Question for the VP

This past summer, Steve Sellers, VP for the Americas for Campus Crusade fielded questions for staff. We had open mics plus he fielded some that were emailed in advance or texted to him. I emailed one that didn't make the cut for that night. But he answered it on our staff website a week ago. I didn't see it but two people told me about it so I found it in the archives. I have to say I like Steve's answer. It's almost like I tossed him a softball.

Here's how it was on our website...

Question
Andy McCullough of the Great Plains Regional Office asks:
"What do you feel is the greatest organizational barrier to seeing movements built everywhere? And how are we as an organization willing to make the changes necessary to remove that barrier?"

Answer
The greatest organizational barrier we currently have is that we still have a mentality that movement building is related to what we as staff members do as opposed to how we equip and raise up volunteers for ministry.

We can never get to Movements Everywhere just by adding more staff members or by increasing the burden of what they are expected to do. We need to change our paradigms and begin thinking differently.

We will get to Movements Everywhere only when we understand our role to raise up a generation of volunteers who may not work with Campus Crusade for Christ, who we are not in charge of and many of whom we won't even know. They will be people we are willing to partner with and to resource so that they can "be that person who truly follows Jesus."

We'll provide perspective, training and tools both directly and indirectly, and then they will build movements according to their unique motivation and gifting. It may not look like a Campus Crusade movement but it will connect the lost to Jesus, provide for life changing discipleship, produce multiplying laborers and generate its own local resources.

When those four elements are in place, we've done what God has called us to do whether or not that movement is connected to Campus Crusade. All the while we will continue to do ministry and build movements as Campus Crusade. But just hunkering down with people we know and have direct influence over will not get the job done.

Yesterday's Snow

Built a tiny fort to hold off the Big Kids in the Neighborhood but not the Bailey's. Was going to be a snowman but the snow was too powdery.

Uptown Erie Cafe

Last night we loaded up the family and went with my sister and parents to downtown Erie. (Took two cars.) We can see Erie from our back window but this was downtown Erie.

The first time I ever went to Erie was almost 10 years ago to help my boss Donny Wilcox coach his girls softball team. Uncle Wally and Ken (my current boss) were his normal assistant coaches but unavailable that day. I just remember that several roads downtown were not even paved.

But now Erie has become a bedroom community of Denver with large developments like the one we see from our backyard. Of course several back-up to the dump and have no trees whatsoever so we were not tempted to buy in Erie.

But we went to old town Erie to eat. Like Lafayette and Louisville, its an old mining town and has numerous 100 year old homes. We were going to go to the Colorado Coal Company Steakhouse. (It's CCC so it has to be good.) But as I drove up I saw next door was the Uptown Erie Cafe and thought, "I'd rather go here" so did everyone else. Good choice!

For locales I highly recommend this place! It's not like you might think of a diner in an old mining town. The service and food were excellent. (The first helped in that we were the only ones there other than a few folks enjoying happy hour.) Speaking of Happy Hour, appetizers were only a $1 from 5-6 pm. We eat around that time with small kids and my folks eat at that time because... well they are older.

Last night was "Kids eat for $1" night. I had the Salmon and it and the veggies were quite tasty. My dad had a burger which was huge. Other nights they have 'All you can eat catfish' or other specials. I think Robin and I will be back.

Standing and Shepherding their Flock - Dan and Krista

Berlin glitters with a festive Advent season. Concerts, arts and crafts, carefully decorated booths and sweet delicacies put everyone in the Christmas spirit. Among the more that 50 Christmas markets in Berlin, we find Dan and Krista Trepod. (Dan’s not a fan of the mulled wine.)

The Trepod’s are leading a STINT team of six pioneering the campus ministry in Berlin. There were once a thriving campus ministry for decades of campus ministry but this is no longer true today. Berlin is known today as a 'wasteland for missionaries'. Speaking of this moniker Krista says, “One thing I know for sure is that each member of our team would be a LOT slower to say ‘Germany is such hard soil.’ Actually, we have not found that to be true. Almost daily we get into conversations where people are genuinely searching and asking questions and thinking deeply.

