I Lost A Student Today

Image source: planoallergydoctor.com

We were told last night that a young man from one of our past youth groups ended his own life last week.  He was a sharp college student in California with a promising basketball career.   When we were his youth pastors he was just beginning high school.

It hit Robin and I quite hard.  Our hearts go out to his family.  His parents were very loving and supportive, as were his siblings.  We have been praying for them a lot since we learned of the tragedy.

While we will never know just what he was truly struggling with, we do know that he was loved everywhere he went.  He was respectful, courteous and kind.  When we knew him he had a deep love for God, even though he was fairly shy.  Apparently he came out of his shell as he grew older.

It got me to thinking... youth pastors only have a few years with the students God sends them.  These students have real hopes and dreams, and have been created by God for a significant purpose.  Unfortunately they also bear all-too-real hurts, disappointments and pain.  Many carry hidden scars.

Sadly we sometimes get too busy to notice that the people around us are hurting.  When I was a youth pastor at a megachurch I was often so busy preparing to minister to students that I missed God-given opportunities to connect with them.  What's really dumb about this is that these same students were the very reason I was there in the first place.  How crazy is it to be too busy getting ready to invest in students, only to miss the face to face opportunity to do so?!?!

Israel Study Trip - Day 3

Today was another outstanding day. We focused on the Sea of Galilee.

Sermon on the Mount...
We started by visiting the Synagogue of Arbel, ruined since the 4th Century AD. From there you can see Mt. Hermon (still has snow on its peak), the highest point in Israel. And we talked about the Sermon on the Mount. A few high points:

Because an Israelite was to pray the 18 Prayers daily, which was difficult for a working man, each Rabbi would often give his people an abbreviated version. This is exactly what Jesus did

- "This is how you should pray: Our Father, which art in heaven..."
He starts off by establishing God as Father (the #1 way Jesus presented God was as a good father).
- He makes three requests, which can be summed up as: May Your name be glorified.

- Give us today our daily bread. This referred to the Manna, which required faith from the Israelites... they were only allowed to gather enough for one day. They were to trust that God would provide for them tomorrow as well. In other words, don't worry... that's what the people without God do. An Israeli sage said, "Whoever has bread in his basket and worries about tomorrow's food has no faith."

- Consider the flowers, which are here today and gone tomorrow. The flowers we saw today won't be herer in three weeks because the rains are finished. If God cares for them enough to clothe them in all this beauty, how much more will He care for us!

Chorazin...
One of three cities that Jesus cursed. What is interesting is that the Hebrew version of the interaction of Jesus with the Pharisees is incredibly different than that of what western believers understand. They see it more as an argument among family than a blood feud which is often depicted in western writings.

In Chorazin we also learned that when Jesus referred in Matthew 6 to "practicing your 'righteousness' before men", the word he used spoke of giving to the poor. This same word is used for giving to the poor today. He talked a lot about being generous with the less fortunate. It appears that He taught this was a way to love God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength.

Capernaum...
He we saw the probable ruins of Peter's house. Any time oral tradition preceded thy Byzantine Empire (4th Century), it is generally considered reliable by archaeologists.

The house that is considered Peter's was a large one with many rooms... actually, some houses form the same period had a central courtyard with over 100 rooms in them. This is what Jesus was referring to when he said to His disciples in John 14, "In my Father's house are many rooms." He was saying that heaven will be a communal place like these houses, with multiple generations and extended families under one roof.

It was also in Capernaum that Jesus met Levi (Matthew), who was sort of a toll & tax collector for this border town. Matthew walked away from his lucrative job in order to follow Jesus. Before he walked away, he threw a party so his friends could meet Jesus and understand why he was leaving everything. He wanted them to get to know Jesus.

Finally, it was at this very spot that jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. And that evening many from the surrounding area brought the sick to Him to heal them, and He did! He used miracles as a way to emphasize that God was near to them and that He was bringing redemption. Miracles still attest to God's "nearness", that Jesus is the Messiah, and that God wants to redeem us!

