorite being "What virtue of Jesus' do you wish you had?". This is a good question to think about for everyone. Would you be more compassionate? Forgiving? Optimistic? Would you want to be a good role model or teacher to those around you?

Though there is no true answer to this question as everyone is different, allow me to speculate. I think it is not a single virtue that makes Jesus, well, Jesus. Even further, it's not what he does that makes him holy but rather how he does it. He is a true Witness (well, he's actually THE Witness). I'll bet if someone asked Jesus what his favorite part about Himself was he'd say his Father.

On a side note, we were blessing this couple at my other church yesterday who are getting married this Friday. We were discussing what it means to be "married". Something that has been brought up in two sermons and that discussion as well is the idea of a triangle. In a relationship (romantic, familial, platonic, what have you), we will get nowhere if we are running towards each other; we will simply run into each other. The only way we will grow better and our relationship will be stronger is if we are both running alongside each other, helping one another toward a common goal. What better goal than Jesus? If we were to all strive to be like Jesus, wouldn't our relationships be better? Stronger? Eternal, dare I say?

Regardless of what we believe in, we're all running towards something or someone. Even Jesus himself was running: towards God. If we are to truly wish for a virtue of Jesus', I think it should be Jesus himself. Jesus is who we should strive to live with, like, and for. He's the whole ice cream cake, not just a slice. What do you think?

In a Pickle

You're on first and the batter hits a line drive out into the outfield; you run make it to second and begin the journey to third, only to see the ball, thrown from the outfield, caught by the third baseman. With enough time to stop, you turn around, darting back to second while the ball is thrown over your head directly to the second baseman! Again, you stop your momentum and swivel back around towards third. You are in a pickle.


Sometimes life feels like that, trapped in a pickle. Running back and forth between two options, not sure which one is going to make you safe, or which one may take you out. 


When the angel of the Lord came to Mary, she was "troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be" (Luke 1:29). Well duh... Who wouldn't be afraid of an angel from God coming to speak to them? And moreover, the words that the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary would've frightened the socks off anybody! "I am doing what? Bearing the son of the living God?!?" But instead, Mary spoke calmly, complacently, and with confidence: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her" (Luke 1:38). In saying this and accepting this situation, Mary, betrothed to Joseph at this time, risked embarrassment, harassment, and even being ostracized from her family and community. 


Now she was in a pickle.


How was she supposed to handle this? How was she supposed to tell her family? Tell Joseph? Everyone, including Joseph, was going to (and did) think that she betrayed Joseph by making love to another man. "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly" (Matt 1:19). Amidst all of this, she never lost sight of the direction she had to run towards. The direction that she knew would bring her safely to the next base. Throughout the struggles that she, joseph, and her family faced during her pregnancy, she never stopped running towards God.


46"And Mary said:
   'My soul glorifies the Lord
    ⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 ⁴⁸for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 ⁵⁰His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 ⁵¹He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
 ⁵²He has brought down rulers from their thrones
      but has lifted up the humble.
 ⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
      but has sent the rich away empty.
 ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
      remembering to be merciful
 ⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers.'" (Luke 1:46-55)


We all face these decisions in life: which way do we go, which way do we turn to, what's the right decision, and on and on, we struggle with these questions (maybe not the magnitude of Mary's dilemma, but relative to what we know, they're perty tough Q's!). Further more, we've all tried to solve them by ourselves, and wound up choosing the wrong base to run to, only to hear the dreadful: "Yoooou're Ouuuut!" 


When it all comes down to it, the only way out of a pickle is turning to God. (While this may seem elementary, we ALL need a little reminder every now and again...) Does this mean that no matter what, God'll take you the easiest route? No not at all. You may have to run back and forth between 2nd and 3rd base a whole lot before you make it to one base safely. But I guarantee that the final base will be safe, as long as God's the deciding factor. And by "safe," I don't mean: comfortable, completely happy, carefree, etc. But it will be "safe" in God's mind. Safe in that no matter what, He is right there alongside of you, fighting the spiritual battle for you, and saving you from all your sins.


So, before I continue to blab on and on, allow Him to help you out of pickles. Trust him with all of your heart, mind, strength and soul, and He will surely bring you home safely.

