The book I'm currently reading...

"If you think you have come to the mission field because you are a little better
than others, or as the cream of your church, or because of your medical degree,
or for the service you can render the African church, or even for the souls you may see saved you will fail.
Remember, the Lord has only one purpose ultimately for each one of us, to make us more like Jesus. He is interested in your relationship with Himself. Let Him take you and mould you as He will; all the rest will take its rightful place."

- Dr. Helen Roseveare in her autobiography Give Me This Mountain.

Show Mercy International

So the application has been sent, tickets are being purchased, I know where my passport is and I've even started packing. But I need to defend that last one. I was putting away the summer clothes to make room for the sweaters and thinking that I may want some tanks and skirts left out for the equator IF I go. And because I was leaving them out where better to put them than in the bag that I MIGHT be needing... lets face it, by the time I admitted to myself that I was packing I could admit to myself that the decision had been made. I'm going to Uganda in January!!! (http://www.showmercy.org/)
The place where I'll be serving this time is an orphanage outside of the capital city of Kampala. For those who still read this and occasionally pray for me I'd really appreciate it if you would lift this up. Also my brother Ben and his wife Christina are thinking of going but finances are much tighter for them. We all are trusting that this is what God is calling us to even with the economy the way that it is...

Selfishness

What does it mean for me to die to myself today?

Philippians 3:7-10 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

On the mission field

"Living on the mission field may be hard at times, but it forces me to
stick close to God. I have to depend on Him in a way I fail to at home. I
LOVE being close to God. I fall more in more in love with my Savior the more I
read about Him in His Word. He is God! He is love, peace, my refuge, and hope. I
wish everyone knew God like this, He does too. God makes it so clear how we are
to live here in Uganda. His joy and the blessings He gives is worth every
hardship or sacrifice it takes to live for Him daily. "

I just read this on a post from a missionary family working in Uganda right now. She summed it up so well. I wish it was an experience that every christian could have! Their blog is at http://shaarda.blogspot.com/ if anyone else wants to read.

No one is talking about his very poor choice, only the tragedy.
Here is something that I've been struggling with and trying to get some divine insight into and just don't know.... It seems like Nick and I have gotten ourselves in trouble already (Sunday School teachers less than three weeks…) Some of the parents (and obviously some of our students) are very upset about how we talked about the suicide of one of the kids in their school. I’m not even sure what the correct way to respond to their outcry. First, I think how clearly these parent are helping their kids hero worship and idolize this kid. What message does this send to every other kid in the school thinking about suicide?! “Look at all of the attention that he got! I can do that and be important too!” We need to point out that this kid made a mistake! He sinned! It cannot be made to look pretty and tragic or too many others will fall into that trap!
I had no intention of scaring the kids while talking about hell but our God DOES pass judgment on us and we do need to fear that! It is not for anyone to say that this kid is in heaven or hell but I tried to say that he will need to stand before his maker. We can not and should not quickly gloss over the mistakes we make and talk about our forgiving God with rose colored glasses. This is just as much a trap of Satan as the lies Travis listened to that death was the answer. .... So on Sunday we need to address it and I don't really know how. No one wants us to talk about his poor choice, only the tragedy.

I biked to work today! I've done this before but now that I live about 14 miles from my place of employment it is much more of a challange. I'm not sure that I'll be able to figure out how to do it consistantly but for now I'm happy with it. http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=251636

Prayer

• Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. --Oswald Chambers
• God's answers are wiser than our prayers. –Unknown
• Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for powers equal to your task. --Phillips Brooks
• Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell God your troubles, that God may comfort you; tell God your joys, that God may sober them; tell God your longings, that God may purify them; tell God your dislikes, that God may help you conquer them; talk to God of your temptations, that God may shield you from them: show God the wounds of your heart, that God may heal them. If you thus pour out all your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. Talk out of the abundance of the heart, without consideration say just what you think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God. --Francois Fenelon
• God does not stand afar off as I struggle to speak. He cares enough to listen with more than casual attention. He translates my scrubby words and hears what is truly inside. He hears my sighs and uncertain gropings as fine prose. --Timothy Jones
• Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. --Arthur W. Pink