Israel Study Trip - Day 2

The Land...
Today was amazing! We started out learning about the land itself: "A Land Between". It lies between the former Mesopotamian & Phoenician empires. All traffic north - south had to pass through here. It was literally the crossroads of the known world of that time. The major International Coastal Highway passed through here, as did the Jezreel Valley, which connected this Highway to the rest of the country inland.

It was from this place that God wanted to make His Name and His mercy & grace known. And it was this very place that God sent Abraham... it was like a podium from which to proclaim His nature and goodness.

The land itself is as much a character in Bible stories as the people themselves. The Bible takes place in time and space and to get the greater story you must understand both the culture and the land.

God told Abraham's descendants, "I'll allow you to live at the crossroads as long as you represent Me correctly. If you will obey Me, you'll live here forever. If you disobey, I'll take you out of this land until you're ready to represent Me correctly."


Caesarea...
We then went to Caesarea. It was a city that Herod built in honor of the Romans who made him king of Judea. He even dedicated a temple here to Tiberius Caesar (while Tiberius was still alive). The only temple dedicated to a living Caesar. He built the 2nd largest port and the only all-weather port) in the Roman empire. And he built himself an amazing palace, along with a Hippodrome (horse racing), an amphitheater and a theater. Next to that stood the Crusader Fort, with a minaret from a former mosque inside. This place has so much history from so many periods!

Historically speaking it could have been the last stop on our tour. It was here that the angel appeared to Cornelius (Acts 10). Because of this the Gospel was first preached to the Gentiles... they received both the gift of salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. It was also from here that Paul sailed to Europe, never to return.

Mt. Carmel...
Next we went to Mt. Carmel, which overlooks the Jezreel Valley. What an awesome view! From there we were able to see the Nazarite Ridge (where Jesus grew up). Jesus wasn't some hick from the backwoods. The Jezreel Valley was only a few miles from one side to the other... and the world passed through here! Whoever controlled it controlled the world.

We could also see Mt. Tabor - the scene of Deborah's victory over Sisera (Judges 4), Mt. Moreh - where Elijah raised the Shunnamite's son from the dead (Judges 4), and Jesus raised the widow of Nain's son from the dead (Luke 7), and Mt. Gilboa - where King Saul & his sons died in battle, where Gideon separated his men at the Brook (), and where Jezebel was killed(2 Kings 9).

Here on Mt. Carmel Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal - the god of storms, high places and fire - to a duel for the hearts of the people. (1 Kings 18) Whichever god answered by fire was God. Of course they accepted. This was at the end of a 3 1/2 yr. famine.

Baal worship originated just north of here, and had been brought to Israel by Jezebel, the Phoenician princess that King Ahab married. He basically takes the fight to Baal's home court.
This mountain was easily seen for miles from 360 degrees. Basically, Elijah backs God into a corner. If God fails to come through, everyone will know it. If He does answer by fire, EVERYONE - even the surrounding nations - will see it!

You can read the story, but the high points are:

* The prophets of Baal built their altar, and started dancing around and "prophesying". Nothing happened.
* Elijah begins to talk some smack: "Maybe your God is going to the bathroom."
* Finally, he builds an altar and has them pour buckets of water on the sacrifice. Then he prays that God would answer by fire, and in doing so would turn the hearts of the people back to Him.
* Of course God comes through! And when the people turn back to Him, the rain returns. God always listens to repentant people!

Megiddo...
Finally, we checked out Megiddo. It controlled one of the major passes into the Jezreel Valley. You could see layer after layer of archaeology. Both King Ahab & King Solomon built huge stables here for their horses, in direct disobedience to God's command that the kings not accumulate horses and chariots (the technological cutting edge weapon of that day).

In both of these kingdoms, everything looked great on the outside. Financially and politically they were well-off. But moral decay from compromise and disobedience was eroding the foundations. both of these kingdoms crashed with the king's successor.

I guess my biggest takeaway from the day was this: Obedience will enable you to stay in the crossroads. If you don't keep your heart right, your actions will follow. Then it's just a matter of time until you crash and burn!