Surfing

We had our first Bible Study at The Annex tonight. This will be my first official study group. I am amazed at the fact that even though the ten women in the circle had never met, as the hour went on and we got to know one another we realized we had incredible things in common. Several of us are involved in long distance relationships, have mutual friends, lived in various places, and studied various things. The most astonishing fact of all though is how similar our testimonies are. Sure, we had girls who grew up Christian and girls (like me) who are relatively new, but our commonality lies in the fact that we all have a desire to grow closer to God through reading His word. It was encouraging to know Sam and I are not alone in feeling this passion for the Bible and I hope that this bible study will draw the women I met tonight together in ways only He knows as of yet. I don't know your plans, Father, but I'm willing to ride the wave with this one.

PS I saw a trailer for this movie a while ago and I've decided to read the book it was based on sometime in the near future, if any of you would like to read it with me. It seemed a nice parallel to the journey we all go on in life, and also affords me another outlet for my wanderlust that doesn't include a $2100 plane ticket somewhere. :)

I think they named oranges before they named carrots...

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet! Yeah ok, so that’s not actually me talking. But good old Billy Shakes does present a timeless question: why do names matter?

Comedian Demetri Martin once said they must’ve named the orange before the carrot.

“What’s this?”

“Well, it’s orange. We’ll call it an orange.”

“What about this?”

“Darn it.”

If we called a flower a turtle, only people who spoke English would know we were wrong. If I told a French person that a flower was named a turtle, he would call it a turtle as well. Why then, does anyone care about what we call a particular item? Or what kind of label we put on something? Or who was born from whom?

Matthew 1, though pretty much one of the most dry passages of the New Testament, is incredibly important because it denotes the lineage of Jesus. Why does that matter? Well, you see, it is one of the most concrete prophecies made about the Savior from the Old Testament that proves Jesus was the Son of God.

Names give us an identity. They tie us back to our old traditions. In Jesus’ time, sons were named after family members to continue the line. I find it interesting, then, to have read first about John the Baptist’s naming in Luke 1 and now Jesus’ naming in Matthew 1. Neither set of parents had much say in what they were to name their children. I pondered as to why this was for a while, and came to the conclusion that the reason John and Jesus started their own lives with names that did not resemble their families was specifically because they were starting a brand new family. They were laying the foundation for a new era in which lineage didn’t matter. The only name that mattered was God’s; the only Father who would carry on his line for eternity was the Almighty’s. The only name that keeps its meaning, no matter what language or spelling or religion it is spoken through, is the Creator’s. He transcends labels, and His identity will never be mistaken. Jesus showed us this by defying history before he could walk. He was teaching before he could talk.

The Challenges of African Christianity

Our friend Brian wrote this paper for his African Christianity class. We thought it was a good overview of the spread of Christianity in Africa. Click on the titles in parentheses for a link to the original articles if you would like to read more!!

Although Christianity has been present in Africa since the first century A.D., the modern age of African Christianity did not begin until the time of the western missionaries during the Middle Ages. There have been many challenges facing the development of Christianity and its spread throughout Africa. The most prevalent reasons Christianity has had difficulty taking root in Africa are also some of the most obvious. The sheer size of the continent presented difficulties for early missionaries. At eleven million square miles, it is over three times the size of the United States, and its population is very spread out over its vast savannahs and deserts. This was very problematic for the early missionaries because traveling so far across harsh, uncharted territory was a life-threatening voyage.

The African population during the Middle Ages was very primitive and tribal, similar to the Native Americans of the early Americas. Furthermore, language barriers and lack of transportation made communication and navigation between tribes very difficult.

Finally, there are and have been many cultural differences between the heavily westernized religion of Christianity and the way of life of the traditional African people. Also, heavy Muslim influence clashed against Christian beliefs, especially in Northern Africa. Many Christian ideals brought forth by westerners are either lost in translation, or simply not grasped by the African people. These, among with many others, are the main challenges that the integration of Christianity faces in Africa.

When western explorers first made their way into sub-Saharan Africa, they had no idea what to expect. While the northern portion of Africa was heavily westernized and was well charted, little was known about the rest of the massive continent. The Portuguese were among the first to travel down the western coast of Africa in the fifteenth century, when many trading posts and slave trafficking operations began to develop. “The Portuguese were the first Europeans to venture south of the Sahara desert in significant numbers. They took the sea route, exploring further and further down the west coast” (Sub-Saharan Christianity). Much of Africa’s interior was uncharted until well into the 1800’s, and even then it was not well mapped. Cities near the coast were often used as ports and therefore very easy for Christian missionaries to access. As such, nearly all early missionary work was done near coastal cities. “In the 1800's, Catholic missionary expeditions were launched with new vigor to the West, in Senegal and Gabon” (19^th Century White Missionaries).

