Author: LAH

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Giving Thanks

Once again Thanksgiving has come and gone. This year was lovely… relaxed (we went to our daughter’s and son-in-law’s house, so I got a break from doing all the cooking and cleaning), quiet (there were only five of us), and fun (I love playing Apples to Apples!).

Previous years haven’t been quite so idyllic. There was the turkey still frozen inside, and others fit for offering at Solomon’s temple. We’ve grimaced through crunchy sweet potatoes, and gravy with more lumps than tapioca.

I’ve learned to handle traditions with kid gloves. One year I tried offering fresh green beans with prosciutto, caramelized onions, and sautéed mushrooms… only to find that my husband’s family had to have green bean casserole. Another year, the crispy green salad I made (with lots of seasonal goodies mixed in) sat and wilted while my sister-in-law’s jello disappeared. My delicious homemade whole wheat buns have been voted out in favor of Pillsbury’s crescent rolls.

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Come Back Soon!

[To our recent house guests: I wrote this before you arrived! Really! We loved having you. Please come back soon!]

We live in Colorado Springs, tourist mecca and home of a zillion non-profits. We’re empty nesters, with two spare bedrooms. Put those together, and it’s easy to see why we’re the top “hotel” choice for many of our ministry friends.

Mind you, we love having visitors. We get to see old friends who live out of town, and we’ve made numerous new friends by offering a room to people we don’t yet know. Paul admonishes believers to practice hospitality (maybe because we need practice to get it right), and we find it a joy and a blessing.

However…

Not all house guests are created equal. We’ve had guests so wonderful that we cried when they had to leave. We have also entertained Guest-zilla—you probably have too. Here’s a few suggestions on how to behave so that “Come back soon!” accompanies your departure.

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What Do You Want to Know?

Have you ever wondered about such conundrums, but despaired of ever learning the answer? Well, despair no more. Cecil Adams will use his superior intelligence and amazing talents of investigation, and tell you “The Straight Dope.”

Think of a snopes.com with a somewhat sarcastic, but very funny, twist, and you have Adams’ blog. With the byline, “Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 (it’s taking longer than we thought),” you know it’s got to be worth your time.

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Weird Relations

The holidays are coming, and with them, the relatives.

For most of the year, we get to choose the people we hang out with. My close friends are my friends for a reason. I admire them, enjoy their company, trust them with my struggles and celebrate their successes. Usually, they meet a need in my own life—I have birding friends, gardening friends, “deep topics” friends and friends who provide an unending source of encouragement.

Relatives, on the other hand, just… are.

Sure, we pick our spouses. Parents, siblings, and extended family, on the other hand, we are stuck with. They just sort of come with the territory. We may enjoy some of these relations, but every family has at least one weird aunt, uncle, parent, whatever.

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Here We Go Again

“Well, that’s the last paycheck for now!”

My husband handed me the deposit paperwork and smiled at me. “I’m excited. I wonder what God is going to do this time!”

Excited?

Yup, and actually, I am too. If I’ve learned anything over the last many years, it’s that God is faithful.

Being in full-time ministry, we have a very concrete understanding of the term, “non-profit.” If people ask, we usually say we’re “home-based missionaries on support.” Actually, our ministry pays Pete a salary… but only if there’s money in the account. Right now, the account is empty. Again.

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Unreached Peoples

You may have noticed my new little widget on the sidebar here. It shows a photo of an “Unreached People of the Day” along with a few facts to inform your prayers. If you click on the photo, the link takes you to the Joshua Project website, where you can learn more. Joshua Project is a ministry that seeks to highlight the ethnic peoples of the world with the fewest followers of Jesus.

When Pete and I talk about missions,  we are often asked about the phrase unreached peoples. “What do you mean, unreached? My neighbor here is unreached. He never goes to church. I don’t need to go anywhere—there are plenty of unreached people right here in my city.”

This type of confusion is what happens when mission researchers (who can be rather geeky at times) interact with the general public.

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Old-Fashioned Sauerbraten

With cold weather upon us, it’s time for some hearty main dishes that can stoke those internal fires. This German version of pot roast will warm your insides, guaranteed.

We really like this recipe! I make it for Grandpa Holzmann when he comes to visit. In fact, we have several friends who ask for this whenever they come to stay with us. It makes a great company meal. You can use a cheaper cut of beef, and most of the work is done ahead of time so you can enjoy your guests. The hardest part is finding room in the refrigerator to marinate the meat for several days.

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Operation World, a Prayer Almanac

Last week I wrote about how prayer is the first thing we should think about when faced with a world in need of a Savior. Then the obvious next question is, what should we pray for?

The Bible gives us some great suggestions…

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matt. 9:37-38)

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you….” (Matt. 5:44)

“I urge… that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim. 2:1-3)

ow2010-bookThere is another resource that helps us know exactly how to pray for the world. Operation World is a prayer almanac. It lists every country on earth, along with the kind of information we need to target our prayers effectively: What are the dominant religions? How many believers are there in this country? What people groups live there? What about their politics, economy, education? What specific issues should we pray for? Continue reading →

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Pray and Do Not Lose Heart

I was reading the news yesterday morning when I stumbled across a story about two Somali girls , aged 15 and 16, who were dragged off the street, accused by radical Muslim rebels of being spies, prohibited from seeing their families, and then—in shock and in tears—publicly executed.

I can’t get their deaths out of my mind.

Maybe it’s because we have two girls, who used to be teenagers. I see their faces superimposed on the CNN photographs.

Maybe it’s because it’s such a horrific story. So senseless. So evil.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been praying for God to break my heart for the lost and the hungry and the hurting.

There’s nothing I can do to help those two teens. I don’t know if they knew God or not. Had they ever had a chance to learn about Jesus?

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Get Radical

radical-book-coverAre you happy with your life? Are you blessed? Are you pursuing the American Dream of a good job, a nice family, and a home filled with everything you need, and a bit more beside?

Even with the economy the way it is, most of us still hope that things will improve in the future—that we’ll someday be able to have that house-with-the-picket-fence and all the trimmings.

We love to read verses such as “The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and He adds no trouble to it” (Proverbs 10:22) and, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We hear sermons about verses like this; we repeat them to others. As God’s children, we delight in the truth that they apply to us.

But what about some other verses…

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