Here are some pics from Gabby's party:
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
My friend Matt's update from India
This is a pasted email from a friend of ours who is still in India, where we lived 5 years back (I cannot believe it has really been that long ago!). This email is the heartbeat of what it's all about friends. Jesus makes such a big difference, not only in hearts but in lifestyle, culture and way of thinking. If you've not read it, read "Discipling Nations" by Darrow Miller. It speaks of this radical need for Jesus to change infrastructure, so that countries and cultures can be changed from the inside out. It's something that the UN could never do...
Read this, friends:
‘We try to examine everything we do in terms of how it can benefit the poor and the oppressed.’
A man that knows the work of an electrician takes for his students the poor and oppressed and teaches them that trade. He does not teach the poor and oppressed just handyman knowledge to fix a broken tubelight so they can get ten Rupees here and there. Since he thinks it should be excellent, he teaches them the science and the practice so that the poor and oppressed can command thousands in India and abroad. He glows when he talks about those from the poor and oppressed who have taken what they have learned from him and gotten high-paying jobs. Like the one who recently got a position in Punjab for Rs. 3500/- plus benefits, or the one who is earning well in Mumbai, or the one who got a good position in Dubai . On his birthday it was humid. Everyone was tired at the end of the day when we had a dinner party to celebrate with him. It was probably around 10.30pm when everyone was starting to leave that he sat down next to me and asked me a question in Hindi: “I saw you measuring the land these last few days. How does it work? I want to learn so I can teach it to my students.” We are sitting on a wooden bench in the garden eating his birthday cake at 10.30pm, we are both tired and sweating and he wants to learn how to survey: right there, right then. So in Hindi, right then, right there, I started and went on and on from the beginning until he had had enough for that night…
‘An upper caste woman is sitting on the ground writing out her exam. Sitting next to her, a Dalit woman is sitting on the ground writing out her exam. It is a revolution.’
And it is a bigger one than those sentences or those words themselves can possibly add to, because the greater beauty is not in those words or in the mechanisms as a body is not just bones and sinews. Have we seen the body with the skin on or have our eyes become like x-rays? Listen to the lesson: The minstry leader was once teaching God’s Word to a group of leaders from among the poor and the oppressed. He was speaking in front of the group, reading from God’s Word, and writing certain words and sentences on the blackboard with chalk. After he was finished, as is their custom, one student was chosen to teach the same lesson back to the group by speaking in front of them, by reading from God’s Word, and by writing certain words and sentences on the blackboard with chalk. As the minstry leader was listening to the student re-teach the lesson, he began to correct him about a particular matter. One of the students who was an older man leaned over and told the minstry leader quietly,
“Brother, don’t correct him too much, for before this I have never in my life seen a Dalit (the untouchable caste) teach a group of people like this man is doing right now...”
It happened that way because that man saw a greater beauty.
In Christ, in India ,
Matthew
Read this, friends:
‘We try to examine everything we do in terms of how it can benefit the poor and the oppressed.’
A man that knows the work of an electrician takes for his students the poor and oppressed and teaches them that trade. He does not teach the poor and oppressed just handyman knowledge to fix a broken tubelight so they can get ten Rupees here and there. Since he thinks it should be excellent, he teaches them the science and the practice so that the poor and oppressed can command thousands in India and abroad. He glows when he talks about those from the poor and oppressed who have taken what they have learned from him and gotten high-paying jobs. Like the one who recently got a position in Punjab for Rs. 3500/- plus benefits, or the one who is earning well in Mumbai, or the one who got a good position in Dubai . On his birthday it was humid. Everyone was tired at the end of the day when we had a dinner party to celebrate with him. It was probably around 10.30pm when everyone was starting to leave that he sat down next to me and asked me a question in Hindi: “I saw you measuring the land these last few days. How does it work? I want to learn so I can teach it to my students.” We are sitting on a wooden bench in the garden eating his birthday cake at 10.30pm, we are both tired and sweating and he wants to learn how to survey: right there, right then. So in Hindi, right then, right there, I started and went on and on from the beginning until he had had enough for that night…
‘An upper caste woman is sitting on the ground writing out her exam. Sitting next to her, a Dalit woman is sitting on the ground writing out her exam. It is a revolution.’