Krista writes, "We share our faith pretty much daily on campus and in the Mensa. We have had the opportunity of sharing the gospel more than 125 times in the first three months in Berlin. Our team is currently meeting on a regular basis with 6+ believers and 30+ non-believers. We've launched a women's bible study, and have had 4 parties where we invite all of our friends. Most recently we had a Christmas cookie baking and eating party where 20 people came (15 of which were nonbelievers) and all heard the 'true meaning of Christmas.' "

"It has been very encouraging", Krista says. "We all love it here. We love Berlin and each other and doing ministry in such an influential city and country! It is not a wasteland."

The town that experienced the first festive advent season was Bethlehem. (At least festive to Mary, Joseph, some certain poor shepherds and later some guys bearing strange gifts.) One of those minor prophets Micah foretold of the birth of a ruler in small Bethlehem Ephrathah. Of this ruler, this Messiah, this babe Micah wrote, “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.”

Jesus stands and shepherds us, his flock. He shepherds in the strength of the Lord and in the majesty of his name.

The strength of the Lord. Jesus was conceived when the power of the Holy Spirit came over His mother. Power, Dunamis in Greek the root of words like dynamite. Yet this glorious event was not of a destructive power, it was a power of life - a God becoming man life. This same power the Father used to raise Christ from the dead. This same life-giving power dwells in you and me as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. This is the power that enables us to shepherd as Jesus does. Without the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing.

The majesty of His name. The angel told Joseph that God’s son was to be called Jesus because He would save His people. Jesus means ‘the Lord saves’ or ‘the One who saves’. He would also be called Immanuel, “God with us”. It is because He is the God that saves that He can be God with us. We are entrusted to shepherd His flock and we are given the majesty of His name. At this name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord; this name is a promise of His abiding presence in a harvest field and not a wasteland.

“Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago. ‘As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders.’ Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their power… they will turn in fear to the LORD our God.” - Micah 7:14-17

Home for the Holidays

Today our church didn't something new. Maybe it was because we have a Christmas Eve service tomorrow night. Anyway, I liked it and hope we continue.

Instead of having a service at the church building, we met homes based on where we live. There were Cornerstone gatherings in about dozen homes across Boulder County. We called it "Home for the Holidays".

We went to the home of Brad and Markie Anderson here in Lafayette. Markie had decorated her home like something out of a magazine. It was amazing. We all brought brunch items and ate together. I made my famous grits casserole. Brad led us in carols and I did the devotion. It was the same outline everyone used at other gatherings. It was fun. I met a number of families I didn't know before and got to know a few more better than I had.

Fun morning!

The Story of a Life

Yesterday I picked up the complimentary copy of the Lafayette News that is thrown on our driveway each week. My favorite sections are the Police Blotter and the Obituaries, which they call each "The Story of a Life". These sections are shared by the Louisville News, Lafayette News, Erie Review and the Superior Observer. So you get the full report of Crime and Death in East Boulder County.

I found out an old neighbor of ours had passed away. His name was Mark McWilliams. When Robin and I first were married we lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Louisville. It was an interesting place to live. The train came right by the Christopher Village apartment complex. We got used to it but if you were on the phone as it passed the other person would inevitably ask, "Is that train coming right through your house?" We had no a/c, mice and a landlord who made promises he never kept. And we had a neighbor below us named Mark.

We heard Mark the first night. He was yelling in a gruff voice, "My way! You are gonna do it my way!" Robin wondered if it was dad yelling to his son. I thought perhaps he was practicing for a play. After meeting him we realized he was disabled and had either dementia or schizophrenia.

