If you've always lived in a place where there is peace, meaning not a war going on, then you really don't value peace as highly as someone who has lived or does live in an area where there is not much peace.
Like Mexico right now. If you live in Mexico right now like we did for 6 years you know that peace is precious and something you pray for and seek everyday. When you wake up at 5am to gunshots near your home like a pal of mine did a couple weeks ago you want peace and you pray for it. When you have to hit the floor in your own home at times because you hear gunfire on the next street over or better yet, on your street, then you desire peace and pray for it.
When you live in a world that you don't experience these fun events, you really don't get how valuable peace is. If you do live in a peaceful area, would you do one thing for my friends in Mexico and others around the world, like Cairo, Egypt? Pray for peace. Thanks, peace out dude.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
We moved!
There's all kinds of reasons why you move to a new place---new job, new baby, new home, change in health of a family member, loss of job, etc. I remember the first little one room apartment my wife and I rented back in East Point, GA. It was very tiny. The bathroom was so small you almost had to step out of it into the bedroom from the shower to towel off, or else you would smack your hands on the wall. You could almost turn the stove off from the living room or bedroom, maybe take one step. We have good memories from that tiny little apartment because it was our first place as a couple.
Then there was the 2nd apartment, or roach motel. Yikes! I don't know how so many roaches could survive and multiply in one space. We didn't stay there long.
This month we moved again to a small 2 bedroom duplex. It is not as small as the first place we had, actually it has 2 bathrooms and a garage, oh, and a place to play guitar out on the back patio.
We moved this time because of a reason you don't normally move for, gunbattles. Over the past 6 plus years we had heard our fair share of gunbattles within a block or less of our home in Mexico. It was time to either move or pick up a gun, and since I'm not so into automatics, we moved.
If you're thinking,"Wow, that's bad," that's fine with me. But if you have pity for us, don't. Rather, we would ask you have compassion and love for others all over the world who live in warzones like Mexico. Outside of the USA there are quite a few warzones, more than you know. If you decide to have compassion and love for others who live in warzones, show it, display it, do something. Prayer is a good start, but there are other ways too. It may include sacrifice of some sort, you can decide that for yourself.
Please don't do the one thing that most folks do. Don't go, "Wow, that's bad," and do nothing at all but eat another bite of your supper. If you must eat the rest of your supper, then pause a moment to call on the Lord's compassionate hand for those who move because of bullets. I have it on record that the Lord's hand does act in response to the prayers of His children, says so in this wonderful book I pick up regularly. Seems He shows great power through the simple act of prayers of faith in the Bible.
Blessed beyond compare by the watchful eye of the Lord and compassionate hand of Him who loves the Whole world.
Then there was the 2nd apartment, or roach motel. Yikes! I don't know how so many roaches could survive and multiply in one space. We didn't stay there long.
This month we moved again to a small 2 bedroom duplex. It is not as small as the first place we had, actually it has 2 bathrooms and a garage, oh, and a place to play guitar out on the back patio.
We moved this time because of a reason you don't normally move for, gunbattles. Over the past 6 plus years we had heard our fair share of gunbattles within a block or less of our home in Mexico. It was time to either move or pick up a gun, and since I'm not so into automatics, we moved.
If you're thinking,"Wow, that's bad," that's fine with me. But if you have pity for us, don't. Rather, we would ask you have compassion and love for others all over the world who live in warzones like Mexico. Outside of the USA there are quite a few warzones, more than you know. If you decide to have compassion and love for others who live in warzones, show it, display it, do something. Prayer is a good start, but there are other ways too. It may include sacrifice of some sort, you can decide that for yourself.
Please don't do the one thing that most folks do. Don't go, "Wow, that's bad," and do nothing at all but eat another bite of your supper. If you must eat the rest of your supper, then pause a moment to call on the Lord's compassionate hand for those who move because of bullets. I have it on record that the Lord's hand does act in response to the prayers of His children, says so in this wonderful book I pick up regularly. Seems He shows great power through the simple act of prayers of faith in the Bible.
