drop in visit..

it's really no fun when you don't have occasional drop in visits. so we brought one to you..

greetings from an independent little girl in an independence day dress. she is having a picnic if you were wondering.

what this photo doesn't capture is her mommy running around the yard with her camera, talking to her husband on the phone, coaxing a little white dog back into the house with a treat.

we try to do school. henri tries.

i think noah's trying. not sure about that.

note the number of books (&coffee) at the table and lack of children.

you have to use the potty? don't be frightened by the sectapus. he's friendly. unless you try to take his legs.

the backyard.. yes we still have the Christmas tree.. complete with dress shoes and duct tape.

oliver takes a brief break to send his love. yes.. this is a necessary part of kindergarten. im not sure that he would get out of his jammies for a real visit, but he will share his games.. happy monday!

a question worth answering..

I have been asked this question more than once the past year or so:

Why would you go on "missions" trips when there are so many needs here in America?

In all honestly and immaturity, most of the time this question surfaces, I've wanted to roll around on the ground, kicking my legs in a tantrum until they just leave me alone. Not because I didn't want to answer, but because often I have felt like they didn't want my answer.

So here you have it. It's the long and short of my heart -messed up with a whole bunch of stuff God has been revealing to me in Perspectives.

WHY?..
There was this man- we will just call him Abe. Abe was blessed by God. The reason that he was blessed was that he in turn would be a blessing to the nations of the world.. & that they would worship God.
There was Isaac, there was Jake. Jake became Israel, Israel became a great multitude, and wham, God blessed Israel- so that Israel would be a blessing.. to the nations, cause God's heart is that He would receive worship from every nation..
That is God's plan; that in the end a multitude will be worshiping from every tribe and nation.
Then it was God-Israel-Nations.
WHY was Israel blessed; God blessed Israel so that it would be a light to the nations. God's plan is for All peoples.. to worship Him.

So then there was Jesus. Jesus was a lead character in the gospels, along with the Pharisees. The third set of characters are the disciples caught in the middle.. sorting things out.
The Pharisees had it mental; they forgot their bless-er.
& they thought were special, that those pork eating uncircumcised bad bad people couldn't be in on the "God plan."
and Jesus did things all backwards and not according to their expectations.
So God skipped over "Israel" and replaced it with the "church"
So now it's something like
God-Church-Nations
God blesses His church so that it can be a light to the nations, &.. all Worship Him.

I know it's kinda scrappy wrote. But go & look for yourself.. look for His glory through the nations. from the promise to Abe in Genesis woven through to Rev 7:9..

I love America. I love my family & I love Panera. I love my bed. I love my friends. Did I mention that I love Panera?
The church in America has been blessed, but what happens when we no longer are a blessing to the nations? When we forget our bless-er, simply maintaining our blessing? What happened in the old testament with Israel or the Pharisees?

How often do we act in fear and question the above in our own lack of action in America or elsewhere?

Our speaker tonight was great, the class is awesome, he wrapped it up with this illustration:
If you are a Mormon in America & you graduate from college & go home to tell your parents that you are heading out on a mission for the next two years, their response is typically, "you bet you are."

If you are a Christan in America & you graduate from college & go home to tell your parents that you are heading out on a mission for the next two years, their response tends to fall more like, "you need to start paying off your debt, building a portfolio, you won't be home for the holidays.."

God's plan isn't:
God- Me.
or
God-Church.
or
God-America.
It is still
God-Church-Nations.
He blesses His Church so that the nations would be blessed and know Him, and that worship Him.

His heart is for all nations; whether ours is or not.

I am blessed, but not for me, anymore than Abe's blessing was for himself.
It's not my story to own.

So many times my vision has been jacked.. and I have to keep realigned it with His. I believe that here & there God is seeking true worshipers.
I would love to hear your thoughts & your "perspectives"- really.. no tantrums...

& here's a joke for you..
what do you get when you have an agnostic, dyslexic, insomniac?
A man who can't sleep all night wondering if there really is a "dog?"

ok.ok. i'll let you go...