And it is a bigger one than those sentences or those words themselves can possibly add to, because the greater beauty is not in those words or in the mechanisms as a body is not just bones and sinews. Have we seen the body with the skin on or have our eyes become like x-rays? Listen to the lesson: The minstry leader was once teaching God’s Word to a group of leaders from among the poor and the oppressed. He was speaking in front of the group, reading from God’s Word, and writing certain words and sentences on the blackboard with chalk. After he was finished, as is their custom, one student was chosen to teach the same lesson back to the group by speaking in front of them, by reading from God’s Word, and by writing certain words and sentences on the blackboard with chalk. As the minstry leader was listening to the student re-teach the lesson, he began to correct him about a particular matter. One of the students who was an older man leaned over and told the minstry leader quietly,
“Brother, don’t correct him too much, for before this I have never in my life seen a Dalit (the untouchable caste) teach a group of people like this man is doing right now...”
It happened that way because that man saw a greater beauty.
In Christ, in India ,
Matthew
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Don't despise the day of small things
I've been reading in Zechariah lately and had a great conversation with friends yesterday about a verse that has been stuck in my head... In chapter 4 there's a verse... it follows the mention of building a foundation... and then it says "Don't despise the day of small things."
Wow. That is totally where I am right now. God is building foundations in several areas of my life. I am grateful that I can at least see that's what he's doing. But the other word for me is that I need to praise him for that and not despise that it's only a foundation. What could be better than a good foundation?
I'm married to a structural engineer. I married a man ALL about foundations. And, thanks to some harebrained clients of his, I get to hear some pretty funny (and sometimes super sad) stories of people who failed to 'build their house upon the ROCK." I know there is a significant cost involved if you build a foundation that is not right for the building. I also know because of Steve's stories, that a proper foundation is planned based upon what WILL be there, not what you want it to look like or how strong you 'think' it should be. Also, the type of foundation depends on the type of soil that its built on... How many analogies can you think of with that!??
How prepared is my heart/life for God to build on? I know from Steve's stories too that sometimes the soil is so full of clay or sand that you need to amend it by adding good soil before you even put the foundation there... I think that's SOOO neat. God can not only build a good foundation, but he can change the state of our hearts first, so that the foundation is on solid ground. Katie, I think that's whats happening in you right now. God is amending your soil, so that he can build. Know that it's not your job to help, it's just your job to tell God it's ok to mess with your stuff... he's not asking you to do it, he's asking if it's ok if he does it... that's why you're feeling vulnerable.
I love that God knows exactly what is to come in our lives, and if we allow Him to be our foundation builder, the foundation will be solid. I also think its probably pretty hard to tell what will be there based on the foundation slab. So, we probably shouldn't concern ourselves with it. It's just wasted energy.
So. That's me. That's where I am. I'm in foundation building stage. I can resist, or I can acquiesce.
Wow. That is totally where I am right now. God is building foundations in several areas of my life. I am grateful that I can at least see that's what he's doing. But the other word for me is that I need to praise him for that and not despise that it's only a foundation. What could be better than a good foundation?
I'm married to a structural engineer. I married a man ALL about foundations. And, thanks to some harebrained clients of his, I get to hear some pretty funny (and sometimes super sad) stories of people who failed to 'build their house upon the ROCK." I know there is a significant cost involved if you build a foundation that is not right for the building. I also know because of Steve's stories, that a proper foundation is planned based upon what WILL be there, not what you want it to look like or how strong you 'think' it should be. Also, the type of foundation depends on the type of soil that its built on... How many analogies can you think of with that!??
How prepared is my heart/life for God to build on? I know from Steve's stories too that sometimes the soil is so full of clay or sand that you need to amend it by adding good soil before you even put the foundation there... I think that's SOOO neat. God can not only build a good foundation, but he can change the state of our hearts first, so that the foundation is on solid ground. Katie, I think that's whats happening in you right now. God is amending your soil, so that he can build. Know that it's not your job to help, it's just your job to tell God it's ok to mess with your stuff... he's not asking you to do it, he's asking if it's ok if he does it... that's why you're feeling vulnerable.