The call to be in the crossroads comes with a cost: obedience!

Seeking Closure

Those that have been involved in abusive relationships (whether physical, emotional or spiritual) often  have a lot of emotional baggage.  And many that have "survived" try to find some sort of closure.  It's a normal part of the grieving process.  Unfortunately, that's not always possible. 

Here's my story...

Early on in ministry I worked for a manipulative, controlling person.  This person "dispensed and withdrew acceptance" (to quote from Robert S. McGee's excellent book, The Search for Significance) as a way of controlling people.  If a person did what he wanted, he/she was lavished with love and acceptance... sometimes, even with praise, especially early on in the relationship.  But if he/she didn't do as expected, desired, etc, this minister made sure everyone knew that he was displeased, and the person was excluded from the "inner circle."

This minister even made it a point to use sermon illustrations that those in the inner circle knew were obviously directed at the "offender", but everyone else listening to the message would have no clue about.  He would make fun of them, talk demeaningly about them or gossip about them to other inner circle people, but never to the offender him-/herself.  But he made sure the offender found out about what was said.  And everyone else was afraid to cross this minister, for fear of being the target of his aggression.

Unfortunately, at one point Robin and I became the offenders.  We were instantly ousted from the inner circle.  It got to the point that when Robin would go up to talk with this minister's wife in public, she would literally turn her back on Robin and continue the conversation.  Childish, no?

Honestly, this is really nothing more than a spiritual version of the playground bully, using fear and intimidation as a weapon.

Thankfully, we moved on and took another ministry position and experienced what a healthy church looks like.

Over the years that followed, I tried to get closure by sending notes and emails.  I thanked this person for giving me a start in ministry, for taking a chance on me, etc.  No reply... nada, nothing, zilch.  I even tried going through the one friend I still had on staff in that organization to confirm that this minister received my message.  Still nothing.

Eventually my friend invited me to be a guest speaker at one of his youth services.  I expected this minister to come over afterward and at least say the obligatory hello.  Didn't happen.  He sent one of his inner circle people to relay the message that he and his wife were tired and wouldn't be coming

All I wanted was for him to acknowledge that I was okay... that I had done well for myself.  I didn't need an apology... just an acknowledgement that I existed.  It never happened.

Finally I understood what Robin had been telling me all along: I was seeking something I was never going to get.  The problem is that when you're dealing with manipulative, controlling and abusive people, you'll never get this closure you're looking for.  This is a way they can continue to punish you for not remaining in the abusive relationship.  And as long as you keep trying to find peace with this person, it remains a codependent relationship.

Sometimes the abusive person is so selfish it's as if they're not capable of give you the closure you so desire.  I'm not excusing what's been done to you... just trying to provide some perspective.

Continuing to seek closure from an abuser will cause you needless stress, heartache and pain... sometimes even health problems.  You are continuing to lay yourself out as a doormat for them to wipe their feet on.  It's as if you're giving them the remote control to your happiness.  I never want to give someone else that much control over my well-being.

I recently spoke with a friend that is dealing with this very thing.  This is what I told her:

Please understand that we want the best for you. But in order for you to go on mentally, emotionally and spiritually, you're going to have to let this go. You're seeking something that you're not going to get. I learned this the hard way myself. 

You don't need this person's approval/connection/whatever to live a happy, healthy life. If you want closure, you'll need to create that yourself.

If it's bothering you this much, maybe you should create some type of ceremony and officially let this go.  Maybe you could write what you feel on a piece of paper and then burn it as a way of offering it up to God. Then anytime those feelings about this come back, say, "No, I won't let those feelings control me anymore. I gave this over to God already."

I hope this post helps you in some way process some baggage you may have accumulated over the years.  I'd be interested in your comments.

Smash & Grab!

As you may already know, our church was broken into last Sunday night. The thief (or thieves) kicked in the office door and stole two guitars, two laptops, a bike, a camera and an iPod, and some other smaller items.

It has been quite frustrating trying to figure out how to do ministry without some of our basic equipment. We are working on getting replacements, loaners, new stuff, etc. And it's been an experience learning how law enforcement and insurance works in Germany.

