Here they go again! Merry Christmas to all!

A few weeks ago Tate asked me to buy two white ties. This morning I found out why.
What a fun gift for Trevor and I!

accumulation!

Nothin'





















like the









first









snow!

Dead or Alive

Our living room was full of people this morning who gathered to talk about John Eldridge's book, "Waking the Dead". No, it's not a textbook on seances; it's a book that challenges us to live with a whole heart. My friend, Katie, recommended it on her blog and many others have been blessed by it as well. Our discussion was from the heart this morning and it was a great way to start the day (even if we were tired from a week away in Colorado). John Eldredge weaves the reality of spiritual warfare all throughout the book and awakens us to live our lives in this awareness. One of the highlights of our conversation was the idea that Christ's birth was an invasion; an act of war! Our family just learned a new verse from the book of Hebrews about Christ sharing in our humanity so that He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil! His birth means war (according to Revelation). Yes, Jesus was a sweet, sweet baby in His parent's arms, but his incarnation ignited fury in the unseen realm.

We were introduced to a fantastic magazine called, World. World magazine presents current events from a biblical worldview. (www.worldmag.com) They also offer a subscription for young adults and children. In this month's publication there's an article about the founders of the Salvation Army that's prompted me to dig into their story. I was blown away by this quote (especially after our book discussion this morning):

"We are sent to war. We are not sent to minister to a congregation and be content if we keep things going. We are sent to war...and to stop short of nothing but the subjugation of the world to the sway of the Lord Jesus. We must bear that in mind in all our plans...our aim is to put down the kingdom of the devil..."
-William Booth

Oh, our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are sent to war. We can't opt out, either.

Sir Jackson George

Apparently Jay was inspired by our Bair Lake Bible Camp 2009 theme, "Stand" when he chose the theme for his birthday: knights, armor, battles and castles. He is a new creation and the enemy has been battling for his heart, but with his armor on he can take a stand against the wicked schemes of the evil one... Tater created this suit of armor for his valiant brother, Sir Jackson.


The court jester doesn't stand a chance against such a well-protected knight!


A tasty representation of Sir Jackson's kingdom.


We were all summoned for a feast at King Trevor's banquet table and the guest of honor was Sir Jackson, famous for his bravery and victory over enemies!


Poultry! Fresh from the market square!



A favorite birthday tradition: the sibling smooch.



Hear ye, hear ye! King Trevor, with his Queen and Princess and their lively court jester, honor Sir Jackson and celebrate the day he was created! Long live Sir Jackson and may he serve his High King Jesus with all his heart, soul, mind and strength and may he walk each day dressed in his armor. So be it!!

Building a Big Fire?

We (Trevor, myself and the Outfitters) have just returned from a Revival conference in Indianapolis. It was a fasten-your-seat belt couple of days. We were all deeply challenged and walked away transformed in one way of another. I am still processing all that God said to me. I think we all are. God improved the "one-accord" atmosphere among the six of us and brought unity in many ways. Now, as a result, we meet for the Furnace on Mondays and Fridays as well as the original Wednesday meeting time. 6:30 a.m. prayer on these mornings is a challenge, but I believe this time together is moving from the "sacrifice" category to the "privilege" category. Feel free to join us in prayer during these times. Our prayers lately have been focused on our recently-rekindled burden for those who don't know the One True God (John 17:3) and for the world. God's heart is for the whole world, not just our little bubbles of existence and He showed us a bit of His heart for this world at the conference. Personal revival or Body-of-Christ revival cannot be separated from an increased love and burden for the world! The more I know Him, the more my heart is broken for nations and regions of the earth.
It's good to be back in the blogging world. Hopefully these thoughts are an encouragement to be revived and to ask God to give you (us!) His heart for the world. Open our eyes, Lord! Open our eyes! Let us not just sit in our comfy, cappuccino churches and sing louder to drown out the cries of the lost, hungry, un-sheltered, diseased, oppressed, possessed, idolatrous, empty, depressed, hopeless people that are passing by on a path headed in the opposite direction of God. It is time to stop messing around with nice Jesus ideas. It's time to advance His kingdom and be used by God to bring people out of the kingdom of darkness. It's time to stop living to pursue cute clothes for your kids. Stop seeking new furniture. Stop seeking financial gain. It's all going to burn anyway and you're just going to have the biggest fire. You'll be pretty ashamed of how big your fire is. Give it away if you don't need it. Need? We don't know how to live according to what we "need". We live according to what we want. Christmas is coming. What do you WANT for Christmas???
I'm a little fired up today, but I'm tired of pretending like I agree with the way American Christians live. It's not okay and it's repulsive to our God who sees our disgusting abundance. We have much and much is expected of us. Challenge: take 1/2 of what you spend on Christmas and support as many native missionaries as you can through Gospel for Asia. We think we have so much time. It's a lie. Start today to live whole-heartedly for the One True God. How would your day be different? Live this crazy life with us - join us in rejecting the lies of the current ruler of the air. Whew! Take a breath... I only share these things because I love you and hope you can be set free from luke-warm Christianity. I thought I was on fire for the Lord, but He showed me how pathetically luke-warm I have been. No more! My wish is the same as Lady Galadriel (LOTR, Tolkien) - "That what should be shall be".

