What are you reading?

Last April I had the treat of attending the national conference of The Gospel Coalition in Chicago.  The conference was especially sweet because, aside from world-class teaching from some of the most skilled Bible teachers, I was able to share it with very close friends (and stay with my brother-in-law who lives in the Windy City) who were also attending.  I have since re-listened to many of the messages delivered at the conference (and so should you) and have been tremendously blessed and encouraged.  However, one of the best and most lasting treats of the conference was a little book, and a free one to boot!  The book is One to One Bible Reading: A simple guide for every Christian by David Helm.  In it, Helm puts forward a crazy, yet simple idea - Christians reading the Bible together!  

While we were in the States this summer I finally got around to reading this little book.  I was blown away because of all the things we do in Christian circles - we rarely simply read the Bible out loud with one another!  Shamefully, many of the married folk do not even do this - I am regrettably speaking from first-hand experience - let alone within the context of the church community.  However, this is where life begins and grows - as God's Word pierces, guides, convicts, and instructs us!  That said, after reading One to One Bible Reading I knew that in the context of our ministry this could be enormously beneficial.

Currently I am doing this with four guys three different times and will be adding more soon.  The book gives some tips for books to choose and different ways to discuss, which vary depending on yours and the other person's reading level and Bible literacy.  One of the really great things about this concept (I feel funny calling it a concept because it is simply reading and talking about what you read) is that it is for everyone!  You can read the Bible with a faithful brother in the faith, a new Christian, or someone who is really curious about what the Bible has to say for itself.  It does not require hours of prep like a formal Bible study, and it all happens in a relaxed atmosphere.  So far, we are reading through the Gospel of Mark and Colossians, and to be honest, it is fun, fresh, and tremendously helpful for all of us!  Throughout the reading we are really trying to figure out what God is saying and what that means in our lives, which can be challenging, but the pay-off is immense. 

Please pray for my times with these guys that it will continue to bear fruit and that they would come to a saving faith in Christ as not all of them are saved.  I highly recommend getting this little book (you can read it in less than an hour).  In it are tremendous outlines and questions to consider as well as some great tips to get started.  Lastly, consider doing this yourself with your spouse, friend, or even a co-worker - Christian or not.

"so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)

Not safe, but good!

On Friday night while sitting at the dinner table, I had the joy of holding our little bundle while Mommy finished her mac & cheese.  Wanting to be a good dad, I sang to my son.  He laughed, not giggled, but laughed out loud.  Now if you have heard me sing, you would understand the humor in the the previous sentence.  This anecdote could demonstrate our child's advanced musical ability and discernment, which brings me great joy (and a possible opportunity to live vicariously through his skills - but I digress).  The actual point is that this was the second time that he laughed in this way.  The first time I was not around, but this time I had a front row seat.  The sound of his little belly laugh was too much.  Kirsten, myself, and our friend Splendid were in tears laughing at Trevor laughing!  Needless to say - my heart nearly burst with the joy of simple and good things from God. 

James reminds us that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  Not only in Trevor's laugh do we see the goodness of God, but in so many areas that it would be far too long to share.  What is even more incredible about the goodness of God is that we can trust Him to be good, even when the situation in which we find ourselves seems to betray this very attribute.  Biblically speaking you can think of the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, the life of Job, and even through the life, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ!  In each of these cases God worked the good for his own (Romans 8:28).

As we continue to press on through the different ministries, it would be lying to say that all is happening in rosey fields with puppies all around.  There are difficulties and struggles, but we trust that God is good and is working.  One last story to give you a better view...  Yesterday I led a service with two people present.  Imagine your church with only two people - you would, like me, feel broken-hearted because the community around is missing the One who can bring true joy; you may even feel a bit frustrated and ask the question, "is this even worth it?"  In that service I taught on 1 John 4:13-21 (read it for yourself).  In the passage it speaks to the confidence the Christian can have because of the work of Christ and indwelling Holy Spirit on the day of God's judgment.  It so happened that one of the two in attendance stated that this was her great fear in life.  I don't know if she was instantly made to be at peace, but she was reminded of the One in whom she has trusted - the one and only True, Good God!

Two points to take home.  One, how well do you delight in the little moments?  Do you see even those as good gifts from God?  Two, if you have placed your faith in our Good God you can trust Him even when, due to the scene around you and your circumstances, you doubt his goodness!  If you have not trusted Him, would you at least consider this Good God today?

