via maggie

"every one of us is called upon, probably many times, to start a new life. a frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, loss of a job...and onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. to be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another- that is surely the basic instinct...crying out: high tide! time to move out into the glorious debris. time to take this life for what it is."

-barbara kingsolver, high tide in tucson

divine mercy

"We know Jesus has saved our lives from divine judgement. Think of it, Christ has taken all of your filth and my filth, all of your evil wicked thoughts and my evil wicked thoughts, he has taken every single one of them and he has put them on his son instead of us. Jesus has taken the punishment due every single one of our sins upon himself he has delivered us from divine judgement. And not only that, not only deliverance, he has freed us. We don't have to go back to our sin like we see over and over again in the book of Judges. We are free from sin, free to walk in victory over sin, not to go back to that from which we have been saved from. So what shall we do then? Shall we sit back with that news? Jesus has saved us from divine judgement. Shall we sit back with that news and just soak it in while we turn a deaf ear to millions upon millions of people who have never heard that? Absolutely not. We are not saved to soak it in, we are saved to spend our lives to proclaim divine mercy. That is what we do. We give ourselves, we give our lives, we give our family, we give our time, we give our money, we give everything we have: our very lives, making this mercy known to the ends of the earth. That is the only response to the one true God."

-sermon Depravity & Deliverance, David Platt

david platt

"The most dangerous place for you to be may be right in the center of God's will."

"God rid us of the idea that that which is the most comfortable and the easiest to accomplish must be the will of God."

"Success in the Church is about the unstoppable uncontrollable Spirit of God, and the people of God, advancing the gospel of God to the ends of the earth."

memory

A few days ago we were listening to Ravi Zacharias speak and he raised a question in reference to worship. That question being: "What kind of memories are you building with your life?", and as answers begin to flood through your mind, do those memories prompt you to worship?

waiting

"There is a love that's expressed in waiting. There is a trust expressed in waiting.

Love doesn't always know what's coming around the corner; love doesn't always know exactly why this particular thing is happening, but love trusts, love is patient to wait."

.David Platt

what saying yes means

around 7:45 p.m., the pilot's muffled voice came rushing through the speakers asking us to buckle our seat belts and prepare for landing. all i could think was, "am i really here?". but before the question even had time to repeat itself over in my head, this familiar stirring in my soul welled up all over again. my mind began to race through

moments of assurance and confirmation over the last 8 months. i think the first little reality check was seeing the first sign in view as we stepped into the terminal which read, "welcome to hong kong". we were greeted by the most amazing team on the planet. and of course they were accompanied by bright yellow posters.

it's here, and i'm sustained by peace that passes all understanding.

"He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy,

carrying sheaves with him"

.psalm 126:6

before venturing out into the city, Katie read from a book that has a little encouragement for each day of the year. today's (august 25th) could not have been more perfect. it was titled "what saying yes means" and the verse above was the verse for the day. God has been so evident in the details of this journey for our team individually and collectively; and this passage today was just another tangible example of how intimately involved he is in our everyday. my first day here in hk was no exception. we were encouraged by the stories of a local professor and student; learned how to use our octopus card on the mtr & bus; given incredible insight by a new friend named Sam; exposed to the bustling streets of mong kok; enjoyed pizza at new town plaza; and laughed alongside great friends. i absolutely love it here and as the process of adjusting to living life on the other side of the world has started, i am learning what it means to lean fully into his strength and provision.

here is my first day in hk, snapshot form:

[matt, april, jason, scott, cat, katie, maik: thank you for all you have done/are doing to make this transition easier. thank you for teaching me new things and planning ahead for me. thank you for praying for me. thank you for loving me well. i'm honored to serve alongside you]

MacArthur on grace

"Grace doesn't push sinners against their wills toward Christ; it draws them willingly to Him- by first opening their hearts. It enables them to see their sin for what it is and empowers them to despise what they formerly loved. It also equips them to see Christ for who He truly is. Someone whose heart has been opened like that will inevitably find Christ Himself irresistible. That is precisely the meaning of the expression "irresistible grace". That is how God draws sinners to Himself. "

memory

"What would it look like for imagination to overtake memory in your life?"