When the development of the coastal missions had stabilized, many more missionaries and explorers began moving to the inner, unexplored, parts of the continent. “Missionaries and explorers went very much hand in hand. After hearing of the African continent from missionaries, many explorers ventured into the largely unknown area of sub-Saharan Africa” (Religion and Imperialism). This was a dangerous expedition even for expert explorers. Adverse climate, disease, wild animals, and hostile tribes were all constant threats. With extremely little known about the African interior, many parties perished. It was not until the 19^th century that any significant developments were made with cultures of African people living in these areas of the continent, and even then, it was very difficult to express their ideals to the people. “Those who worked in the interior might take several months to travel from the coast to their station, and once there had no choice but to integrate themselves into the local culture as best they could” (Sub-Saharan Christianity).

The people of sub-Saharan Africa are a multiplicity of diverse cultures, each with their own traditions and backgrounds. Because of the lack of western presence in sub-Saharan Africa, these people have all been able to develop their own diverse ways of life. “The vast continent of Africa is so rich and diverse in its culture with it not only changing from one country to another but within an individual country many different cultures can be found” (African People and Culture).

Over the years there has been a vast array of challenges facing the spread of Christianity in Africa. With today’s increased globalization, and the ease of communication, the challenges are becoming less apparent. Many of the problems that the early missionaries encountered have proven easier to overcome with advancing technology, such as improved transportation, as well as better knowledge about the African Interior. The most evident example is that the most remote parts of the continent have become much easier to access. These days, missionaries can reach the most isolated areas in Africa and still be safe from the risks that missionaries of even just a few decades ago encountered.

Clearly, early Christian missionaries in Africa had their work cut out for them. There was a gigantic, unexplored continent in front of them with an assortment of people about whom they knew very little. Though they faced adversity, they succeeded in their goals, as Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Africa today. What began as a few small bands of missionaries ‘testing the waters’ in coastal towns is now one of the largest religious movements in the world. The well being of the African people is a growing concern for many Christians, as well as other compassionate people with a heart for humanity. Disease, poverty, and conflict are just a few of the difficulties facing Africa, and long after they are resolved, Christianity will continue to move even deeper into the African way of life.

Take that, Apple.

There’s this term in psychology known as the hindsight bias. Basically it means that a person tends to oversimplify something after it has occurred, for instance, looking at a test and saying I knew that answer, how could I be so stupid in putting the wrong answer?! Make sense? Good.

Reading Luke 1 made me think of this predicament God seems to have put us in. We are constantly striving to live up to His word and His goal for our lives, but how do we know what path to choose? Wouldn’t it be significantly easier if we all had our own personal Gabriels to come down every once in a while and say, “Hey kiddo—you’re on the right track!” or “Woah, why on Earth did you do that dude?!”.

Plus, it’s easy to shake our heads at Zechariah’s doubt-filled response to Gabriel’s revelation to him. But really, would we recognize a divine intervention, so-to-speak, if it appeared to us?

I started writing this entry not really knowing where it would end up. I just knew I needed to ask an important question about knowing God’s will for us. But after complaining about all this to myself for a couple of minutes, I came to the realization that God gave us an INCREDIBLE divine intervention. He spelled out for us what we are to do with our lives, even without sending each of us our own Pocket Angel. He sent his SON, his own flesh, to teach us how to live our lives. Like John 1 says, “the Word became flesh.” How much easier would chemistry be for me if my textbook became a living being who not only taught me the teachings but lived life through them?

Jesus, in a sense, is our own individual angel. We can call on him whenever we open up our Bible, sing a worship song, or pray, and he will be there with the answers to our questions and even teach us lessons we didn’t realize we needed to be taught. That, my friend, is much, MUCH greater than anything our technology could ever come up with.

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17


As we edit, rewrite and rework our support letters, I realize that this experience would not be the same without my amazing sister to walk alongside me. We are able to work together, challenge each other, and pray about this God given opportunity. It is only through these experiences that we are able to, as iron sharpens iron, sharpen each other.


This is only the beginning of our journey and we will continue to sharpen each other through the duration of this experience. We proceed with confidence that God will use each of us for His glory and pray for guidance as we step into the unknown.