Romaina

May people have asked me how the mission trip was. I always say an eye opening experience. We stayed in Cluj, Romania. It is a large city, and as modern as any of our cities. We would get up every morning and drive out to the ROMA villages. You can see a picture of one of the homes above. Many of the houses where four room shacks, often times lacking doors. They told us in the winter time they put up a piece of plywood to keep the cold out. Being in these villages and in this country has shown me a few things. First of all, as Americans we to often mistake material possessions for wealth. There were many of the children who had never seen nor heard of a gameboy or a PSP, but were happy and wealthy in family and friends. Second, we to often mistake self-centeredness for self-fulfillment. We try to excuse our self-centerendness with excuses like "That's just who I am." God is not interested in who you are, he knows who you are. The bible says the heart of men is desperately wicked and who can know it. God knows that you are self-centered. It is time that we stop thinking in terms of what will comfort us and make us feel better, and start striving to be a son or daughter of Jesus Christ. And finally, I think we mistake an invitation to church for an invitation to a relationship with Jesus Christ. This point really builds off the first two. We need church members who don't just invite people to church, but who invite lost people into their homes. We live in a culture of experts. Many times our church family says, If we can just get time into the door to hear the professional, that is the ticket. But that is not the answer. We must all do evangelism!

Don’t Waste Your Family Tragedy!

1. You will waste your family tragedy if you don’t understand God’s Grace is enough.
The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in the flesh. This thorn kept him humble all the days of his life. In many ways a family tragedy is a very humbling experience, the feeling of shock and disorientation. Then the grief sets in, it feels much like a thorn in the heart. Paul said this,
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” –I Corinthians 12:9-10
2. You will waste your family tragedy if you don’t love your family through action.
It is one thing to say, “If you need anything, let me know.” But it is quite another to go to the home see the family needs their trash taken out and take it out. When you go to the home of the grieving, they need basic things still: trash taken out, food, paper products, etc… You have an opportunity to love your family by providing the most basic needs of the individual. Another way you can love your family is to listen to them. Listening is an active thing. You have to stay focused and watch when and how you say something. People are often overtired and emotions are running high, so many times it is better to listen than to speak.
3. You will waste your family tragedy if you don’t pray for and with your family.
The power of prayer must not be neglected at such a time. Pray for your family and prayer with your family. Pray with the family with as a whole and pray with individual members. It is one thing to say, “I am praying for you.” It is another to stop and pray with them. I am convinced that too often we say “I’m praying for you” and never give it a second thought. Doesn’t talk about it do it! Pray without ceasing.
4. You will waste your family tragedy if you don’t witness to your family.
Once I was asked if I liked doing funerals or weddings better. When I said I would much rather do a funeral, the person who asked me was shocked. The reason that I said that is because at a funeral, people are faced with their own mortality. They are ready to hear the Word of God. So take the opportunity to walk them down the Romans Road or give them a "Gospel Track” from our Church. Give them your love, concern, prayers, and service. Remember someone is always watching! God is going to bless your effort, His Word will not return void.

Letting Go

In 1 Kings 19:16-19, we see where Elisha is left by his teacher and friend Elijah. Elisha is letting go of one that he loved so dearly! Letting go is part of everyone's life. We let go of cars, homes, and even friends. We live in a throw away culture where letting go is a change to buy newer, better, shinier things. But this blog isn't about letting go of stuff. It is about letting go of people. It is about letting go of people through death and distance. Only two things in this world will stand the test of time: The Word of God and people. Over the past four years I have become close to friends, whom I dearly love. And the LORD has seen fit to take them home. One in particular was especially precious to me.

As C.S. Lewis rightly points out in his book A Grief Observed, nothing ever repeats itself twice. I know that my friend is better off and with the LORD. It just hurts. But with pain comes growth. I don't know how to expain it, but the death of Poncho changed me. I wanted him to hold my son so much. In a two week time span I held Poncho in my arms for the last time, and I held my son Asher in my hands for the first time. He had told me how much he was looking foward to watching after him. That he would be in the hospital waiting room, the day my wife went into labor. My son will never know Poncho on this side of glory. He will never know how he always took care of so many people. How he took care of our family when he was still in the womb. He will never know what he looked like singing in the choir at First Southern. He will never know how he lead the way in service to other brothers and sisters.

Then it hit me, I have to show him. I can't be Poncho, not by a long shot. But I can show him how to serve other people. I can show him how to make sure things are taken care of properly. I can show him how to love people like Poncho did. I suppose death highlights for all of us the things that truly are important. And it is not a career, not a nice car, not a fancy house: it is love. Love for Christ and love for family. Love for the gospel and love for people. Love for your wife and love for your parents. How do you measure the value of a man or woman's life? You can measure it in love. So I will try to love. Love in a way that I have never before. I resolve to tell people at every opportunity how much the LORD loves them and how much I love them. Why are we so afraid to tell people how much we really care about them? Can you really tell someone you love or appreciate them too much? I have never heard a wife say about her husband, "You know, that husband of mine just says he loves me too much and shows it in too many different ways." I do hear, "I don't hear you say it enough or you say it but you don't back it up." I resolve to love my Savior, my wife, my family, and my church family with more than words, but with service and action. May God be glorified in my loss as he molds me and makes me what he needs me to be: like Christ!

We have a way of talking about letting go of our friends, as believers we call it "trusting in God".

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,It is well, it is well, with my soul."- AMEN

Baby Asher "The First Days"

Here is a link to all the Baby Asher pictures!