I wasn't far off because it was like having a theatre below us as he played out scenes in his head. We learned from our absentee landlord that Mark imagined himself as being the security for Christopher Village, often reporting crimes and suspicious behavior. If when I came home from the office and he was sitting out on his garden level porch, he would look me over to make sure I belonged there and knew he was watching my every move. Sometimes he was "Mark" and we would talk about how the Rockies were doing or the bad weather we were having.

When 'role-playing', his favorite phrases were: "You're not a cop, I'm a cop" which we imagined he had heard several times before. He would also warn about the dog races in Boulder and how crooked they were. I wasn't planning to go to any dog races and didn't know Boulder had a track but appreciated the tip nonetheless. Sometimes he would yell in the middle of the night but after a while we got used to him. It was just background noise like the train. We even forgot to warn a friend, Allyson, who stayed over one night. I don't think she slept at all wondering if a stray bullet would come through the ceiling.

We moved in December 2001 but every once in a while I would see Mark walking around Louisville or waiting for a bus in front of the Wal-Mart in Lafayette. I'd say "Hi, Mark" and offer him a ride from time to time but he would just look at me suspiciously so I knew he was on duty and would just drive on.

Mark, may you rest in peace.

Family for Christmas

I think I am finally over my jet-lag. I was tired at 6 pm again but able to stay up later and sleep til 6 am.

My parents arrive tomorrow. They haven't seen the grand kids since the first of March. And they haven't seen our home yet.

We are still w/o full electricity in the lower level where they will stay so should be interesting. I called an electrician last week but he hasn't returned my call. Basically we had some crazy wiring as a previous owner finished this garden level. One light never went off unless you toggled it between one and off. I tried to fix it last Spring and on first pass I couldn't get it to ever go off./ Then I 'refixed' it and it stopped working. It's been on the 'to-do' list for months but we either were not around or short on finances and it got pushed aside. Also it fits in the 'I am embarrased I can't fix this' category.

We really don't think about it until someone comes to stay with us. The lights in the spare bedroom, bathroom and laundry room work but the lights in the 'family room' and hallway don't. (Neither does the porch light and hall entry light.) The kids only paly done there in the day and we still are w/o partial carpeting after the flood in May. But we need to get it done.

I guess I either need to call the electrician back or put down a long extension cord and lamp. Don't want my parents tripping in the dark.

Leaders after God's Own Heart - Sarah and Dan

S and D are serving in a Namestan location. This is S's first year as a Team Leader and D's second. "The Lord has consistently provided opportunities to share with students", D writes. "I have even occasionally been surprised at how 'easy' it has been to share Christ with students in a natural and relevant way. Ozzy is one student I meet with regularly. Ozzy knew our team last year and when I was able to reconnect with him this year he was in a place of brokenness having just been betrayed by his best friend and girlfriend. He told me that he felt very stupid, very lonely and hopeless. Ozzy listened as I shared that true acceptance and true freedom from our mistakes is found in Christ. Since then we have been able to discuss the Gospel several more times. Slowly he is understanding that the Gospel is about what God does for us, not what we do for Him. Though he is not ready to accept the Gospel for himself, he knows he needs to investigate who Jesus is because the opportunity to hear from Christians is rare here."

In their city where S and D lead are also ICS. D says, "One of the unexpected blessings of serving in my city has been the chance to know the long-term staff here. While we do most of our ministry by ourselves as a STINT team we get to spend time meeting, praying, and socializing with the long-term couples and families. This is not only great because is provides a social outlet but it also enable us to experience life with some slightly older and more experienced people. I have especially been blessed by the chance to get to know older men who are married and have children. Through talking with them and watching them lead and love their families I have learned a lot about the challenges and joys of marriage and family. It is an unexpected blessing."

Speaking of family, this morning, I read the story of David and Goliath to my boys acting out with a real slingshot and all. (If you haven't figured out yet, I Samuel is my December Book of the Month.) It helps that they know the story from Dave and Giant Pickle.

