We Are Young...

So, I LOVE the song "We Are Young" by Fun. It's the beat and energy that get me. When I listen to it, it is very uplifting and motivational. I get that Braveheart feeling like I want to charge and go all out..... the only problem is what it is actually saying.

Tonight, We are young 
So let's set the world on fire 
We can burn brighter 
Than the sun

Awesome Lyrics right? But the whole song is singing about one night in a bar. Check these out:

Maybe we could find new ways to fall apart 
But our friends are back So let's raise the cup 
'Cause I found someone to carry me home

And that last line - it's like yelling it out. Like it's a big climax line in my opinion. And yet, it's about finding a ride home. A few more:

Give me a second, I 
I need to get my story straight 
My friends are in the bathroom 
Getting higher than the Empire State 
My lover she is waiting for me Just across the bar, 

It's so easy to see underlying ideas in the song. We are all made for adventure. We are all made for something larger than ourselves. Let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun. All of us have that inside of us. And when it is lived out apart from Christ, we waste it on things as useless as a drunken night in a bar. Our efforts are on trying to do something epic and we misplace them on trying to have the greatest party. So great we remember nothing the next morning. We try to make the most money. Have the sweetest ride. Sleep with the most girls.

All that chasing after meaning, after something GREAT and bigger than ourselves. Chasing after something... all that effort; it's all meant to be directed towards Jesus. In taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. You will never find a story so big, so epic, so exciting and full of adventure as following Jesus Christ. And until you start chasing Christ and His glory, all other efforts will fall short of satisfying your soul and you'll find yourself back in the same place, day after day and night after night, trying to fill a void in your life that will never be satisfied.

So let's take these lines, apply them to taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Let's live with reckless abandonment b/c in Christ we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Let's combine them like this and go out singing:

let's set the world on fire 
We can burn brighter
Than the sun

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

"The Arkansas Travelers"

Hit play and enjoy this song titled "Arkansas Traveler" while you read this post. The setting and the music of the video fits well not only with where we were in the Ozark Mountains, but even more so with the towns we passed through as we drove the two-lane highways up the mountain to the camp.

Because we saved a significant amount of money, we flew into Memphis, TN instead of Little Rock Arkansas for our training conference this past weekend (April 12-15). Another couple that we met down in Orlando during new staff training flew in from Williamsburg, VA and made the 4 hour drive with us from Memphis to Shepherd of the Ozarks in Harriet, Arkansas. I love road trips, and I even think Tiffany enjoyed this one because we had great company!

Don and I at the only historical marker
we passed along the way

At the entrance to Ozark National Forest in Arkansas

Entering the camp at Shepherd of the Ozarks

It was a long, steep, gravel road from the highway to the camp. I was a little uneasy driving the Chevy Impala we had rented, but it did just fine. However, I would not attempt it in the rain!

The walk from the main hall to our cabins across the river

Bob Mac Leod teaching the financial stewardship training session.

Bob Mac Leod is on Cru's financial stewardship team. These leaders provide wisdom and guidance to thousands of staff members throughout the year. This is one of the teams I have been asked to join and I am really excited about working with them. To learn and grow in my own personal stewardship as a family and to take my passion and enthusiasm to encourage and assist other staff members towards good financial stewardship.

Having fun at the main center

 The views and weather were amazing. Here are a few pictures from around the camp.

There was plenty of wildlife just hanging around the camp...

We took a fun hike around the camp on  Sunday afternoon with a few friends.

Don and I made the swim across the river to the rock ledge.
The water was probably in the 50's... Don grew up in Michigan
so I think I had a slight disadvantage... 

The car ride back to the airport in Memphis on Monday

We passed this awesome trailer while in Arkansas on the way back to Memphis on Monday.
It was being pulled by a pick up truck. We weren't sure if it was a traveling exhibit or if
the fish were being transported.

Some of our room mates in our cabin for the weekend.

Overall the weekend was great! We had awesome fellowship the whole weekend with close friends (the same group was with us in Orlando for new staff training last September). We had top notch training and encouragement from Cru staff members (most of which this time were Family Life staff members). And it was an awesome spring board back into full time support raising after I worked part time this tax season.

Thank you all for your prayers and interest in our ministry with Cru. I hope you enjoyed the pictures. I will try to add some as I get the rest that were taken during the weekend from other people.

An Energizing Trip to SoCal...