We have decided this is a great time to obey God's Word. Jesus said,

“But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are cruel to you. - Luke 6:27-28

We have been praying that God bless and help those that did this. As we were doing so the other day, Robin felt as if God was using this situation to reach the people involved. It was as if there was no one praying for them. And although God didn't cause this to happen, He will use it to bring about good for everyone involved... especially since we're actively praying and inviting Him into the situation.

Actually, the first Scripture to come to my heart when I first learned of the break-in was written by the Apostle Paul...

I want you brothers and sisters to know that what has happened to me has helped to spread the Good News. - Philippians 1:12

We are excited to see the redemptive ending God will bring about as we continue to pray. God is good and is able to bring good out of bad things.

Stop Spamming My Blog!

I just confronted another blogger that thought the way to increase traffic to his website was to keep commenting: "You are invited to visit my blog" on our Perrin Family Blog.  This is an excerpt from what I emailed him...

While I understand that you would like me and our other readers to visit your blog, this is a guaranteed way to keep people away from your blog.  In a sense, it is a way of hijacking our blog and our readers, and this is not acceptable.  And our readers are the type that would never visit the blog of someone that posted such things, so it's actually counter-productive.  

The best way to get someone to visit your blog is to make comments that add value to the discussion... this generates interest in the author of the comment and what else they might have to say.  One way we have attracted new readers is by posting interesting comments on other blogs that pertain to the subject matter.  This communicates respect to both the author of the blog and to their readers.

These "Visit my blog" comments are unrequested and unwanted (read: SPAM) that I end up deleting each time.  Please refrain from commenting on this blog again unless you have an actual comment that adds value to the discussion...

If you desire to create an audience, you have to give them a reason to visit your blog (great content), and generate traffic based on personal relationships and thought-provoking comments on other blogs.  Seth Godin has some great thoughts about this on his Blog.  In one post he writes, "Anticipated, personal and relevant advertising always does better than unsolicited junk."  Absolutely true!

The inner voice

Last Sunday Robin lost her keys at the church building.  This is very bad because we have our vehicle, house and building keys on the same keychain.  We did a search of the building before we left to try to find them… no good.
Then I went back a couple more times during the week to look… still nothing.  I even did a thorough search of the building and grounds (even places Robin wouldn’t have gone)… STILL nothing!  All the while, we were praying and asking God to show us where they were.
We concluded that someone must have either stolen them or taken them accidentally.  But when we asked our team, no one had them.  NOW WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Last Sunday when I was first looking, I had this random thought to go through the trash and look for the keys.  But no one wants to do that… that’s just nasty!  If I felt this about looking under the refrigerator, or going through the kids room toys or something like that, no problem.  But going through the trash?  No thanks!
Robin often puts her keys on the coffee table in the church (while we’re cleaning up after the service), and there is a trash can at the end of the table with an open top.  At the end of the service we just wrap up the trash bag and toss it in the container.
It’s my son’s job to take the trash bags to the container and to put the container out on the curb for trash pickup on Monday morning.  Last Sunday he took the trash out to the container, but he forgot to take the container out to the curb.  I ended up having to buy two special garbage bags from the city to put the trash in so we would have room for this weeks’ trash.  I was pretty frustrated… such is life with a teenager in the house :-)
I still had this nagging thought to go through the trash (which wasn’t taken away last weekend) and look for the keys.  I was ready to give up looking last night when this thought came to me again… this time very strongly.
I went out and dug through the trash (YUCK!)… still nothing.  Then in the last trash bag I didn’t find anything.  But I felt I should just shake it up a bit more and feel around the bottom of the bag to see if I could feel anything even remotely resembling keys.  To my surprise (and joy), there they were!  They must have fallen off the table into the trash and no one noticed.
It was the Holy Spirit all the time trying to get my attention.  If I had just obeyed that voice the first time, it wouldn’t have been so time consuming or gross.  And by showing us where they were He saved us hundreds of Euros (car keys are expensive to replace because of the chip inside them).
We have to get better at hearing and obeying this “voice.”  God wants to lead and direct us, but we have to be open to the different ways He uses to accomplish this.
When you don’t know what to do, the best answer is to just get quiet and pray.  God is always speaking.  He wants to reveal Himself to us, and to answer our questions, whether it’s for lost keys or something much more important.  But we have to be in a position to hear.