Blessed beyond compare by the watchful eye of the Lord and compassionate hand of Him who loves the Whole world.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Hello Mr. Prez and America! Can you hear the noise?
It would be fairly easy for me to trash the president of our current government in Washington, DC, but there's enough folks doing that. Instead I'd rather say, "Hello, Mr. President. Can you hear the noise of the gunbattles in Mexico?" I'd like to follow that up with a similar question, "Hello, fellow Americans. Can you hear the noise of the gunbattles in Mexico?"
I really want to blame the Prez and the government right now, but that does nothing, except use up words. I'd rather ask Americans first, just the normal folk, and then the government second to listen for what is going on south of your border in Mexico. Do you hear the helicopters passing over homes so closely it shakes the windows at times? Do you hear the 'blam! blam! blam! blam!' of automatic weapons at almost anytime of day, not just night? Do you hear the ear piercing sound of a grenade tossed into City Hall at 9am in the morning?
I really would rather go somewhere else right now, besides here. I kind of like quiet and peace, but for now there's work to do.
What could the average American do about the noise of the guns that roar in Mexico? What would it matter if Americans did act in some way? Well, it would depend on what you do.
You could protest and picket. You could write letters to the President and your congressman for them to do something. You could do any number of things, but what would they matter?
Hum, what if Americans who are Christians began praying for their next door neighbors in Mexico and that God's Hand would stop the violence and murder? What if Americans became close friends with Mexican immigrants who are in the USA now and served them in the name of Christ? Would that matter in the least?
What if Americans cut back on their illegal drug usage, you know, just the ones that come out of Mexico? Or what if automatic weapons in the USA were only sold to people who were nice, clean cut citizens, and not drug runners? Wait, I'm talking out of my mind now. I'll stop here.
If you've heard the noise, what's next? I've heard the noise, more than once and perhaps the most chilling was one day about 10:30am this past November. It changed everything for me. It nearly did me in, but somehow by the power of a mighty God, I didn't quit, lose my mind and throw in the towel. I tried, but somehow I couldn't quit. Some unseen power direct from the throne of grace would not allow me to quit.
What if we ask the Lord God to send that unseen power from His throne to conquer this noise issue in Mexico? What if in praying, He asks us to do something about it as well? Hum...
I really want to blame the Prez and the government right now, but that does nothing, except use up words. I'd rather ask Americans first, just the normal folk, and then the government second to listen for what is going on south of your border in Mexico. Do you hear the helicopters passing over homes so closely it shakes the windows at times? Do you hear the 'blam! blam! blam! blam!' of automatic weapons at almost anytime of day, not just night? Do you hear the ear piercing sound of a grenade tossed into City Hall at 9am in the morning?
I really would rather go somewhere else right now, besides here. I kind of like quiet and peace, but for now there's work to do.
What could the average American do about the noise of the guns that roar in Mexico? What would it matter if Americans did act in some way? Well, it would depend on what you do.
You could protest and picket. You could write letters to the President and your congressman for them to do something. You could do any number of things, but what would they matter?
Hum, what if Americans who are Christians began praying for their next door neighbors in Mexico and that God's Hand would stop the violence and murder? What if Americans became close friends with Mexican immigrants who are in the USA now and served them in the name of Christ? Would that matter in the least?
What if Americans cut back on their illegal drug usage, you know, just the ones that come out of Mexico? Or what if automatic weapons in the USA were only sold to people who were nice, clean cut citizens, and not drug runners? Wait, I'm talking out of my mind now. I'll stop here.
If you've heard the noise, what's next? I've heard the noise, more than once and perhaps the most chilling was one day about 10:30am this past November. It changed everything for me. It nearly did me in, but somehow by the power of a mighty God, I didn't quit, lose my mind and throw in the towel. I tried, but somehow I couldn't quit. Some unseen power direct from the throne of grace would not allow me to quit.