something new

This is a day Trevor and I have been anticipating for a long time. Today, September 1, marked the beginning of the Outfitters Discipleship Program at Bair Lake Bible Camp. There are four individuals who took their first steps as Outfitters today. Hopefully when they complete this two year journey they will be powerfully equipped to be and make disciples of Jesus. Outfitters is an answer to prayer and a fulfillment of one of our greatest desires. To commemorate this special day, V-5 pens were given in honor of Harley (a special man who God used to grow us up in the Lord).

Tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. is The Furnace (prayer meeting). Despite all Satan's attempts to flood me with apathy, I am filled with HOPE. Lord, use Outfitters to advance Your kingdom!

Three very blessed kids

Haven't you heard? Today was Father's Day. (At least it was for us.) We had a fantastic day at Lake Michigan!

Gearing up for summer

I'm supposed to be organizing the school room right now. What's a few more minutes of procrastination going to hurt? Well, we are preparing for camp, training Sr. Staff, practicing numbers for "High School Musical", and becoming increasingly thankful for our adoption as His sons and daughters. I have about 2 dozen thoughts I want to share, but for now they must stay tucked away while I go finish turning chaos into order (school room). This photo was taken on our way to New Mexico. THAT was a fantastic trip! We highly recommend the Santa Fe area and, if you've got the time, you can follow Route 66 as you go!

Baloncesto - it's just fun to say it in Spanish.

This is Tate's travel ball team. They had a great season and finished second in the tournament. It was quite the challenging experience for him as he was the only 5th grader on the 6th grade team. Tate also won the Three Rivers Free Throw contest and went to Holland for regional competition where he finished 3rd. We were (and are!) so proud of him for persevering and finishing strong!

Joy!

What's better?

What's better than knowing you're loved? My family surprised me with a wonderful birthday. In the midst of all the fun, I had an overwhelming sense of how loved I am. Then, this past weekend they helped me serve the women who came to the Time to Soak retreat. I couldn't have done it without them! The best part was, I knew they really believed in what I was doing and saw the value and importance of it. Now today is full of laughter with their good friends Abby and Matthew. Wednesday some more friends come, and Saturday Sam and Shannon come to celebrate Easter with us. Needless to say, today I cleared out the shelves at Meijer. This is rather a rambling blog entry, so let me go back to my original thought: it's good to know you're loved. In fact, you are loved! "For God so loved the world..." That includes you!

For the last two years, Tate and Jackson have made a dance for their mommy for her birthday. They do all the choreography themselves. What at gift!

What a long winter can do to you...

It's true.

Winter has made us blue.

Soon we won't wear a boot, but a shoe.

Three is more fun than two.

We love Jesus, how about you????

Time to Soak

As we continue to be Five for Aslan, we continue to see Aslan on the move! He has given us a wonderful opportunity to host a Time to Soak retreat once again.

Time to Soak is scheduled for April 3-5 at Bair Lake Bible Camp. Laurie will be hosting a wonderful weekend of personal reflection, quiet rest, expressive worship, corporate prayer and contemplative study of God's word. Please contact me for registration details.