I love that God knows exactly what is to come in our lives, and if we allow Him to be our foundation builder, the foundation will be solid. I also think its probably pretty hard to tell what will be there based on the foundation slab. So, we probably shouldn't concern ourselves with it. It's just wasted energy.
So. That's me. That's where I am. I'm in foundation building stage. I can resist, or I can acquiesce.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Our weekend
I'd love to start by praising my husband for ripping the entire deck off our house in about 4 hours. It is now stacked in pcs by the side of the house. amazing. It's pretty fun looking out the back door and seeing nothingness. :) It makes me even more excited to think that we'll be gaining a nice beautiful new one in the next month or so (no pressure steve...).
we had a 'family experience' yesterday.
we were booked for a 4:00 picture of the fam at the jcpenney photographer. so, about 3:00 my stress level starts to rise. we do eventually get out the door and we're only 3 minutes late, and no one has gotten food all over their matchy matchy clothes. success so far.
all is going well, until my 'nearly 2 year old' realizes that he really doesn't want to do this... So, the best pose we got of Evan is him pushing the photographer's broom around. oh well. at least we accurately captured what he's like, right?
then we experienced the craziest blood sugar readings yet...
Right after the photo session, Andyman says he feels low. we check him and he's 44 (normal range 80-180). so we pump him up and then head straight over to get a hamburger so that his bloodsugar goes up to the normal range. we then wait to give him his shot and check him again at 8:00 before his bedtime snack. Then his number is 440! WHAT? omgoodness. just when I feel like we're doing it right, we have a day like this. bleh. We could really use a supernatural pancreas transplant.
we had a 'family experience' yesterday.
we were booked for a 4:00 picture of the fam at the jcpenney photographer. so, about 3:00 my stress level starts to rise. we do eventually get out the door and we're only 3 minutes late, and no one has gotten food all over their matchy matchy clothes. success so far.
all is going well, until my 'nearly 2 year old' realizes that he really doesn't want to do this... So, the best pose we got of Evan is him pushing the photographer's broom around. oh well. at least we accurately captured what he's like, right?
then we experienced the craziest blood sugar readings yet...
Right after the photo session, Andyman says he feels low. we check him and he's 44 (normal range 80-180). so we pump him up and then head straight over to get a hamburger so that his bloodsugar goes up to the normal range. we then wait to give him his shot and check him again at 8:00 before his bedtime snack. Then his number is 440! WHAT? omgoodness. just when I feel like we're doing it right, we have a day like this. bleh. We could really use a supernatural pancreas transplant.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
We'll come between 8AM and 5PM...
Come on! What is with these companies that can't narrow down their projected window of arrival? That's like saying "Our road crews can't predict if it'll take 5 minutes or 8 hours to walk in and look at your furnace and give it an OK. So- just hang in your house ALL day cooped up with your children, ok?"
So- what it means for me is that it's 3:10.
We're out of milk.
We have Tball practice at 5:30.
If I leave to go get milk now (which might take 20 minutes), the furnace people will come, say that I wasn't home, and bill us for it anyway.
I suppose waiting 7 hours and 14 minutes for them today already isn't enough.
Isn't that how it works? :)
So, when exactly am I supposed to leave to go get milk, get back, start dinner and have it ready by 4:45 if I don't go in the next 20 minutes? Hmm. This kindof situation makes communal living sound really nice...
So- what it means for me is that it's 3:10.
We're out of milk.
We have Tball practice at 5:30.
If I leave to go get milk now (which might take 20 minutes), the furnace people will come, say that I wasn't home, and bill us for it anyway.
I suppose waiting 7 hours and 14 minutes for them today already isn't enough.
Isn't that how it works? :)
So, when exactly am I supposed to leave to go get milk, get back, start dinner and have it ready by 4:45 if I don't go in the next 20 minutes? Hmm. This kindof situation makes communal living sound really nice...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)