I came across this question while reading through Wild Goose Chase. My thoughts have been accompanied by this question a lot over the past few days. I heard a sermon not too long ago about memory and it's importance in our lives. I think it necessary to address the obvious to a degree: memory is a God given gift. Memory enables us to learn, to retain truth, to recall, to reflect, to reminisce, (to do lots of things that begin with 'r' for me apparently...) the list extends and adapts to each individual. But I think there is a point when my memory can thwart my imagination; rendering me incapable of moving forward. How often have I looked back on what was and try to plan out what is going to be instead of just letting God stir my imagination. Apart from the Lord, I am most certainly an invalid source for what will happen in the future. I would merely be making assumptions based on my circumstances. Those assumptions could only be made from memories, memories that can conger up experiences when I was hurt and even times when things went really well. The bottom line being: my reliance upon my own memory leaves room for assumptions of every kind to form. I think assumptions are the product of a lack of trust; and left unattended their roots are left only to grow. Then when the bottom falls out and I am searching for my foundation, it scares me to think that the roots of assumption have had any opportunity to lay over truth and dress themselves as part of my belief. I know I don't have it all figured out, but so far I do know that I want to be surrendered and in tune with the leading of the Holy Spirit. May I never be the blockade hindering progression. I'm ready to let Him dream through every facet of me.

day 8

[day 8] why I miss tsumagoi

Around 6:30 on our last day my friend Charlotte and I got up early to take pictures. A quiet fog had crept in over night and settled over the ground to greet us. My favorite place by our hotel was this little chapel. I am not really sure why I loved it so much, but we passed it every time we walked to our classroom and I didn't mind when the kids wanted to linger and stare out the window because I did too. It is a simple little while chapel, a quaint bell tower and this beautiful dark gray stone walk way that leads up to it. I might have stood under the bell tower for a while that morning, just staring up. After our photo shoot Charlotte and I joined the team for breakfast and headed straight to our rooms to greet the kids smiling faces.

Our last day with the kids we had so much fun. It was a great day, but I felt like the kids knew something was really different that day. My little buddy, Arata followed close to me all day and cried for the first time all week. When more of the kids started to get upset Mrs. Janice thought that it would be a good idea to have nap time, I agreed. Our kids normally didn't take naps so we had to 'trick' them into nap time. We got all our pillows in a semi-circle and played Simon Says. Mrs. Janice would say "Simon-says, 'Sit on your pillow', Simon says, 'Lay down', Simon says, 'Pretend like your asleep.'" I know it sounds kind of lame, but it worked, perhaps too well. Ms. Malorie might have fallen asleep with the kids that day- I know, falling asleep on the job, really responsible, but Mrs. Janice was awake no worries. She decided to tell that story to all of our team members, and I kindly reminded her each time that I was just following directions. After we had nap time we played with play-dough for a while then went to practice for the program that night. All of the classes put on a small program for the parents, since pre-schoolers have a short attention span on a good day, we decided to do something simple. When we asked what song they would like to sing they all resounded, in unison, "Jesus loves me!!". Do they know the words? Yes, well some of them anyway. A couple observations: the two kids that loved to sing this song were almost silent when they were on stage and Timothy (who likes to stick things up his nose) he would randomly shout words that he remembered. Despite the seemingly scattered performance of our class, I loved to see their faces light up as they sang, I can't help but think that God was so delighted to hear their small voices singing/shouting this song.

Here's a video of our practice from that afternoon:

[after watching this you'll understand why I miss them so much]

The program that night went so well and it ended with a couple named Tom and Karol who talked about their 25 years on the field in Japan. She had the most gentile spirit, but she was bold when she spoke of the gospel. She absolutely loves the Japanese and it was just so neat to hear how the Lord continued to show her favor as she walked in obedience. As they spoke about their experiences and about each other I cried almost the whole time; wishing that I could remember every word and memory they shared, but I really loved just hearing about their marriage and how they loved each other out of the overflow of the Lord's love in them. These are the little notes I scribbled down when I got back to my room about Tom and Karol:

• always giving more
• true radicals
• in tune with the Spirit
• prayer warriors
• Godly marriage
• gentle words

One thing I will always remember Karol saying is that "it's for eternity that we serve." I am deeply compelled by that thought. To be in constant recognition that it's for eternity that I live and breathe. I could talk about that statement for a long time, but I hope it encourages you too. Here are some snapshots of our last day in Tsumagoi:

day 7

I'm sorry I've been so bad about posting a day-by-day of my trip, but this week it is on my "things to do" list so hopefully I will have shared all 10 days by Friday.