It was 75 and sunny day after day. But that wasn't the best part of our trip to southern California. From the time the plane landed on Saturday morning to when we left Wednesday morning heading back to N.C. we felt at home. While driving around and looking at neighborhoods near the office and around town everything felt very comfortable. It is difficult to explain the exact feeling, but it certainly was re-affirmation from the Lord that this is where He has called us.

We met a few staff from our team at Tuesday morning prayer in the office. We prayed for our leaders of the 2013 summer mission trips that are staffed by our region. These include areas all around the world. It amazes me the worldwide impact young adults have each summer through these summer mission trips in taking the gospel throughout the world.

The Father really put on our hearts an urgency to report to our assignment. Taking a trip and praying with your team members is of course exciting and helps us visualize what our roles will look like when we report to California. On top of that, we were reminded of the need for laborers in our region. With 1.5 million college students in and around the southern California area (not to the mention the other 2.1 million in the rest of our region) we need more laborers! To be an answer to the prayers that our team was praying for laborers is really a neat and humbling thing.

We have a ministry presence on 60 campuses in the Pacific Southwest Region out of a total of approximately 480 campuses. There is work to be done! We are praying and trusting the Lord for there to be movements on every one of these campuses so that each student there would know someone who truly follows Jesus. We couldn't reach that goal without your prayers and generous giving! Thank you!

We of course had several stops along the way, here are a few photos from our time literally all over southern California...

It was a beautiful 75 degree day when we landed.  Here is a view of the Pacific Ocean
at an overlook off interstate 5 heading south to San Diego.

Mission Bay, where Tiffany and I first met on
Summer Project in 2005

A beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean
in San Diego on Mission Beach.

At sunset on Mission Beach

Downtown L.A. from Runyon Canyon

A shot of the Hollywood Sign from Runyon Canyon

Downtown L.A. all lit up... still at Runyon Canyon

It was a beautiful day with spectacular views at
Laguna Beach.  About 15 minutes from the office (with good traffic)

A shot of the lobby at the office... sorry for the reflections.
Cru - The Pacific Southwest Region

Back at home Zac is enjoying the gifts from Downtown
Disney that we brought back for him

Building Leaders!

Ravi Zacharias was speaking to Prince Ra'ad from Iraq in Jordan some time in the past and asked him - "What is the greatest need in this part of the world?"  His response was:

"It's the same as any part of the world:Leadership and Youth. The world is desperately in need of leaders and the youth are desperately in need of watching good models of leadership. If we fail in those two areas, there is no great hope for the future of this world."

What are we looking forward to in our ministry with Cru?  Lots of things!  But one in particular - We build leaders.  We take students, by the leadership of the Father, the grace of Christ and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, and we turn students into Christ-centered laborers.  Leaders on their campuses, leaders in their churches, leaders in their homes, leaders in the workplaces.  Leaders who know and follow Jesus Christ.

Day in and day out we model biblical leadership to students on college campuses.  We equip them to be leaders themselves.  We encourage them.  We pray for them.  We give them confidence.  And then - we give them opportunity.  We challenge them to actually step up and lead.  Our campus ministries are student led, with our staff members leading and mentoring the student leaders.

On our summer mission trip to San Diego, Tiffany and I were discipled, we were invested in.  We were put on leadership teams.  I was on the campus movement team.  I was trained in how to lead.  I was prayed over.  I was mentored and discipled.  And then most importantly, I was challenged and given the opportunity to lead!  The staff and interns LEFT.  We were there only 4-6 weeks after arriving in San Diego to lead ourselves.  So as a student I was in charge (with 2-3 other students) of leading some others on our trip (20-25) to do outreaches at San Diego State University.  Each student was on some team and did the same thing.

I am excited to have the privilege of performing this critical role of raising up the next generation of leaders.  Transforming ordinary students into Christ-centered laborers and LEADERS.

2 Timothy 2:  1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

I want to love like THAT!

Love ain't easy.  Love is not an emotion.  It is a decision.  It is Action.  Usually the emotion goes with it, but not necessarily.  Real love is not a feeling, it's how you treat someone else.  It's selfless, it's kind, it's gentle, it doesn't accuse, it always trusts, etc.