What if we ask the Lord God to send that unseen power from His throne to conquer this noise issue in Mexico? What if in praying, He asks us to do something about it as well? Hum...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Call it like it is-Ethics in leadership
There might be a need for more boldness in the church today in leadership. For many years leadership in the church has spiralled further and further downward, meaning, the ethics and morals of leaders. Now if we check out the New Testament we´re going to find that it was a problem back then too. Look at Corinth. Gee whiz!
What I mean by boldness is accountability in areas of ethics. I´m talking about holding each other to a higher standard, that of Christ. No way we can be perfect, not gonna happen. However, we can set our sights higher than those in the world or in the business world. If we as leaders look no different than men and women in the corporate world today, maybe something's gone terribly wrong. If we do the same things, use the same sleazy methods, and follow the same unethical principles as Mr. Madoff, then can we even call ourselves the church?
Now this all has to happen in relationship, close relationship. You sure don´t need some dude from Arizona who you don´t know coming into your office or home and saying, 'Man, you are a messed up guy.' We need brothers and sisters who know us well and call us friend and spend regular time with us to call us on the carpet. Spending regular time with one another in itself might straighten out many ethical issues rather quickly. When we know we are going to be sitting across the table eating lunch with a friend or shooting hoops we just might think twice about some things, you think? Having someone ask you face to face specific questions and the big word 'why' makes it much tougher to allow some of the things into our lives that have come in.
Mentors is the word some use for this. Discipleship is what some would call it. Accountability is another word. use what ever word you want but please let´s hold each other to a standard higher than Tiger Woods, David Letterman, and former President...what was his name? We simply cannot continue down this road that we have drifted. Christ called us to a higher standard, he called us to live a holy life, not perfect, not legalisic, holy. Set apart, called out.
Let´s give it a shot guys and gals. What have we got to lose? The world outside the church is full of people who are broken and hurting and they need to see a different model of lifestyle. Leaders, that´s what they need. Holy leaders who live authentic lives, who mess up, get forgiven, but live a higher calling. Set apart, that´s it.
What I mean by boldness is accountability in areas of ethics. I´m talking about holding each other to a higher standard, that of Christ. No way we can be perfect, not gonna happen. However, we can set our sights higher than those in the world or in the business world. If we as leaders look no different than men and women in the corporate world today, maybe something's gone terribly wrong. If we do the same things, use the same sleazy methods, and follow the same unethical principles as Mr. Madoff, then can we even call ourselves the church?
Now this all has to happen in relationship, close relationship. You sure don´t need some dude from Arizona who you don´t know coming into your office or home and saying, 'Man, you are a messed up guy.' We need brothers and sisters who know us well and call us friend and spend regular time with us to call us on the carpet. Spending regular time with one another in itself might straighten out many ethical issues rather quickly. When we know we are going to be sitting across the table eating lunch with a friend or shooting hoops we just might think twice about some things, you think? Having someone ask you face to face specific questions and the big word 'why' makes it much tougher to allow some of the things into our lives that have come in.
Mentors is the word some use for this. Discipleship is what some would call it. Accountability is another word. use what ever word you want but please let´s hold each other to a standard higher than Tiger Woods, David Letterman, and former President...what was his name? We simply cannot continue down this road that we have drifted. Christ called us to a higher standard, he called us to live a holy life, not perfect, not legalisic, holy. Set apart, called out.
Let´s give it a shot guys and gals. What have we got to lose? The world outside the church is full of people who are broken and hurting and they need to see a different model of lifestyle. Leaders, that´s what they need. Holy leaders who live authentic lives, who mess up, get forgiven, but live a higher calling. Set apart, that´s it.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Stick around/long and short term missions
In 1990 when I first went to Mexico for a 10 day mission trip I thought I was in heaven, except for the room temperature cantaloupe juice I drank. It was one of the highlights and turning points in my life. That trip changed where I was going in life to a whole new direction I would have never figured. I'm thankful my old pal Dwayne Hicks came up with the dream to take a bunch of kids down to Mexico to do a choir/work trip. I'm thankful Cris Garcia put up with all 29 of us.