David is called a Man after God's own Heart. God sought after this type of leader since Saul was such a disappointment. You know the deal when in chapter 16 God sends Samuel to view Jesse's boys and look through sons 1-7 and none of them where the one. After seeing the first strappin' young buck, God tells Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

God doesn't examine the way we do - He looks at the heart. God seeks after leaders who have his heart. What does the heart of this type of leader look like? *

A heart that loves the Lord (Dt 6:5; Luke 10:27)
A heart fully committed to the Lord (I Kings 8:61)
A heart that rejoices in His Salvation (Ps 13:5)
A glad heart (Ps 16:9)
A trusting heart (Ps 28:7; Pr 3:5)
A pure heart (Ps 51:10; Matt 5:8)
A broken and contrite heart (Ps 51:17)
A steadfast heart (Ps 57:7)
A heart that confess sin (Ps 66:18)
An undivided heart (Ps 86:11)
An upright heart (Ps 97:11)
A heart with the Lord's word hidden in it (Ps 119:11)
A guarded heart (Pr 4:23)
A cheerful heart (Pr 17:22)
A wise heart (Ecc 8:5)
A heart that seeks God (Jer 29:13)
A compassionate heart for the lost (Matt 9:36)
An untroubled heart (Jn 14:1)
A circumcised heart (Rom 2:29)
A believing heart (Rom 10:10)
A heart where Christ dwells through faith (Eph 3:17)
A heart that makes music (Eph 5:19)
A heart set on things above (Col 3:1)
A heart soft to the Lord (Heb 3:8)
A sincere heart (Heb 10:22)
A heart that loves others deeply (1 Pet 1:22)
A heart that has set apart Christ as Lord (1 Pete 3:15)

May we have a renewed heart for the One Born in the City of David this Christmas!

* These are taken from a post I did two years ago about my dad who is a leader who has a heart after God's own heart.

SHERPAs before the Lord - K and M

K and M are ready for Christmas in Asia. K writes, “This is a very busy season as we are having lots of Christmas parties for all of our friends at the five different campuses we are at. It is a great chance for our team to work together so that many students can hear the gospel. We are finding that even though this season is difficult because we are missing our families and traditions, it is more exciting than it has ever been back in America, getting to share the true meaning of Christmas with so many! It is definitely the most meaningful Christmas season I have ever had! So we are very blessed to have this opportunity and also that we have an amazing team to labor and to laugh with. Sometimes we think, this can’t really be a job, it's just too much fun. I guess we will all just have to come back for another year...”

Last month K got the chance to visit some of the springs which their city is famous for with a group of seven students from Management, one of the smaller campuses they are on. (These springs are the most famous in Asia... perhaps the world.) K says, "It was cool because a few days earlier I was able to share my testimony and the gospel with all eight girls in their room! One girl, Jane, was especially interested and told me that she used to have a bible until her parents took it away… I had a great time at the springs with these beautiful girls and was able to build deeper relationships with them. This month I hope to start an investigative bible study with them. I am praying that God will move in each of their hearts and give them the grace to know Him, and be in them a “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:19).

I just got back from South Africa and it made me think of M. Back at Copper, we compared notes of our first mission trips that both happened to be in Kenya. Our mouths watered as we recalled some Kenyan dishes. (M, I ate something similar to ugali last week.) M went to Kenya as a SHERPA (acronym I created for Servant-hearted Enthusiastic Reliable Personal Assistant) for this pastor. When I was in Kenya, M was less than 2 years old.

Speaking of being less than 2 years old and a SHERPA, let's look again at Samuel but earlier when he first comes on the scene. His mother Hannah desperately prayed for the Lord to remember her and give her a son. She made a vow that she would give her son to serve the Lord all his life. So once she weans little Sammy she takes him to Eli to serve in the tabernacle. She prays a prayer that includes this which I found myself praying this past week... "(The Lord) raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord's; upon them he has set the world."