On the move

The past week and a half we have been on the move! We have made several trips to Kingston and are finding our stride with our weekly duties. This week is especially busy as we host dear friends from Massachusetts (although some of from other places). The team has had long days beginning at 6:30am and going strong to 10ish at night! When teams are here we try to do as much as we can with them. This team is no different, and we have run with them especially in the mornings (although not the early, sunrise ones) and joined them in ministering with evangelistic outreaches in two locations.

In the meanwhile, Kirsten, Trevor, and I made one of our trips to Kingston to finalize our work visas with the Ministry of Immigration. We are happy to report that we are legal and on the home stretch with only receiving our official Work Permit cards, which is just picking them up! We thank the Lord for providing for our permits without the enormous fee and ease with getting through the bureaucratic system.

While in Kingston, we also took Trevor to the doctor for his 4 month check-up! (People told us time would fly and, boy, are they right!) The little man is healthy, happy, and growing. In addition to the check up he also got another round of immunizations, which he took like a champ. I am pretty sure he has his mother's pain tolerance - because he did not even cry with the first shot, but instead gave a puzzled, curious look to the doctor as if to say - "Was that really necessary?"

In regards to posting pictures and such... We apologize for the delay with showing more pictures of Trevor and our time back, but we are having some computer issues. Well, one issue really - my computer is dead, at least for now. This has thrown a kink into our plans to show more photos and video, but we hope to have them up soon for you.

Until next time...

I don't even like Walmart!

The news came yesterday morning when I tried to redeem reward points earned on an expiring credit card. Instead of seeing the sweet $$$ of money back, I saw an outstanding balance of upwards of $1700, all on things I did NOT purchase. For those who are bad at figuring out the Law and Order plots until all is revealed - someone stole my credit card and used to it "treat themselves" at Walmart and some other places, but all seems to be calm now after speaking with the creditors and explaining the situation.

Also while were gone, we acquired a friend. Not really a friend, but an uninvited guest - a mouse. Mice are cute in children's books and in movies but not when they eat your food and leave little black pebbles in various places. A breakthrough moment came when I went into the kitchen to get a drink and, sure enough, saw him - the manifestation of all that is bacteria-ridden and mousey running on our counter-top (...yup, that is what I thought too)! What is more is that he ingratiated himself to our coffee maker for his abode (...yup, that is what I thought too)! It may help you to sleep at night, as it does us, that not one but two mice were successfully captured and met their demise due to my strategic placement of glue traps. TAKE THAT MICE!

Other than conversing with creditors and chasing little furry critters, we have had a great week and a half. Kirsten has resumed her Monday Bible study, and I have resumed many of my duties teaching - Sunday morning and night, Monday, Tuesday and Friday. This week I am hoping to catch up with some people in a more relaxed and intentional way than time has allowed us to date. Trevor is growing, beginning to teethe, and is ready to MOVE! I have a funny feeling that it will not be long before we are chasing him all over Buff Bay.

Isn't it incredible how easy we can be thrown off by life's issues and miss all the good that is going on? The apostle Paul got this and warned against missing Christ and God in the midst of frustration and setbacks - "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, REJOICE.... The Lord is at hand...for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content... I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil 4:4, 5, 11-13).

Dazed but not confused

The past two weeks have been an absolute blur. If you have ever moved away for an extended period of time, you know what being in the blur feels like. It is not just the rush of getting all the last minute items together while saying final "goodbyes," there is also the rush of trying to get situated once you arrive. Since we have returned, I have preached three times, gone on a 15hr youth fellowship conference, had my computer crash, and much more. Days had been running together, but now that we have been back in Buff Bay for a week, things are beginning to slow down, and life is returning to a more normal pace.

Our flight down was easy with no serious delays, and Trevor handled traveling like a champ (he may possibly be a future Amazing Race contestant). (See below for video of Trevor's first take-off - he was much more concerned for the bottle.) The day was long, but it was nice to sleep in our house in Buff Bay again, especially because it was so nice and clean thanks to several dear women of the church who wanted to bless us and clean up before our arrival! The weekend was full of unpacking and reconnecting with our church family. On Monday, the Youth Fellowship had their annual Youth Conference, which was a great day in which God's word was preached and the young people reconnected with camp friends from other churches. The rest of the week has been spent trying to reorient ourselves and prepare for getting back to work.

