Monday Musings

Good & Bad. Tammy and the kids are away enjoying some time together at the beach.  This is really good for the kids, I think, to spend some time with Tammy before they get “shipped off” for two weeks while we’re away on the missions trip.  I miss them all terribly.  On the other hand, I can get a lot of what is left to get done and prepare for being gone for two weeks without the guilty feelings for not being home and with them.

Baseball & Fireworks. Took a few from the MS group to the Camden RiverSharks game Saturday night.  What a great venue for a ball game.  After the game, a nice fireworks display.  What beats a beautiful night that includes baseball, fireworks, some great students and having your son there, too?

Blessed. I just mentioned the ball game and the fact that I brought Dean along since we had extra tickets.  God keeps showing me just how blessed we are.  To see a couple of our middle school guys take Dean under their wing and make him feel a part of stuff was so cool.  To see Austin take Dean’s hand and walk with him down to the field so they could run the bases after the game was just too much.  So cool.  We are so blessed.

Blessed, Part 2. Thursday night some friends (and partners in ministry) took us out to dinner to celebrate out 15 years here at AUC.  Amazing.  Absolutely incredible dinner and even better company and friendship and conversation.  Have I mentioned how blessed we are?

Blessed, Part 3. Last night after LIFT went to dinner with another good friend who I’m also privileged to do ministry with.  Another great time where the fellowship was even better than the food.  So blessed.  I’m beginning to sense that maybe we’re really, really blessed.

Blessed, Part 4. OK, this one starts with headache.  Got my motorcycle back from the mechanic on Wednesday.  Rear tired repaired, inspected, oil change – all completed.  Put about 40 miles on it Wednesday and Thursday, about 20 of those with Tammy.  Friday, Dean had a “show” up at camp at the Haverford School.  Tammy and I met up there sicne she was going to hang out after the show and I needed to get back.  I took the bike.  After the show, I’m getting ready to leave, start the bike and notice oil flowing from the filter area.  It’s leaking way to quick to try and get it home.  Tammy drives me back to the church and then she calls the towing company to come pick it up and bring it back to my mechanic.  Around 5:30 she calls me to tell me the truck is there and that the guy drops the bike putting it on the truck.  I’m thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding me?!”  I head down to Frank’s and wait there with Frankie for the truck to get there with my dropped bike.  After inspecting it, the “only” damage was one of the mirrors being snapped off (Only is in quotes because a it’s about $200 to replace the mirrors with the integrated turn signals).  Frank fixes the oil leak which turns out to be the seem in the filter that split.  We talk about the mirror and he asks me if I know a good machinist.  I tell him, that as a matter of fact, I do.  Yesterday I ask Dan Hegman if he thinks he could fix the mirror.  This morning at about 9:00 I got a txt message saying that the mirror was fixed and ready to go.  The word “blessed” comes to mind again!

Can’t Wait. I can’t get out of my mind what God might have in store for the team headed to Peru a week from today!  I’m baffled by the “route” God took us to get us headed in this direction.  After all the work planning and preparing to go to Honduras only to have to change directions two weeks before the trip – what does God have in store for us?  I can’t wait to see!!!

Very Funny

Are You Hungry?

As the mission trip for the high school has been cancelled and redirected, I am just finding the available time to blog my thoughts from my devotionsg every day.  ”Are You Hungry?” will return in September after the mission trip and vacation are over.

Monday Musings

Honduras ‘09 Peru ‘09. Mark Twain once said that the only people who like change are wet babies.  One of the things we always pound into every team going on a mission trip, but I never expected we’d have to be this flexible.  As things have heated up in Honduras, and appear to be getting even hotter in the near future, we have had to pull the plug on our Honduras Mission Trip which we are scheduled to leave for in just 12 days.  As this reality was becoming more and more clear, we prayed and looked for a potential “Plan B.”  In miraculous fashion, as only God can pull off, ministry in Peru with some good friends and missionaries from our church appears to be a change of direction that we can make rather quickly.  So, if all works out with airfare and other costs, we’re heading a bit further south in 12 days – to Peru!  can’t wait to see what God has in store for us that it took changing things like this to make it all happen!!!

Anniversary. My brother, Matt, and his wife, Amy celebrated their one year wedding anniversary yesterday!  very excited for them

Camp. The kids are off at camp this week.  We are so blessed.  They go with no expense to us because my brothers Chris and Nick work for ESF.  I think next year Dean is headed to The Phillies Baseball Academy instead of daycamp.

SSSS & Reverb. Both youth weeks were fantastic.  Good times.

Are You Hungry? | Monday, July 6, 2009

Isaiah 56

God has always had as part of His plan, the redemption of all people.  In Isaiah 56 we see God accepting those that are not a part of Israel, as long as they worship Him and serve Him and love Him.  The same is true today.  That is why evangelism and missions is so important.  God is after the hearts of everyone not currently loving, serving and worshipping Him.  He is pursuing them with the deep desire to see them turn and love, worship and serve Him.

Are You Hungry? | Friday, July 3, 2009

Isaiah 55:11-13

As Isaiah wraps up this chapter, God’s words are full of life and celebration.  He says, “You will go out with joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”  Why will this be?  Because God will deliver.  Because He keeps His promises and His word.  And because of that, we can celebrate!  And we celebrate as we give God glory.  Verse 13 says, “This will be for the LORD’s renown.”  It is all about God.

Thursday Thots

I’ve loved this quote by Soren Kierkegaard which I read several years ago.  Think about this statement.  Ponder it.  There is great truth in it.

The Bible is very easy to understand.  But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers.  We pretend to be unable to undertstand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obligated to act accordingly.

Are You Hungry? | Thursday, July 2, 2009

Isaiah 55:10-11

God states His promise to us that His words never return empty.  When He promises something, those promises will be kept.  There is power behind His words.  That is something in which we can take great comfort.

HS Beach Trip

Are You Hungry? | Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Isaiah 55:8-9

As I sit and watch the news surrounding Honduras and it’s potential impact on our high school’s missions trip there in two and a half weeks, as well as the impact on missionaries there like Wes & Cindy and their family, I am reminded and encouraged by the words found here in Isaiah 55:8-9…

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.

⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.