Look at Stephen in Acts:
7:58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Seriously?  As they were stoning him to death he cried out, Father do not hold this sin against them!  So if someone raped your daughter, could you cry out - Father do not hold this sin against him?  Or as they robbed you at gun point, could you plead - Father do not hold this sin against them?  Or how about when they cut in front of you in the wal mart check out line, could you lift them up and ask - Father do not hold that sin against them?

THAT is love.  I can gaurantee Stephen probably didn't have bubbly emotions for these people, but he loved them with real love.  Godly love.

Laws, rules, punishment, death penalties, congress, none of this is the answer to crime or hate.  Only love can transform lives.  And the most powerful love is when it's undeserved.

Romans 5: 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called

Did you catch that: Saul (or Paul) was in that crowd that Stephen prayed for?  Was Stephen's prayer a contributing factor in the grace Paul received?  I can guarantee Paul probably NEVER forgot that prayer of Stephen's.  Real love transforms lives.  Yes, the road to Damascus is where Paul began following Christ, but this act of love had to of stuck with Paul for the rest of his life.  Ask yourself - if you were beating someone to death and they prayed this - would you ever forget that?  Hell, may be it's the reason God had mercy on Paul to begin with.  I don't know... but it's sure interesting.

I want to be able to love like THAT.  That is love.  The world does not know love.  We do not know how to love.  We don't even recognize it.
1 John 4: 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

Apart from God, you cannot love.  You can mimic it, you can fool some people.  But apart from God you cannot love.  Because true love is like Stephen's love.  And I can promise you, that is only possible by the power of God through experiencing the love of Jesus Christ and being empowered to love like that by His Holy Spirit!

Why Doesn't God Stop Evil?

You may not get what you were expecting, and you'll hopefully be relieved:

I don't know why.  I don't understand, just like you.  Horrific acts like in CT leave me with questions too.  They don't make much sense to me either.  I don't have an answer.  But I do have a few hypotheticals that may give a little perspective.

I trust God.  Just like I trust Tiffany.  If you trust God your reaction to these types of events are different than if you don't trust God (or don't believe God exists).  No commentary on that, just stating a truth.  Same way my reaction is different to Tiffany's actions if I trust her vs. if I don't trust her.

So why didn't God stop Adam Lanza before the shooting happened?  Again, I don't know.  I do wish He had, just like you do.  But may I suggest:  Let's say God did stop Lanza.  For just a moment, imagine on the way to the school Lanza's car flipped and he was killed instantly in a single car accident.  Only thing is, you would have never known he was heading to murder innocent children.  I guarantee if this had been what happened, many would have cried out in anger - God, why did this innocent man driving his car have to die for no reason!

My hypothesis - Many reactions are not based solely on the event or reality of what happend, but on one's perspective on God.  If you don't trust Him then you blame Him for everything or for not doing anything.  It doesn't matter the situation, b/c your position is against God no matter the situation.

One more hypothetical.  When you want God to stop evil, do you know the full implication of your statement?  Of course shooting people is something we'd all agree we wish had not happened.  But middle school bullying leads many children to commit suicide.  So should God 'take out' a 12 year old boy before he bullies another child?

Where do you draw the line on what evil God should stop?  I don't know, but I trust He does.  It doesn't make me ok with the evil.  And it doesn't mean I think God is ok with the evil.  I just trust Him in all situations and cling to Him.  Where else are you going to turn?

Who are Laborers in the Harvest?

I love this verse in Luke:

Luke 10: 2  And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

First, who are the laborers?  They are few.  Why?

'The Laborers' is not synonymous to 'full-time missionaries'.  As followers of Christ we should all be laborers in the harvest.  The harvest is men, women, children, neighbors, co-workers who are all in need of a relationship with Jesus.  There's no small harvest either, it's plentiful.  There are many people who not only need Jesus, but many that the Lord is preparing to hear the gospel and respond!

The harvest is the Lord's.  But He uses laborers.  We have the awesome privilege of being used in the process of reconciling people to their heavenly Father.  God has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).  He has entrusted the most critical message ever to us.  I don't think I would have done that, but luckily I'm not God.  What a responsibility.  But what a privilege.

Why are the laborers few?  Because it's hard.  And for various reasons.  Fear of rejection, fear of looking like a fanatic religious person, we might offend someone, don't have enough time.  I know all of these reasons affect me.  How about you?  But we should pray earnestly that the Lord of the harvest would send laborers into the harvest.  Everyday people, building relationships with those around them and also intentionally sharing the ministry entrusted to us - reconciliation with our Creator.