From that point forward I traveled on many mission trips as a leader, co leader, or just flunkie. We went to more places in Southern Mexico with CIY, sent two groups to Juarez which I planned but did not go on, lead groups to Wash. DC, New Orleans, Atlanta, and who knows where else, LA. Each time I went on a trip I felt the need to go back to the same place and work with the same missionaries and see the same kids. I began to tell the people,'I'll be back', and I meant it. I did go back to most of the sites. For some reason each time the Lord made connections between me and the missionaries, workers, and kids in each of the places I traveled. For me it was more than a nice spiritual adventure, it was something more. It was about relationships.
I can honestly say I still keep in touch with many from those past trips. I wish I could have more contact, go back and visit all of them. I have been able to pop in on a few of them, like my friend Teri Mullens in DC. The thing that I loved most about each of those trips was the people, the relationships. Hearing the story of what God is doing in the lives of people did something to me. It made me hungry to know more of what God is doing all over the world.
I have to say that short term mission trips are a good idea if certain things are done well.
Number one, building of relationships by spending time with the missionaries and workers and kids while on a mission trip. Time, it takes time to get to know someone and talk with them and listen to them. Time equals love, because in spending time with these folks they can sense that someone really cares about them and loves them. I think possibly the most glaring weakness in short term mission work these days is the mentality of 'go, go, go' and 'do, do, do'. Get as much done as humanly possible and then leave.
The first trip I took to southern Mexico we worked with this incredible man of God named Gil Contreras. Now Gil knew how to take a mission trip, cause there was plenty of people time during this trip. We got to know him and his family and hear stories of what God had done in their lives. We got to laugh and tell jokes with him, his kids, and his crazy grandson, Adrian Sanchez. Time, lots of it, was what we had to be with them and enjoy them and get to know them.
The next trip I took to Southern Mexico was very similar and the next and the next. In fact, I went down to Mexico in 2002 after I finished up at a ministry in GA just so I could hang out with Gil and his family. What did we do? We wound up driving up to the border of Texas for a car. We had lots of time on that trip.
Relationship building is still a priority in missions, long term and short term. If you want to stick around on the mission field long term then you better plan on doing this one thing. The others are important too, but this is numero uno. Is it easy? Nope. Is it clean and tidy? No, it gets messy most times. Is it worth it? Definitely!
From that point forward I traveled on many mission trips as a leader, co leader, or just flunkie. We went to more places in Southern Mexico with CIY, sent two groups to Juarez which I planned but did not go on, lead groups to Wash. DC, New Orleans, Atlanta, and who knows where else, LA. Each time I went on a trip I felt the need to go back to the same place and work with the same missionaries and see the same kids. I began to tell the people,'I'll be back', and I meant it. I did go back to most of the sites. For some reason each time the Lord made connections between me and the missionaries, workers, and kids in each of the places I traveled. For me it was more than a nice spiritual adventure, it was something more. It was about relationships.
I can honestly say I still keep in touch with many from those past trips. I wish I could have more contact, go back and visit all of them. I have been able to pop in on a few of them, like my friend Teri Mullens in DC. The thing that I loved most about each of those trips was the people, the relationships. Hearing the story of what God is doing in the lives of people did something to me. It made me hungry to know more of what God is doing all over the world.
I have to say that short term mission trips are a good idea if certain things are done well.
Number one, building of relationships by spending time with the missionaries and workers and kids while on a mission trip. Time, it takes time to get to know someone and talk with them and listen to them. Time equals love, because in spending time with these folks they can sense that someone really cares about them and loves them. I think possibly the most glaring weakness in short term mission work these days is the mentality of 'go, go, go' and 'do, do, do'. Get as much done as humanly possible and then leave.
The first trip I took to southern Mexico we worked with this incredible man of God named Gil Contreras. Now Gil knew how to take a mission trip, cause there was plenty of people time during this trip. We got to know him and his family and hear stories of what God had done in their lives. We got to laugh and tell jokes with him, his kids, and his crazy grandson, Adrian Sanchez. Time, lots of it, was what we had to be with them and enjoy them and get to know them.