*$100 registration fee includes: private accommodations, meals and retreat materials

taking back the signs - part 1

I'm not claiming that this idea is completely accurate, but it has been revisiting my mind a lot lately. I think the enemy has taken the signs of God's covenants and strongly corrupted them. Today I'll touch on the first one: the rainbow. Noah beheld the first rainbow and God communicated to him that the radiant spectrum of color he saw was "the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth." Genesis 9:12-16 So, when the world sees a rainbow appear it's supposed to remind us that God's keeping his promise to never flood the whole earth again. But, rainbows have come to represent something entirely different, haven't they? I wonder what was occurring in the unseen realm as the individuals creating a logo for their homosexual agenda sat around brainstorming. I don't think it's a coincidence that their symbol is a rainbow. I think it's in direct opposition and a tactical maneuver by the enemy to distort, twist and ruin the beautiful sign of God's covenant. The reason I don't think it's a coincidence is because I see a pattern. It's not just this covenantal sign that Satan has twisted and stolen.

Since you're already online...

Trevor and I went to see Slumdog Millionare. And then we received a packet from Gospel for Asia. And then we listened to a teaching by K.P. Yohannon (founder and president of Gospel for Asia). Either God was trying to tell us something or God was trying to tell us something. Despite this nation's current financial down-turn, $3 of our money still purchases a Bible for someone in India. We're all busy, but since you're already on the internet (obviously, you're reading this), take a look at their website: http://www.gfa.org/ The organization's approach is interesting. They don't bring in westerners to share Jesus; instead they equip natives to share the gospel. It costs them about $70,000-80,000 a year to send someone from the U.S. or U.K., but it only costs $1,000 a year to support a native in life-ministry. The web site's worth your time and actually, so is the movie Slumdog Millionare. (Please read reviews before you decide to see it - some of the content is disturbing).

Jackson's sick, we're plugging away at school work, Laurie's taking a Precept's class, Tate's basketball games are teaching him a lot, Ellie's storming through her AWANA books, Trevor's still in Jeremiah and there's a whole world out there (3 billion people) who have never heard about Jesus! The word of God in some one's hands only costs $3. I know my Bible cost a lot more than that. I even have more than one. My point is this: we/you have to revolt against becoming inwardly focused. Please go to the site and read about what God's doing through Gospel for Asia. It really is worth your time.

Bair Lake Bible Camp = cabin fever cure!

We don't live on the lake anymore, but it's just a short walk down to the water. Bair Lake truly is beautiful in all seasons.

The Blitz

As I type Trevor is greeting a bunch of middle school students who are arriving for Bair Lake's Winter Retreat - THE BLITZ http://www.blbc.com/ . He will be speaking this weekend and I look forward to hearing what God does through him. This is such a critical time in their lives and they are here this weekend because God wanted them to be here. I wonder what long-term impact these 3 days will have. In the midst of all the joy of these students coming, our family is dealing with the flu. Actually, another family on camp is too. So, I go now to hold a wimpering boy and pray for Trevor and the kids at The Blitz.

The beauty of the assist

Basketball has probably been used as metaphor for life too many times already, so I won't go down that trail. I did, however, see a powerful truth in Tater's game today. The gym where he plays is set up in such a way that spectators watch from a balcony that surrounds the gym. There is wisdom in this design - it keeps angry parents at bay. It also allows for a pretty good view of the court. I was really proud of many aspects of Tate's game today. All his ball-handling practice has paid off and now, when it counts, he's able to withstand defenders. But the part of his game that really impressed me was his assists. He'd fake, bounce-pass to the open man and that player would have the open shot. Everyone cheers for the basket made! Few cheer for the assist because few notice. But those who love the game do notice and smile at the beautiful assist. It's about using your talents to make someone else shine.
It's about using your talents to make someone else shine.
It's about using your talents to make Someone else shine.
Oh that I would use my talents to bring Him glory and make Him shine.

this one caught my attention

A desire for happiness is natural, a desire for holiness supernatural.

-John Mason

We just can't muster a desire for holiness, can we?