So here's little Sammy who can barely walk if all and probably speaks gibberish being the littlest SHERPA before the Lord. Sometime after he learned to talk and went by the more formal Samuel, God speaks to him in the night. You know this story from Sunday School so I don't need to tell it. But look closely at the final call found in I Samuel 3:

Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' "So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."

God showed up and spoke to him. This chapter starts by saying that 'in those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.' Maybe the word was rare because few listened. Eli sure didn't in fact that seems to be why God wakes up Samuel.

"Speak for your servant is listening." All his life this was Samuel's posture. He invited God to speak to him. He listened. He obeyed. Obedience was big to him. Think of what he told Saul. Samuel was a man who knew that to be a leader, he first needed to be a SHERPA. He needed to be someone who knew who the real King was and that he was His servant.

May this be our posture. Maybe God wants to wake us up and tell us something. Maybe He has something big for us to believe him for. Maybe He wants us to display His glory in a way or to people we haven't even thought of.

Tonight as Eli told Samuel... "Go lie down (in the 'temple of the LORD', where the ark of God is) and if He calls you say 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' "

Pics to Previous Posts

I got around to uploading some pics and thought I'd match a few to some recent posts...

Christmas Tree

Good News to the Poor - Erika

A Great Day

Out of Africa

Out of Africa

Back from Africa. We arrived early this morning in DC and then flew back to Denver. As we were boarding in Jo'berg, a couple was standing in front of me and the husband was wearing a "Lafayette Colorado Fire and Rescue T-Shirt". Turns out they live less than a mile away and I caught a ride back from the airport with them.

Jack, Drew and Luke all were excited to see me. No kisses from Jack but no silent treatment or 'the cold shoulder' either. I think Luke was almost excited to see me as he was to see what I brought him.

Here's a few thoughts from the last few days...

1. The safari was fun but long.
2. Johannesburg (Jo-berg) feels more dangerous than Pretoria. Probably because the whole downtown area has been taken over by Nigerian drug lords.
3. I could see families living in Pretoria even though it has high crime too but can't imagine living in Jo-berg.
4. Not sure which would be more unsafe... downtown Jo-berg at night or standing outside a van with lions around.
5. Soweto is overwhelming. (We visited a museum of the Soweto uprisings . Maybe 5 million people live in this township with incredible poverty.)
6. I went down the only street in the world where two Noble Peace Prize winners lived - Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela - and even more incredibly that its in Soweto.
7. I really like Natan who is the Coordinator of the Campus ministry for CCC in all of South and East Africa (23 nations). We met with him Monday morning.
8. I saw more movies on the plane rides than I have all year.
9. I probably ate more meat one night at "Carnivore" than I have all year. And stuff I will never eat again... zebra, kudu, crocodile, warthog. The warthog and the zebra were not that bad. But the croc kept wanting to come up for next two days.
10. I will miss my traveling companions. Seemed strange to say 'goodbye' at the airport.
11. I am glad to be with my family.

A Great Day

What a great day. We had the Christmas party at the township for the kids this afternoon. While we were waiting for the program to begin, we just spend time playing and loving on these kids. It brought joy to them just to be touched and loved.

Oh you can't imagine how patient these kids where waiting fr their hot dogs and then names to be called out for gifts. Then they waited until everyone got a gift before they opened them. And they were so appreciative of such small little gifts. it will be all the Christmas they receive this year. We are so incredibly blessed. What an incredible privilege to be able to bless others who have nothing.

Then we got back into town and got on the University of Pretoria campus. It's an incredibly beautiful campus with old buildings and tree-lined streets. There where hardly any students around but the two we met were believers. We got asked them about the spiritual climate on campus.

Tonight at out hostel we had a briii - which is like a South African BBQ. Great food and fun times. Tomorrow - a safari.

The only un-great thing about the day is I called home and Robin is stuck with sick little boys. Drew has an ear infection and Jack may not be far behind. I call home to crying the background every time.

