Rainey Days

With all this cold, I've found myself adapting a habit I had in Israel long ago--wearing layers. Long johns and sweatshirts, tights, jeans, and double socks. It gets chilly during the day in the room where I'm working, so I layer up to avoid the chill. Going outside requires layers to combat the extreme cold we've had lately, and playing in the snow on Tuesday really made me layer my clothes. I'm reminded of the days when I could see my breath in my own bedroom in Jerusalem, and I'm thankful for the heat I've got here, even if I still have to overdress.

Only an inch or so, but it's the first legitimate snow we've seen this year! Livvy is in the yard making snow angels (first she tried it face down, but that didn't work too well!)

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting on this blog like I should. Some days I have nothing going on, and I feel like I have nothing to say. Then other days, I'm really busy and I just don't get to it. Either way, I'm sorry that I'm disappointing my faithful readers! Last week I spent three days doing contact with my other church, Severn River Church, pastored by the greatest pastor in the world--my brother Ben. He asked me to help him collect surveys about the needs of our local community, and we set up our table at the community college in the Student Union. Wednesday was the first day of classes so it seemed like half of Anne Arundel county was on the campus, walking through the Student Union on the way to the bookstore and financial office. It was a prime spot for our table, but we didn't seem to catch anyone's attention. We only got 12 responses on Wednesday. We were giving away a $50 gas card in a drawing each day, but we discovered that m...

Last night, I watched a football game--from start to finish--for the first time in my life! In fact, I got into it; I cheered and groaned with the rest of Baltimore as the Ravens lost the AFC championship and their hope for another Superbowl appearance. I wish the game had gone differently, for the Ravens, for the city of Baltimore, and for purely selfish reasons: one of my best friends has a family of major Steelers fans, and I was really hoping to make a little "nyah, nyah" phone call after the game. Now I'll have to endure their boasting instead.

When I was a child, there was a popular children's musical called, "The Music Machine." Two children find a music machine that produces songs about the fruit of the Spirit. Long-suffering (or patience) was illustrated in song by a bass-voiced snail named Herbert. Be patient, Be patient Don't be in such a hurry. When you get impatient, You only start to worry. Remember, Remember That God is patient, too, And think of all the times That others had to wait for you! Singing the song is easy, in fact, catchy. But living the song is much harder. I've been thinking about patience for the past week, because someone shared with me a word from the Lord that I needed to be patient. The Scripture says in James 1, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." The K...

I would appreciate your prayers for my father over the next few days. He went in for scheduled surgery again this morning--the fifth time the doctors have tried to put in the permanent dialysis port. He is going to be on blood thinners over the next few days, since the doctors believe his blood clots too quickly to make the permanent ports usable. By this time, he is most likely out of surgery, but I still hope that we can agree together for his continued healing in the name of Jesus!

Prayer is such a great way to start the New Year, and I've been pleased to participate in the prayer and fasting emphasis of PAG this week. I went to the District Day of Prayer on Tuesday, even though the weather was not very cooperative; we had a very good time of prayer and encouragement among the pastors and leaders that were there. The District Day of Prayer is always one of my favorite days of the year. I like the purpose: to consecrate ourselves as ministers before the Lord here at the beginning of 2009, to receive a fresh vision for the work we do, and to renew ourselves in the Lord's presence together as a corporate body. We often have small group prayer at the camp, a time of personal reflection and prayer, a time of worship, and a time of proclaiming God's Word. It's a good way to get victory over the leftover mess of the previous year! I also enjoy reconnecting with pastor and missionary friends that I haven't seen in a few months, and Tuesday was no...

New Year's Day has now passed. It's time for many Americans to sweep through their fridge and cupboards, tossing all the candy, cookies, junkfood, and rich holiday treats. I heard yesterday that the two major resolutions made every year have to do with food and money. I don't think I've ever made a resolution about money (is that a good or bad thing?), but just about every year, I've committed to diet/exercise--at least for a few days! I've been reading a great devotional book, Anonymous by Alicia Britt Chole. I've mentioned it before, because I'm really fascinated by the truths the author presents and her writing style as she presents it. This past week, I was studying the first temptation of Jesus in the desert. The devil appears when Jesus is at a point of starvation, forty days and night without food or water. He's literally dying for food. The devil tempts Jesus to turn stones into bread, a miracle almost insultingly simple for God i...