The next trip I took to Southern Mexico was very similar and the next and the next. In fact, I went down to Mexico in 2002 after I finished up at a ministry in GA just so I could hang out with Gil and his family. What did we do? We wound up driving up to the border of Texas for a car. We had lots of time on that trip.
Relationship building is still a priority in missions, long term and short term. If you want to stick around on the mission field long term then you better plan on doing this one thing. The others are important too, but this is numero uno. Is it easy? Nope. Is it clean and tidy? No, it gets messy most times. Is it worth it? Definitely!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
I'm back! I think...
If anyone actually reads this blog, sorry, I have slipped over to the darkside. I have been writing a wee bit on facebook. Like I said, the darkside.
I am going to make a feeble effort to blog once again and see where it goes. I encourage and am open to comments and ideas for blog subjects. I am also open to anyone copying anything I write, just tell me or whatever. If I write something that makes you think about writing something along the same line, do it and tell me about it.
I really write this for two or three reasons. I like to write and it gives me a vehicle to do so. I like to challenge others to think, or try to do so. I like to share struggles and glories of the mission field so others can pray, can get interested in missions, or can get ideas of ways to serve in the kingdom.
So, I'm back....watch out!
I am going to make a feeble effort to blog once again and see where it goes. I encourage and am open to comments and ideas for blog subjects. I am also open to anyone copying anything I write, just tell me or whatever. If I write something that makes you think about writing something along the same line, do it and tell me about it.
I really write this for two or three reasons. I like to write and it gives me a vehicle to do so. I like to challenge others to think, or try to do so. I like to share struggles and glories of the mission field so others can pray, can get interested in missions, or can get ideas of ways to serve in the kingdom.
So, I'm back....watch out!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Tanks, guns, and soldiers
So, last Saturday after running a few errands with Martin my friend we turned the bend down near our house and guess what we saw? An armored vehicle with a high caliber gun strapped on top manned by a guy that looked about 18 years old and on the other side of the road a military truck that carries troops half full of soldiers, the other half being in the road and on the side of the road. So we took a detour to my house that was only a couple blocks away.
Martin said,'You have a neighbor that is a very bad guy.' That was putting it mildly. Those soldiers were waiting on someone to come that way and then the hammer was going to fall.
Most of the day we kind of hung around the house, partly because we needed to rest a little, and partly because I didnt want to find that very bady guy who is a neighbor. Kind of weird to see armored vehicles, soldiers, and automatic weapons right around the corner, right? But it's life here in Mexico.
Then Monday I mailed some packages to Hungary for a missionary friend Rusty. I commented to the lady behind the counter that one day soon I hoped to go there, maybe this summer if God works it all out. She said, 'Why do you want to go there? Aren't you afraid of the terrorists?'
I didn't know they were there. I also commented to her that I lived in Matamoros, no big deal, right?
I guess one day I will get used to seeing tanks, weapons, big guns and soldiers. Maybe I should start learning their names?
Martin said,'You have a neighbor that is a very bad guy.' That was putting it mildly. Those soldiers were waiting on someone to come that way and then the hammer was going to fall.
Most of the day we kind of hung around the house, partly because we needed to rest a little, and partly because I didnt want to find that very bady guy who is a neighbor. Kind of weird to see armored vehicles, soldiers, and automatic weapons right around the corner, right? But it's life here in Mexico.
Then Monday I mailed some packages to Hungary for a missionary friend Rusty. I commented to the lady behind the counter that one day soon I hoped to go there, maybe this summer if God works it all out. She said, 'Why do you want to go there? Aren't you afraid of the terrorists?'
I didn't know they were there. I also commented to her that I lived in Matamoros, no big deal, right?
I guess one day I will get used to seeing tanks, weapons, big guns and soldiers. Maybe I should start learning their names?
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