Good News to the Poor

Today I met a woman who lives to being good news to the poor, to bring hope to the destitute, to bring justice to the oppressed.

I must say I am very humbled by Erika who runs this development center where we will be tomorrow. It is in a township where everyone is very poor and many do not have jobs. They are blacks from many different tribes and have no real community. I was mistaken thinking it was just a center for kids. She has a whole vision of bringing hope to the neighborhood. She has job training for whatever they need. If it is computer skills they need, she and her staff train them in that. She has trained women how to sew or even do nails to gain a livelihood. Her husband is planning to train men how to make bricks.

And there's the kids...

She said last July when our team was here there were maybe 60. Now there are over 100. She trains them, helps them with homework, feeds them, loves on them, and bring Christ to them. Today we went with Erika and her 15 yr old son, Francois, to two toy stores to buy gifts for these 100+ kids and then to the development center to wrap them and put name tags on them. Tomorrow we will have the joy of giving them these gifts.

I don't remember if I wrote this before or not but we are able to pay for these gifts because college students gave money. At the Rocky Mountain Getaway, the fall conference for Colorado schools, the students gave $1500 to buy gifts. And then one student said he would match it and did. So not only do we have enough money to buy these presents for kids who would have nothing this Christmas, we are going to be able to give Erika more money so she can buy school uniforms or supplies or computers, whatever she needs to continue ministering to these people. One vision she has is offering counseling for these kids who have no parents and for the girls are often recruited into prostitution because they see no hope.

May they know the hope found in Christ this Christmas!

Trip to South Africa

Early tommorrow morning I fly to South Africa for 10 days. I am traveling with 12 others - all of the local leaders of Colorado schools save 2 moms, one new staff, and two students who are planning to STINT a year from now.

I will leave home somewhere around 5:30 am to catch a bus to DIA in order to check-in around 6:30. So when boys awake I will be gone. Our first flight leaves Denver around 8:30 am and we have a 2 hour lay-over in Dulles. Then we fly to Johannesburg for 15+ hours. Oh joy!

The first day after we arrive, we will host a Christmas party for some orphans. In the mroning we will buy gifts for 80 or so kids whose parents have died of the AIDs epidemic. They don't even live in an orphanage just in tin shacks on their own. This lady runs a development center for them where she feeds them, clothes them and basically shares the love of Jesus. (The pic is of our project last summer while they were at the development center. Two of the folks traveling with me - Bekah and Amanda - are in the pic.)

We will try get on the Unviersity of Pretoria campus but school's on a holiday and my contact is out of the country. He was supposed to set up a tour for us. Just hoping he did because I can't reach him to confirm it. We have a party planned for some students one night too. Later on our trip we will meet with some of our South African leadership to formalize a partnership. We plan to send a project this summer and teams until the work is done.

While we are not going as tourists. We also will take some time to do some cool stuff like go on a safari and see Soweto.

Should be a memorable trip. My mother-in-law, Carolyn, is coming out to help Robin for part of the time I am gone. If they stay busy the boys may not even notice I am gone.

Raising Their Ebenezer - Jimmy and Meagan

Jimmy and Meagan are celebrating.

Meagan explains, “(Psalm 34:3) has become one of my favorite verses in the bible as it reminds me of my purpose – to glorify God in all I do and to exalt His name forever! I love this verse because it casts a general emotion of celebration. Many times in the Bible, God calls His people to celebrate, yet I believe this is a command we tend to forget. We get so caught up in our daily lives that we often don’t stop to celebrate all of who God is and what He has done in our lives. I love that twice it (this verse) mentions togetherness in celebration. What a beautiful invitation to come celebrate the glory of the Lord with another brother or sister in Christ.”