How MPD reaches people for Christ

I love to make connections with culture.  I get really excited when they jump out at me.  Truth is all around us and I love to affirm it wherever I find it.  One recent connection that jumped out at me was from the movie Argo.  Here's a little trailer in case you are not familiar with it.  It was a fantastic movie by the way.

Basic gist of the movie: A CIA agent comes up with a plan to rescue hostages in an enemy country.  His plan involves staging a fake movie as a cover.

There was seriously so many parallels to faith in this movie.  I wish I had time to break them all down.  I mean, this guy is risking his life to bring 6 people home.  And the one who is most skeptical is the one who ends up being the key person who gets them home.  If that doesn't peak your interest, I don't know what will.

Ok, on with my main connection.

One scene in particular grabbed my attention.  It was the scene in which images of a huge press spectacle for the fake movie was juxtaposed with images of war in the country in which the hostages were being held.  As the scene progressed I found myself wondering what the whole point was.  Here these people are drinking, laughing, schmoozing big Hollywood all the while people are being shot and hung.  A huge sense of injustice welled up inside of me.  I thought there must have been an easier way to rescue these people.  As the rest of the movie played out, I slowly came to realize the purpose of the time and care in which Ben Affleck's character takes to make the movie a plausible cover. 

He has to find people in the industry who are willing, able and have the resources to help him.  After Affleck enlists John Goodman's character to join his team they then make their appeal to Alan Arkin's character for his help as the screenwriter.  They go to great length to set up an office, get business cards, choose a screenplay, hire actors, get artwork, and press attention to make this plan plausible.  The scene in which I referenced earlier was the culmination of all their work.  And it was juxtaposed perfectly with a reminder of the need for all their hard work.  Because, without all that care and attention taken to make the story plausible, the plan would have never worked.  Something that seemed so pointless, was the crux of the whole plan.  It was the whole reason Affleck had any success in rescuing the hostages.

All of this came to a head when I saw how much this paralleled with our stage of life right now.  Ministry Partner Development (MPD) is not for the faint of heart.  It takes great care and time to cultivate a sending team.  But without them, we could not go.  It just would not be possible to have the opportunity to reach the nearly 4 million college students for Christ without our partners!  And sometimes, I find myself wishing we could just go now.  We are ready to jump into our new roles in Southern California.  Sometimes I find myself wondering how MPD will really reach people for Christ.  But then I remember that it's the center of how we reach people for Christ.  Together, as the body, we are enabled to share the Gospel with college students.

And then the last scene was a perfect picture of the joy that we pray our team shares with us.  Affleck's Hollywood team finds out that the plan worked.  They saw the fruit of their service.  The hostages came home safe.  They celebrated just as much or more than the CIA agents, and even the hostages themselves.  Even though no one could know of their role, they knew the huge part they played in the rescue mission.

        

Why SoCal? One Reason Among Many...

You knock on an unfamiliar door, you walk into an unfamiliar office, you drive to an unfamiliar place.  Then you introduce yourself and sit down in front of an unfamiliar face.  Such is the life of support raising.

I never know what the Father's purpose is for a particular appointment going into it.  Sometimes I know when I leave, at least partially, and sometimes I do not.  It may be for financial support; it may be for the Father to use me in encouraging the other person or their encouragement for me; or many other possibilities.  Most of the time a combination of several things.

I met with a gentleman in Raleigh, Steve, whom I did not know until this past Thursday.  A friend gave me his name and an introduction.  We spoke on the phone and then I walked in and sat down in his office.  And then the Father opened my eyes to see part of the reason for this appointment.

Turns out Steve is originally from Pasadena; about an hour from where we'll be moving.  He spent his first 25 years there, went to college there, attended church, came to know Jesus there.  Steve was part of our preparation for moving to California.  He explained to me some of the differences between there and here; he shared with me expected challenges we will face; he painted a picture of the average state of mind in the particular area we will be moving to.

And as he talked, my excitement grew.  I was saddened by the state of the hearts of the people he described.  But I was encouraged in knowing more about why the Father has led us to move to this area. Steve talked about materialism, which is a problem in all of America.  He talked about superficial conversations, again not a specific problem to southern California.  He shared the general monetary state of the families in the area.

