Three Birthday Party Celebrations – A Photo Journal

Christina is becoming a young lady as she celebrates birthday 11

Maddie, Julia, Katelyn, Azrielle and Katie join in for the friend party

Yipeeeee, just what I wanted a Pet Shop pet

Playing a round of squirt, squirt, splash

The girls’ and mom’s homemade Pet Shop cake

Sarah joins the family for the second birthday celebration

Daniel took the girls on a boat ride

Candy and decorations – loving it

Our third party was at Hotel Real Naturales with the Church

Christina, we love your cheerful smile and sunny personality – blessings our daughter

From Roots to Leaders

As a youth pastor one of the things that I was constantly on the lookout for was good Bible study material for various spiritual levels. My problem was it was never exactly what I wanted. That led to the writing of Roots, a study booklet to help establish spiritual growth. Roots was followed by Deeper, Encounter, Disciplines and Study. By the time we came to Mexico, I was completely out of control with a four booklet series in Spanish entitled Mateo – with a little help from Claudia, Manuel and Debbie. Okay, a lot of help! Now that we are at El Puente (a bilingual, international, multicultural fellowship) what better time to write Leaders? The following is a sample chapter on one characteristic of a leader:

Lives Their Position in Christ

“When we have believed lies about ourselves that have caused deep wounds, it is always beneficial to remind ourselves of who we are in Christ. Nothing is more foundational than understanding who we are in Christ and affirming what God has done for us in Christ.” Charles Richardson

Day 1 - 2 Corinthians 5:17 - What are you in Christ? What difference does this make in your view of yourself?

Day 2 - Ephesians 1:3-10 - What spiritual blessings have you received in Christ? How do these blessings affect your view of God?

Day 3 - Ephesians 2:6-10 - In Christ, what has God done for us in the heavenly realms? Why did He do it?

Day 4 - Colossians 2:9-12 - What have you been given in Christ? What does that mean? What difference does this make in your life from day to day?

Day 5 - Philippians 3:7-11 - What was Paul’s view of his former way of life? In Christ, what have you received that is not your own? How are you the righteousness of Christ?

Day 6 - Galatians 3:26-29

Day 7 - Ephesians 3:2-6

Making It Practical
1. Is your identity, acceptance, security, and significance found in your position in Christ? How?2. How does your position in Christ affect the way you approach life?3. Renounce any lie about yourself that makes you feel rejected, unloved, abandoned, worthless, helpless, or hopeless. Give thanks to God for who you are in Christ.

(You can find the entire Leader study at KWT as well as all the other studies from Roots to Leaders.)

Quarantine Fourteen – A Photo Journal

So what does a budding young lady of fourteen do on her birthday when the country is quarantined to avoid spreading the flu?

Open gifts and cards throughout the day from family and friends including jewelry, books, phone card, money…

Take the puppy on an early morning car ride so she can hang out the window and feel the wind. Do it again in the afternoon.

Have a tasty meal of grilled chicken at which time family shares with you the characteristics they see exhibited in your life that they appreciate.

Spend a lot of time talking to friends back in the States on the telephone and on Facebook.

Enjoy a late evening pizza while you watch a favorite video.

Stay away from little sister who seems to have some sort of fascination with fire.

Enjoy a birthday cake along with homemade ice cream and a fresh cup of coffee.

Happy Birthday, Maria….you are a special young lady, and we are so blessed to have you as our daughter.

Precarious Position

The health of missionaries has always been in a precarious position. William Borden of Yale stopped in Egypt to study Arabic on his way to work with Muslims in China. There he contracted spinal meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five. Then there are those who have put themselves in unhealthy environments over a period of years and have paid with broken health. Brave men and women have considered the cost and have been willing to pay this price. As for me when it comes to the health of our family, I don’t feel so brave and can find myself doing the unthinkable – worrying. Not much of a missionary, huh?

I remember the first time health was an issue for us here in Mexico. It was during the Christmas season and we were sitting in a lab waiting for the results of a friend who was very sick. Two naked bulbs lit the dingy concrete walls. The front door stood open to the dusty noisy street traffic only a few feet away. Worn out, broken down chairs littered the waiting room as the receptionist watched a small portable TV. The walk back to the lab itself was long…and dark. My mind began to wonder.

Later we had our own brush with health issues. When our son was diagnosed with giardia, e. coli, and e. histolytica, we felt relieved to know what was wrong but wondered what it all meant. The doctor recommended he take three different medicines. At home Diana researched them in a book entitled Where There Is No Doctor and we read, “…known to sometimes cause permanent paralysis, blindness, and even death. Do not use these dangerous medicines.” So what did we do? We gave him the medicine.

Now here we are sitting in the middle of a storm called the influenza A(N1H1) virus. Following the news…waiting……wondering. Wondering what will happen next. Wondering what it would mean if one of us did come down with it. Wondering if we have been idiots to put our family in this unhealthy situation in the first place.

If that isn’t complicated enough, I also have to live with myself and what I know. Knowing that God is in control. Knowing that all things work together for good to those who love Him. Knowing that we are safer in the storm with Him than outside of it without Him.

So what do we do now? Maybe we should pray. “Lord Jesus, we find ourselves in a precarious position and ask for Your mercy to our family, the Church and this country. Turn our wondering into trusting and our worry into worship. In Your Name we pray. Amen.”