Day #15,568

I just discovered from an online "Days Alive Calculator" that I'm now on day #15,568.  That's a lot of days!  Kinda makes you think about what your life stands for...

A common theme when I’m speaking to young people is “What do you want on your tombstone?” (And no, I don’t mean the pizza!)  What do you want your life to count for?  What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?  What legacy will you leave behind?

As for me, I want to have the same thing said about me that was said about David: “He served God’s purpose in his generation.” (Acts 13:36)  And I want those closest to me (my family) to think the most of me.  I want my wife and kids to have seen Jesus through my words and actions.  I want to leave a legacy of reckless obedience to the will of God.  And at my funeral I want them to honestly say that I loved people even as God does.

What do you want on your tombstone?

Love lovin You by jonperrin

Love lovin You by jonperrin

How to deal with disappointment

A friend of ours died a few weeks ago.  He was a fellow missionary living here in our area.  Actually, we had the privilege of helping his family get established here in Germany.  But it really got me thinking about how we react when things don't go the way we planned.

As I was praying for his family (wife and four girls) I was reminded of this verse...

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 NLT

Many church-goers know that this is in reference to what Paul called, "a thorn in his flesh," something the devil sent to make his life difficult.  We're never told exactly what this thorn is, or why he had to deal with it.  Some think this refers to a physical problem.  I believe it refers to the opposition he experienced in many cities.  Either way, things weren't as he would like.

Many times when things don't go the way we planned, we blame God... almost as if He has some sick sense of pleasure in our pain.  It can feel as if He's left us all alone, that He just doesn't care.  Many people speak of these verses that the Apostle Paul penned as proof that God wants us to suffer through some things.

I see it from a totally different angle.  In these verses I don't see a God that is uninterested or that leaves us alone to deal with our pain.  Rather, I see a God that gives us a special grace to deal with tough situations.

My friends, He is PRESENT in times of pain, disappointment and frustration (See Psalm 34, especially vs. 18).  He is actively involved -- although it may not seem like it.  And He provides us what we need to not just survive, but overcome such circumstances.

Bible translations

As the old saying goes, the best Bible translation is the one you'll read. I'm reading through the Bible cover to cover. This year I intend to finish my MESSAGE translation and move onto the New Century version. I find that reading in a new Bible and a new translation helps keep my devotional time fresh.

In addition to this, I'm working through a daily one-year Bible reading plan using the New Living Translation. I also read two daily devotionals... one on spiritual leadership and the other one on spiritual growth. And I'm always reading at least one book on the side.

Why is this so important? As a spiritual leader, this plan enables me to keep my edge. If I'm not growing spiritually (not just reading, but applying what I learn), then I have little (nothing) to offer those that look to me for leadership.

I'd be interested in hearing which translation is your favorite. And what advice do you have for others trying to keep their devotional lives fresh?

The Purpose of Christmas

I wrote an article entitled The Purpose of Christmas a few years ago... and thought you might enjoy it.  Here's a little teaser...