Trevor certainly adds a new wrinkle to our schedule. He has adjusted fairly well to all the new places, smells, and sights. The rooster next door gave him an unexpected wake-up the other morning, which seemed to startle him at 6am (another reasons why we hate that rooster). Everyone is smitten with the little guy and, to be honest, how couldn't they be - the kid is a cutie! Continue to pray for Trevor as he adjusts to life in Buff Bay and also that we will be wise in planning and scheduling our days.

Despite the hustle and bustle of the days so far, one thing has stuck out in our minds - we feel like we belong here. No doubt we love being in the States, and we had a fantastic time in NJ with family and friends, but regardless of the challenges, Buff Bay is home right now, and it feels like it. It is good to be back; we are ready to get back to work!

Apples to Apples

The world is about to change. Well, maybe. As I write this, the geeky, cult-like following devoted to everything Apple is awaiting the news of what is expected to be the release of the iPhone 5. If this does not sound like news to you, let me be the first to assure you that it is. Seriously, it really is... I think. Either way, people are on the edge of their seats, the stock market is bracing for a bump, and small figurines of Steve Jobs are being raised in celebration and worship (think golden calf from the book of Exodus). As in all of these cases, anticipation is extremely high, particularly for those who have been holding out on buying a new phone for quite some time. What will be new (or old)? How will they make something unbelievably awesome even more awesome-er?!? I don't know. But I do know that Kirsten and I share this feeling of anticipation, but not for the new iPhone. The reality is that we are excited about and a bit anxious for getting back to Buff Bay!

We leave in less than two weeks, so life is now full of packing and good-byes, while trying to savor the last couple of days in the States. There is an excitement and burning desire to get back to work and to people we dearly love in and around Buff Bay. There is also a sadness to leave people we love and care about in the States. Throughout our extended stay we have been incredibly blessed by the kindness, hospitality, and love so many have shown us, not least of which our supporters (both churches and families/friends)! Kirsten and I have always boasted in how well God has supplied our financial and spiritual support by the means of His people! Even with this foundation of support and excitement, there is still a feeling of anxiousness as we gear-up for travel. How will the ministry be different (what will remain the same)? How do we reengage? How can we guard against past mistakes, short-comings? What does this phase of the ministry look like going forward?

Neither the stock market nor a world-wide audience will ever know how these questions will be answered, unlike the unveiling of the iPhone. However, in terms of eternity, only what is done for Christ will last. This is not an attempt to overstate our roles and responsibilities, but simply a restatement of a biblical truth (1 John 2:17, 1 Peter 1:24-25). We are ready, but anxious for what the future holds, and we trust that every detail is sovereignly controlled by God, who is able to turn anxiety into excitement and joy!

Wi be Jammin'

To say it has been a while is certainly an understatement, and we apologize to those who check the blog on a regular basis and were disappointed with no new news. That said, here is the skinny.

The past few months have been good and, as you can imagine, unique. Life as parents is tiring and consuming yet beautiful and fulfilling. We have tried to see friends and family and visit churches (which was a tremendous blessing and will tell you more about our visits in a future post) all while rolling with earthquakes, hunkering down in hurricanes, and keeping from getting a wicked chill! Additionally, we were able to break away for a week in central PA for our first "family vacation!" Although it was soggy and cool, it was a great time to share together, for Trevor to ride his first 4-wheeler, and really decompress from a whirlwind of events. Kirsten even found a way to surprise me for my birthday with tickets to see a living legend!

We also were able to attend a great Bible conference hosted by our home church in Ocean City. One of the wonderful things about the conference is that many of you were there; connecting with you and others is more than half the fun! In addition to spending quality time with people we knew was the opportunity to hear great preaching and enjoy worshiping God with such faithful brothers and sisters! (If you are interested in hearing some of the teaching you can check it out here for free!)

So, here is the news you really want to here... Trevor is doing great and received a clean bill of health from the doctor. It took us a while to get in to see the doctor, but we were thankful that Trevor is a healthy little boy (who is starting to coo and smiles constantly) and ready for travel to Jamaica! That being the case, we are awaiting his passport and have booked tickets (for October 14th), and are beginning to pack for the "land we love."

In the last couple of weeks, we are still going to try to visit with some more people before we head back and still get ready to hit the ground running. Soon the sounds of reggae beats will beat in our heads and the heat of the beautiful Caribbean sun will warm our hearts. Then we will know wi be jammin'!

PS - We are officially back in business and will be updating regularly. So see you soon!