I want to tell a funny story about Tate and Jay, but they won't let me. Now they're smiling...Apparently they're always smiling (?) Tate thinks he needs a bath. Stinky basketball players. Actually he takes showers, not baths. We can't decide what to do tonight. So to get Tater pumped up for his game, we're going to watch a classic basketball movie. What does this silliness have to do with the above quote? Nothing. Except maybe that Tate wants to be a light at his game tomorrow. Where'd the boys go? I think they are spying on me once again. They think I can't hear them breathe or giggle... but I can. So, hi-ho, hi-ho it's off to make popcorn I go. WE go (Jackson said).

confession of a sad heart

The kids had to watch the inauguration yesterday. Their assignment was to record their thoughts about the festivities, procedure and speeches. It's funny what catches their attention. They had a hard time getting past Aretha's bow.
The boys just went out to play their part in the Bair Lake bob-sled team. The BMX course doubles as a bob-sled run in the winter. At least it's not so cold today.
Today I'm remembering a quote from a Canada trip I went on with the Alma COG youth. Our fearless youth leader, Diann, would frequently say, "life is difficult". It is. Now, I'm not in a situation that warrants feeling sorry for myself, but life is difficult. Right now I just want to scrap it all and give 100% of my time to sharing this treasure I have. It's difficult to teach my kids to divide fractions when so many are walking outside of a covenant with Jesus. Today's been difficult. Actually yesterday was too. The seen and the unseen have been mis-prioritzed. I am malnourished. He's supposed to be my daily bread; not my occasional bread. I need you, Lord. I have been trying so hard on my own. I can't have joy without you. I have ceased to worship you and I miss you. Father, please forgive me for hurting you by forgetting you. Everything and everyone else in my life has pushed ahead of you. What kind of example am I? I talk the talk, but you are like a long-neglected friend.

Blogging is strange. It helps me process though. It's a personal prayer that I'm tempted to delete, but I'm not going to. We're too good at putting our best face forward. We are ugly without Him. And I think we should be about disclosing our weak moments and our sin. My sin is this: forgetting my first love.

failed attempt #1635

I went to bed like I said I would, but the next morning I justified staying warm under the covers while I prayed instead of getting up and having my posture more adequately reflect my heart. I seem to be characterized by failure in early morning prayer. My friend, Amy, would be disappointed in me - it's been almost 4 years since she was spurring me to be obedient and get up early to pray. Last night I had a very unusual dream and then woke suddenly and was called to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are part of the Frontiers organization. http://www.frontiers.org/ It is an amazing organization and the workers are few... Also, check out http://www.digitaltrekker.com/ for a beautiful glimpse into other cultures.

various brain waves

I'm debating what to do with this blog in 2009. So far it's been a mix of funny kid stuff, ideas and sharing ways God's revealed Himself to us. But I'm not sure what to do with it. It seems to be a good way to stay connected with people we don't see often enough, but I've been reading some other blogs that really pack a punch and I'm wondering if I'm supposed to move in a new direction. I want to make people aware of great things that are happening in the Kingdom - like organizations that exist to bring clean drinking water to remote places in the world. Because it's the internet, I have guarded what I've said, but I'm wondering if I need to be bolder. In light of all that, let me throw this out there: I just heard on the news that a majority of americans are appalled with Israel's attack in the Gaza Strip. I then went to the top Israeli news website to get their perspective. Very interesting. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/ Anyway, I wonder if I'll ever be forced to choose between supporting Israel and supporting the U.S. After the Precepts Bible study I did on the book of Revelation, I have a whole new perspective on God's chosen people and the covenant He has with them. These are things we need to think about and yet I get pretty caught in the comfy american life which leads me down a globally-oblivious path very quickly. Sometimes God's heart for the world overwhelms me and I am tempted be be mentally and emotionally paralyzed, but I will not be apathetic or worse; oblivious. But seeing what He sees brings me grief and a burden in my spirit that is so heavy I have to pray. Pray, pray, pray. That word drives me crazy sometimes. I think it's definitions are too numerous to count. When I say that being broken for the world pushes me down to prayer I mean laborious, lamenting, heartache prayer. But, it hurts my heart and I have been resisting "going there". It's much better to stay happy. That's a lie. Today I was very frustrated with Jackson because he would not complete his math assignment. I was ready to come unglued. (hope he will forgive me for posting about him without asking him first, but he's asleep already) The most frustrating aspect was his continual repetition of the phrase, "I will Mommy". So, as OFTEN happens, I see myself in this same scenario. I keep telling God that "I will" pray - but the assignment is set aside uncompleted. I want to change. I know He wants me to pray for His hurting world. I'm not sure what this blog will become, but it's time to be bold and it's time to reveal weaknesses and it's time to go to bed so I can get up and embrace His heart for His world.