I gave in. What was I thinking? My wife asked (begged) me to go shopping with her on the day after Thanksgiving.  My answer?  Ok, sure.  What was I thinking?!?!  I hate shopping!  Even worse, I had agreed to go with her on the busiest shopping day of the year.  The only reason I can come up with is that if she went, I would be at home alone with all three kids ALL DAY LONG!  Oh well…
What I experienced last Friday was UGLY!  People were pushing, adults were fighting over toys & parking spaces (we saw two guys almost get in a fist fight over a parking space), and sales people were rude.  Honestly, it wasn’t all bad.  There were some people that seemed to have some perspective, but not many we ran into.
A bright spot in our day was when we were seated in a restaurant next to a new mom & her baby.  It just so happened that since our sitter was kind of young, we had our baby with us too.  She and Robin struck up a conversation and it wasn’t long before our conversation turned to spiritual things.  She was feeling guilty and alone (as an unwed mother).  We were able to share about Christ’s love and we invited her to visit our church.  It was a total God-ordained appointment.
Anyway, the whole consumer-driven, commercialized theme of the holiday shopping rush always seems to frustrate me.  I keep asking myself, “Don’t they get it?”  I mean… do they really think that’s what Christmas is all about?  If we look at the Christmas story from its original source, the Bible, we can determine the true meaning of Christmas.  Let’s look at it.  There are two biblical accounts to look at, Matthew 1:18-2:19 and Luke 1:5-2:40.

To read it online, click here.

I'm home!!!

My USA fundraising trip was crazy, but amazing! In three weeks I traveled a little over 17,500 miles, counting 14 flights. I spoke in 15 services and did 3 leadership training sessions. The coolest part was that I was able to pray with four students to give their hearts to Christ.

Now I'm back home and trying to ease back into the Central European Time Zone. It hasn't been pretty so far, but sometimes that's the way it goes. I have one week of down time with my family before heading to Frankfurt (Oder), Germany for four days to do evangelistic school and street outreach, as well as leadership training and a service for the host church. For an updated ministry schedule, check out our website: www.perrinministries.org.

I wanted to thank all of you that supported this trip with your finances and prayers. We continue to be amazed at our partners and friends... You're helping us change the spiritual landscape of a planet!

Missions thoughts from Robin (part 4)

One of my concerns before we moved to Germany was that maybe this wasn’t God’s will after all. Maybe all this trouble was a big mistake. Deep inside you really know, but there will be questions here and there. Brother Hagin always said that it’s possible to have faith in your heart and doubts in your head. But I think it’s better to go ahead and follow what you think is God’s will and fail, than to never try.

Some people think that it is really too big of a step to take a family overseas to live. (that is why so few ever take the chance) But that’s why it is so rewarding to do what we do. We took a leap of faith and now are able to watch God work in ways that we never would have known. I think in many ways that it is really more of a leap of faith to NOT follow the will of God. With Him, you know that it will all work out.

Just continue doing what you were doing in your city… but do it in another country.

 

PS. Freetranslation.com is a godsend!

Missions thoughts from Robin (part 3)

No matter where you are on the earth, in God’s will is the safest place to be. With the political uncertainties that are going on right now in the country you're headed to, it’s important to know that God is in control. We came over here two weeks after 9/11 and things were very uncertain. But, when we got here we knew that this was the right place.

Missions thoughts from Robin (part 2)

Remember the call of God. Write down what He is telling you to do. When the times get tough -- and they will -- you can look at what God said and it will keep you there. There are some extremely lonely times on the mission field. Times where you are in the middle of many people and feel completely alone.

I remember a time when I was at a hardware store and couldn’t figure out how to ask for a concrete screw so I could hang a picture on the wall. I just started crying in the middle of the aisle. Then, I had a good laugh. Many times were frustrating just trying to decipher the bills and the kids' homework. But they all add up to a wonderful and challenging experience that I wish everyone could have.

Missions thoughts from Robin (part 1)

Some friends of ours are leaving in a few weeks for the mission field.  Robin wrote this for them and I thought it was good advice for anyone interested in being a missionary.

I am so glad that you are obeying God and taking this challenge. We are praying for you and your children! I was thinking about what I wished other people would have told me before I left for the mission field and what advice I did receive that has helped over the years.

The first part of the journey is all so quick and exciting that even the frustrating parts are fun. It’s amazing to watch the children learn and adapt to their new environment. Learn from them. They are watching you to see if this new place is okay. As I read about others’ experiences on the field, I am so convinced that the difference between a bad and good experience for the children is the attitude of the parents.

I think one of my biggest challenges is to keep positive about the cultural differences that bug me. Patsy Cameneti once told me that if we continually talk about all the things that we don’t like about the mission field it frustrates the grace of God on our lives.