All of these challenges and difficulties can be found in any town in America.  But to differing degrees.  And as Steve painted the picture of southern California, I saw the need.  And the Lord has invited us to be a part of meeting that need through the Gospel.  Steve said to me, "if you want to get someone to open up and to engage the real issues in someone's heart in the geographic area you're moving, ask them how they're doing... financially."  Bingo - my passion, personal finances.  

Really?  So to engage beyond the superficial, surface level conversation in this particular area of the country my best 'in' is to engage in a discussion about personal finances?  Wow.  God is good isn't He? This would not be the most effective route in all cultures or areas of the country.  But the majority of the time it will be in our new home.  

God showed me one more reason, on top of many others, He is leading us to move across the country.  He loves us enough to give these glimpses.  And to do it through people we never knew until now.  

I often walk into an appointment with a stranger.  But I always walk out with a new friend, a new brother or sister in Christ, and a bigger picture of my heavenly Father.

Thank you Lord.

Our Perspective on our "Calling"

I'm guessing you have probably mistaken something your friend, spouse, family member, etc. has said in the past... right?  The english language is notorious for this.  People refer to entering ministry as 'called' to ministry.  My thought may have been similar to yours: God calls; you have to answer.  Or maybe, God calls you to do something you did not want to do, but after all it's GOD calling, so let's get on it.  Sadly, listening to person after person describe their call to ministry is where we develope this perspective.

In the beginning, last fall that is, when Tiffany and I first began deciding if God was 'calling us to ministry' we struggled with our perspective on the phrase 'called to ministry' or 'calling'.  I know not everyone perceives the topic the way we did, however, I do feel it is the predominant perspective out there.

This would be dictionary.com definition number 2:

2. to command or request to come; summon: to call a dog; to call a cab; to call a witness.

I would like to suggest another option.  dictionary.com definition number 3:

3. to ask or invite to come: Will you call the family to dinner?

Our relationships with our heavenly Father are unique.  Just as our relationships with each other are unique and dynamic.  Our Father knows us, He knows our hearts, He knows what is good for us.  An earthly parent may need to treat different children uniquely and even the same child uniquely for different situations.  

Our Father DID NOT call Tiffany and I to ministry by asking us the question - Do you love me enough to sacrifice what you have?  That's not to say He wouldn't do that; see the example of the rich young ruler in the gospels (Mark 10).  It may look like this from the outside in.  We sold my dream home (and what became Tiffany's).  A house on the water in my hometown of beautiful New Bern.  We walked away from a successful career with even more promise in the future.  We will soon move away from close family and dear friends.  There is sacrifice.  Beleive me, it has not and will not be easy.  But this was not the focus of God's call to us.

Our Father DID call Tiffany and I to ministry by asking us the question - Do you trust me enough to receive what I want to give you?  The Lord showed us the gain!  To plug in together in a way we never have before in ministry.  To invest our lives with a ministry that has had an eternal impact on our own lives.  To spend our full time and attention on investing in the next generation to reach the Nations with the Gospel.  To focus on my love and passion for personal finances and budgeting.  We were staring excitement and joy in the face and asking ourselves, do we trust God enough to step into what He's offering.  

I expect you can see the difference between the two.  Again, the Lord can and will use both depending on what the person's heart and circumstances call for.  But even when the first one is employed, may I also suggest that the ultimate end is still what you will receive not what you are giving up.  I do not believe God would call you to sacrifice or give up something for no reason.  If it's blocking your relationship with Him, He'll call you to give it up, but the end goal is not to give something up, but to gain joy through a better relationship with your heavenly Father.  So even when that first method is used I hold that the second is always the end goal.

What an awesome God we serve.  His plans for us are for peace and not evil; to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).  All that He does works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

In my opinion (which I respect heavily) a call to ministry is never dictionary.com version #2.  It's never a summon to obey despite your joy.  It is always an opportunity to participate in something for your joy.

I also love the verse Luke 10:2 And he (Jesus) said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

I'll be brief even though this verse could be its own post.  First the point that flows with this blog post - the harvest is plentiful.  Again, it's for your joy.  We are sent into a plentiful harvest, not a bare and depressing harvest.  We will see the Kingdom expanded and lives changed.  It's joyful and optimistic.

Second- what can (and may end up being) another entry - laborers in this verse are not just people serving in vocational ministry.  Laborers are anyone living on mission for Christ wherever they happen to be vocationally called.