Last January when Jimmy and Meagan launched in Geelong, Australia (suburb of Melbourne), they only knew their team of 8. As they near the end of their first STINT year, they gathered students last month to have a little celebration of the Lord. Meagan says, “It was incredible to see around 30 people gathered to celebrate the glory of God and the great harvest He has brought in this year. In Geelong, we have seen 38 decisions to trust Christ as their Savior. We also celebrated the favor of God as we have seen 3 movements launched, with 3 more campus movements primed and ready to begin in February. This year we have gotten to meet with about 20 students on a regular basis and encourage them in their walks with God and disciple them to follow after the example of Jesus.”

Megan - along with Jimmy of course - will fly back to US on the 10th and then return with a new STINT team in January. She says, “Overall (this celebration) was just a tremendous evening. I left joyful and thankful beyond words for all God had done in and through us this year. In the end, it’s not about exalting our names or the name of Campus Crusade for Christ – for we are sinful and unworthy. It is about glorifying and exalting the name of the King of Kings, the one worthy of all honor, praise, and glory – God.

The Sunday before last, Autumn Film led worship at our church. One song Tifah led us in was that old Christian hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. When we got home, Robin asked me what an “Ebenezer” and “fetter” was. Being the Bible-Answer-Man for my family, I nailed the “fetter” and came close on “Ebenezer”. I had to look it up to get the full reference.

In 1 Samuel 7, the people of Israel are in a desperation situation. (When are they not?) A generation earlier, the Philistines captured the ark of God. Eli – who had fatten himself on the priestly tithe – and his corrupt, exploiting sons died. But, it didn’t take long for the Philistines to decide that the Ark of God was nothing to trifle with as their god kept bowing to it and they were stricken with plagues. So they sent it on its way. Not sure why those Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark didn't read this passage.

Now 20 years later, Israel was mourning and seeking the Lord. Samuel, all grown up and now their team leader, told them to rid themselves of the foreign gods, commit themselves to the LORD and serve Him only. Samuel, whose words never fell to the ground, prophesied that if they did this, God would deliver them out of the hand of the Philistines.

So they did. They came together, fasted and confessed. The Philistines being Philistines decided, “Hey, this is a good time to attack”. Defenseless and sacred, the Israelites told Samuel: "Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us." While Samuel did this, the Philistines drew lines to attack. But God thundered from heaven. It threw them into panic and the Israelites routed them.

God thundered from heaven. Must have been some thunder and a display of His power and glory! In response, Samuel took a big stone stuck it in the ground and called it Ebenezer – a stone of help. It was a celebration. It was a visual reminder that God’s word is sure and that if they repented and cried out to Him that He could and would deliver them.

I wonder if they really had remembered if they wouldn’t be so fearless again when they faced the taunting Giant Philistine Champion only a few years later. God once again would route their enemies when a small shepherd boy would believe God and raise a well-placed Ebenezer.

As you near the end of your Fall (or year, if like the Williams’ you launched in January), throw a party! Glorify the Lord and exalt His name together. Celebrate… and raise your Ebenezer!

Christmas Tree

Yesterday we bought a tree. Originally just Luke was going to go with me but Jack wanted to go. And since Jack wanted to go Drew did too. So Robin joined and we loaded up the whole family.

Now you would think living in Colorado we would just go out into the wild and cut down or own tree but instead we decided to buy one already cut. the local high school baseball team was selling trees for their booster club. our next door neighbor as well as the son of one of my co-worker plays for Centaurus High so we thought we would support the local team.

It was quick. We found the one we wanted and the coach was nice enough to trim the bottom for us and some players helped me tie it down to the roof of our minivan. We rode home with our Noble Fir tree shipped straight from Oregon and commenced to decorating it.

Last year we didn't have a tree because we figured Jack and Drew were too young to control their little grabby hands. We did pull out this small little fake one that was no bigger than them but it scared Drew.

So this year we decorate it. It was fun pulling out ornaments that I haven't seen in two years. Some we have never used. But alas we still can't keep the pairs of grabby little boy hands. I guess they think they are just toys. I am looking at our tree and after a little more than 24 hours all it has are lights and a few ornaments too high to reach.