I am so proud to be an American. There are so many freedoms that you will give up to serve in another country. Many Europeans that I have met long to live in America. Even if they don’t really understand the politics …they understand that America equates with freedom. Because of that, many will be excited to get to know you. They want to know more about you and God will use this as an opportunity to lead them to Him. On the other hand, some people will not like you just because you are an outsider. Their long time prejudices will come out in strange and hurtful ways. This is an even greater chance to show the love of God. Your neighbors will be watching you. (When we meet people in our village, they usually tell us all about our family.)

Those we leave behind

I was reading a blog from some of our dear friends that are moving to Russia to become missionaries for a season. It brought back some memories I had completely forgotten.

I can still remember the “OH MY GOD!!!” feelings as we were preparing to leave. It seems as if there’s not enough time to do what needs to be done. And then there’s all the people that don’t want you to go, etc. Our friend wrote about her concern for those they are leaving behind.

In actuality, the very best thing you can do for those you leave behind is to model what a sold-out life looks like. It’s one thing to tell people that Jesus is our Lord… it’s an entirely different thing to actually live it out in our daily lives.

I finally made peace with the feeling of leaving people behind by understanding that our lives are constantly in motion. And we move in and out of the lives of others, as they do in ours. Some relationships are with people that are simply passing through, while others are permanent… and they leave a permanent mark on us.

As we obey what God calls us to do, we position those we leave behind to understand God’s greatness and His grace. I say “position them” because it’s entirely up to them how they choose to react to change. If they react correctly, their hunger to find God’s plan for their lives will grow. And then the Plan of God moves forward... All because we've decided to trust God enough to obey Him.

Insights from moving

The moving process is often so surreal. You find all these things that you saved or filed for one reason or another. It's amazing how much of this is stuff (read: junk) accumulates on our shelves, in our drawers and on our desks.

Most of the papers, magazines, letters, etc. were filed away because they had value of some sort. Now, in some cases many years later, we look at them and think, "I don't even know why I saved this."

And then there's all the trinkets, cables, connectors, parts to various toys, electronics and office stuff that serve no purpose because either the devices or toys are now dead, given away or thrown away.

It's a true parallel to our lives. We accumulate so much stuff... hurts, disappointments, broken dreams and pain, which lead to unforgiveness and bitterness.

Every now and then we need to reflect on our lives, and the things we've accumulated (emotional baggage). Ps. 139:23-24 is a prayer asking God to reveal the things we've accumulated that will hinder us from becoming who He's created us to be. It's a prayer God will answer. And then He'll help us to work on what we discover.

Tact

As I said before, we found a house in southern Germany and will be moving there next week. But while we were down there looking at houses, we stayed for a week in a vacation apt that was owned by a sweet older farming couple.

They let the girls help them gather eggs from the henhouse and pick cherries. They even gave us over $15 worth of cherries from their trees. She took us to show us their orchards, he showed me the "Still" he had in his barn, which he uses for making Schnapps (see picture, right), and took the kids on a tractor ride for Ashton's birthday (don't worry Granddad, you won't be replaced!)... they even helped us look through the want ads for houses.

We really enjoyed talking with them (only in German!). On one of the last days we were there, I mentioned how beautiful one of the roadside crosses was. She said it was an old German custom to bless the roads by building a roadside shrine.

Then she shared how she was confused by the last couple they met (Christians) whose children were going to the same school ours will attend. This lady had told her of how Germans shouldn't have these crosses everywhere. To paraphrase this lady's own words, "Jesus is not on the Cross anymore, so why should we make all these shrines."

I shared with our host that the lady was probably only trying to point out that she would rather celebrate the resurrection, and not just the death of Jesus Christ. This seemed to make sense to our host, and it opened up a short opportunity to share about how the Cross brought us forgiveness of sins. This happened because we invested in a relationship with them, and were willing to accept them for who they are.

It's important to always use tact when seeking to communicate spiritual truth to a lost person. Paul exemplified the use of tact in Acts 17:16-31... we should do the same!