I’ve been cleaning out some old files lately. In the process, I came across some letters we sent to supporters back in 1995. One contained this little story that Pete told about a lesson he learned during his six week trip to South Korea (for a global conference on world evangelization). Re-reading it made me laugh all over again. I hope you enjoy it too.
Author: LAH
“Do This In Remembrance of Me”
Communion. It’s one of the few rites that Christians around the world share… remembering the death of Jesus for our sins.
I still remember my very first communion. I was 18, a college freshman, and I’d been a believer for less than three weeks. Every quarter, our campus Christian fellowship gathered the Friday evening before finals week to share bread and wine together. As ignorant as I was, I understood that this was an important occasion, a time for introspection, repentance, and gratitude.
Compost!
“Sweetie, you threw away your apple core again! And [gasp!] there’s a banana peel in the trash!” My long-suffering husband had once again run afoul of the compost fanatic in our household—me.
As my family can attest, I’m pretty rabid about recycling. Plus, I love to garden. Add those together and it’s no surprise that we have a compost pile. In fact, until recently I had a worm bin in the pantry. It was so convenient to dump my kitchen trimmings in with the wrigglers and let them convert wilted lettuce and carrot peelings into worm castings. (Pete did not like having worms in the kitchen but he was incredibly patient with my enthusiasm.)
Not only am I keeping plant waste out of the landfill, recent research from Colorado State University’s soil lab concluded that homemade compost is the best soil amendment. They tested 40 commercially bagged products on the market, and homemade compost surpassed all of them. Plus, it’s free!
Happy Earth Day, God
Maybe it’s because Earth Day is this weekend. Maybe it’s just that I’ve added some new friends on Facebook (one of whom posted this card). But lately, I’ve noticed a trend—Christians are under attack for their lack of involvement in the environmental movement. For the most part, I think we deserve it.
I know there are Christian environmental organizations (Google “creation care” sometime), and they’re working hard and making a difference. I wonder, though—why aren’t there more? Why don’t we hear about them? Why doesn’t anyone care?
What Does the Lord Require of You?
I don’t have a purpose-driven life.
Yes, I know God made me. And I know He has a wonderful plan for my life. It’s just that He has never shared that plan with me.
I’ve written on this topic before. I’m revisiting today because I have suddenly realized that it no longer bothers me.
Pete and I are currently attending a staff retreat for the mission group we’re associated with. It’s a wonderful time of connecting with the 45 or so associates who form Paraclete, a group of experienced missionaries and professionals who come alongside various churches and mission organizations. In some cases, both spouses are “associates” of Paraclete. In our case, I’m the spouse of an associate.
Good Deeds: Medical Mission
A couple of missionaries in Cambodia wanted to do something to encourage the church they had planted, give them more credibility in their community, and provide opportunities for evangelism. Seeing the health needs around them, they decided to bring a team of doctors and nurses from the United States to serve the Cambodians.
The medical team arrived, and everything when according to plan. They visited Cambodian families in their homes, treated their medical needs, and shared the Gospel. May responded, accepting Jesus and agreeing to come to church.
I’m sure the Americans went home and gave a glowing report about the great work God had done in Cambodia.
However…
Risen Bread for the Risen Lord
There is one time of year that I make a point of baking bread… and not any bread will do. Given that we’re celebrating resurrection this Sunday, I like to make a yeast bread. It too shall rise!
Our traditional Easter bread is the Finnish cardamom loaf Pete’s family always made. It’s very good, and I posted the recipe last year.
However, we have a son-in-law who loves honey, almond flavoring, and coconut, so I went hunting for another bread to make in his honor. These Honey Almond Buns are amazing. Totally decadent. Too bad he lives so far away—and the buns do not ship well (you need to eat them warm from the oven!). On the other hand, that means there are more for us.
Amazing God, Amazing Friends
God is so amazing!
I hope you know how incredible He is. Let me tell you what He just did for us.
On March 23 I mentioned that we had no money to pay the end-of-month bills. That’s because we haven’t received a paycheck since the end of January. This happens pretty regularly, especially lately. In this economy, supporting a ministry is low on most people’s priority list—after essentials like food, shelter, and taxes. We used to have an emergency fund, but after six years of erratic income, that’s gone. That’s all right—God is faithful. He’s also creative.
So, the end of the month was coming, and I had enough money to pay the credit card bill (food, fuel, some utilities, medical bills, and the like) or the mortgage—but not both. After years of practice, I don’t often stress over situations like this. I get excited. God’s going to come through, and it’s going to be awesome!
Fifth Friday Fotos
When Pete and I were on our New Year’s road trip a few months ago, we decided to go home from New Orleans by way of Arkansas. It was a new state for us—my 46th, in fact—and we were curious. What was it like?
I realize we weren’t there at the best time of year—the trees had long lost their colorful fall foliage and spring buds were months away. Still, we drove through the Ozarks (those are mountains?), and came across this cemetery out in the middle of nowhere.
With Easter just around the corner, this reminder of death and resurrection seems timely. Besides, have you ever seen a cemetery like this?
What I Gave Up For Lent
In the last few years, at least among those I know, there seems to be a renewed interest in the liturgical calendar and various spiritual practices, and observing Lent is once again on the radar screen. Several friends have asked me what I gave up for Lent, not to assess my spiritual maturity, but rather to get some ideas for their own observance. With no standard practice, we are pretty much open to anything—meat, TV, Facebook… whatever.
Last year I “fasted” from computer games. While I don’t think I’m addicted, I was surprised at how strong the urge was to play just a few rounds of solitaire, maybe to unwind, maybe to stay distracted while waiting for something. But I managed to resist temptation and instead used the time to read my Bible and pray. What a good idea!
This year I had in mind to do something similar, but Ash Wednesday came and went and I did nothing about it. I’m sure I can come up with a list of excuses if you email me and ask.
Compost 