[day 7] A-Z

Our last small group meeting started like all the previous days before, we read from Matthew asked some foundational questions, prayed and sang together. We had divided into 2 groups, women and men, each morning before we prayed and while we were still in our groups Ben gave us each a sheet of paper and wanted us to think of a single word of praise in English for each letter of the alphabet. It was so precious to listen to the women in my group say Japanese and Korean words then smile at themselves when they realized they were speaking their native tongue. Then as we came back together Myoung-Seok was sharing about how praise to God is absent in our lives when we are disconnected from him. She paused, looked down at her Bible and then a smile began to peek from the corners of her mouth and she said, "Antennas never be folded." Translation: We should always be ready to hear from him because when we are in tune with the Spirit how could praise cease to flow from our lives? It was one of my favorite moments of the whole trip.

Needless to say our day with the kids was hilarious again. Arata and I played "parking garage" for 2 hours straight. Yep, we drove the cars into the parking garage [aka: blocks in a square] and backed them out in an orderly fashion. Over and over. Sometimes things would get a little crazy and the cars would go in backwards. He had a story to go along with all his cars. He would talk to me about where they were coming from or where they needed to go. It was great. Arata was the child I bonded with the most throughout the week. One thing we both share: we like for things to be in order. I always considered myself a pretty organized person till I met my buddy Arata, he likes everything organized, from cars to fruit snacks. Here's some photo evidence:

For lunch that day we had a little surprise from Ms. Sharon in the form of a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries. I honestly can't tell you the last time that I ate a McDonald's cheeseburger but I enjoyed the little taste of home. It's kind of sad that greasy burgers remind me of America, but it did.

The rest of the day went really well. I was going through my ABCs almost all day.

thoughts from Clive Staples Lewis

The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not.

It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.

things teachers say...

"Good intentions are not the same as effectiveness."

nashville and escalators

a few things i loved about nashville:

• a quote from a semi-cheesy class: "Imagination is dangerous because it can be a catalyst for us to dream and do things outside ourselves."
• wearing boots is always acceptable; actually you should probably own two pairs
• music on the street corners
• NHL plays there
• small town feeling in the middle of a big city
• seeing the need and wanting to be part of the change that is happening there

trying to find somewhere 'nashville-ish' to eat breakfast, but completely abandoning that mission at the sight of the "hot doughnut" sign in front of Krispy Kreme.

the golden leaves have all fallen: making room for christmas lights.

a plate nailed to the faux shelves at san antonio taco company the broken escalator in the conference center that reminded me of truth my heart needed to hear.[disclaimer: this may seem obvious and lame to some of you, but regardless i learned something walking up the escalator] i've heard people talk about the humor in frustration with broken escalators, because a broken escalator is merely a set of stairs. it leads you to the same place, doesn't cause a serious detour that takes way longer; it just causes you to use some muscle instead of gliding to your destination. so, as i approached the "stairs" i realized that i've been that person that becomes confused when the "escalator stops moving". in other words, there are times when my life seems to stop, or change suddenly & i've stopped moving instead of continuing to move forward. in the midst of that, the Lord still asks me to move forward, to use the simple lessons i've learned like: how to walk, to have faith that He is before me, to draw strength from Him, to seek His guidance and understanding; and to continue to move forward. yes, the escalator has stopped, but there is still a way. yes, it's different, but i'm not left without direction. yes, it may take effort. yes, i may be tired. yes, He is still enough. yes, His voice is still just as clear.

Nashville.

i'm currently in nashville at a conference. i have lots of thoughts/observations to come from this adventure, but for now i just wanted to share something that i heard tonight from one of the worship leaders. she said "in our failures, God gains access to the depths of us, he exposes us to our need for him and we learn what it is to love." [kendall payne]

truth for today

[From Breaking Free by Beth Moore] Love isn't just something God does; love is something He is.