World

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Summer Reading with a Purpose

Are you interested in missions? Do you enjoy reading biographies? Reading about the lives of famous and not-so-famous people who gave their lives to reaching the unreached can be educational, inspiring, and entertaining. Here are some suggestions to get you (and your kids) started.

torches of joyTorches of Joy, by John Dekker. Pete and I know John Dekker—he served with Pete at a local mission ministry here in Colorado. It’s hard to believe this quiet, unassuming man and his family spent years living in the jungles of Irian Jaya. The Dani tribe was still living at a stone-age level when the Dekkers arrived to bring them the gospel. Today, they’re full of joy, and eagerly send missionaries to the other tribes around them. This book is a page turner! And in case you’re wondering, yes, noted novelist Ted Dekker is John and Helen’s son.

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Make Your Trip Count

I’m going to be honest—I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time to write a post for today. Between numerous field trips to photograph bugs, flowers, and birds, a good friend’s birthday party, and an overnight babysitting one of my granddaughters, I haven’t sat down in days. Today I have a choice: write a post or clean the house. I really need to clean the house!

Now you have my list of excuses, but I’m not going to leave you high and dry. My sister-in-law sent me a link to an article in Leadership Journal that I want to share with you. Many of us go overseas on short-term mission trips, often involving orphans, work projects, or both. Yet, how often do we hear about our trip from the perspective of the children we go to visit?

This article was written by a Kenyan AIDS orphan who was on the receiving end of dozens of American mission trips.  It’s a real eye-opener! Once you’ve read it, let me know what you think.

The Good Missionary

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Are You Aware?

My news feed tells me that April is “Sexual Assault Awareness Month.” I was kind of surprised. I had no idea that people didn’t know about this. It turns out that April is also Autism Awareness Month, Earth Awareness Month, and Math Awareness Month. People need to be more aware of math?

Our calendar is full of “awareness” months. Apparently, we need to be more cognizant of teen dating violence, brain injuries, asthma, ALS, child support, preparedness, child support, domestic violence, disability employment, cybersecurity, rape, and of course breast cancer.

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Come See My Photos!

Lake Agnes_COStateForestSP_LAH_8222 p_filt 24 x 36 gallery wrapI am ridiculously excited. Mission Coffee Roasters and Cafe, offering the best coffee in Colorado Springs (and maybe the world), is hosting my photographs from now through the end of April. There are over a dozen prints of all sizes, from an 8-inch square framed portrait of a Flamingo to huge, 2 by 3-foot gallery wraps of some of my favorite landscapes. They’re all on display, and they’re all for sale.

If you live in the Colorado Springs area, please come see my show. Mission Coffee is at 11641 Ridgeline Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921, just off Voyager at the far north end of town. They’re open from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day except Sunday. Continue reading →

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Harvest Workers

TRUE or FALSE: the Bible tells us to pray for people to be saved.

Have your answer? Probably, like me, you read this question and answered, “Of course we should pray for people to be saved!” I thought it was totally obvious, until our pastor said something that challenged my belief.

He told us, “God never said that we should pray for the harvest. We are to pray for workers!”

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Which Way Now, God?

Decorated trees are sprouting in living rooms around the country, carols are playing in the mall, and shoppers eagerly await packages from Amazon. It’s that time of year again—time for my birthday. As usual, we’re so busy with seasonal activities—Christmas parties, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, more parties—that I barely have time to celebrate. That’s all right. In December, I prefer to focus on Someone else’s birthday.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I tend to ignore New Year’s Eve and the start of the calendar year. It seems so arbitrary. Instead, I use my birthday as a time to mull over the year past and the year to come. What did God tell me to do last year? Did I do it? And what about the year to come? Is He directing me in any particular direction?

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Let Trafficking Break Your Heart

A Walk Across the Sun2Some books entertain, some educate or inform, and some make you want to leap out of your chair and do something! I just finished reading a book that screams for action.

A Walk Across the Sun, by Corban Addison, is fiction, but the underlying facts are real—and heartbreaking. The story follows two teenaged Indian sisters living near the beach south of Chennai. As the book begins, it’s December 26, 2004—the morning after Christmas—the last morning of life as they know it. The family had felt the earthquake the night before but, as no damage was done, it was soon forgotten. And then the waves come. Only the sisters survive. Soaked and bleeding, they stumble home only to discover the bodies of their beloved family. Their home has been destroyed, and with no food or water, they realize they cannot stay where they are.

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Giving with a Purpose

What to do about the poor is a topic that has been discussed in Christian circles for ages, and I’m not going to solve the world’s problems here. Complaining about the commercialization of Christmas has also been discussed and re-discussed. Enough with the talking! What can we do about it?

First and foremost, ask Jesus how He would like His birthday celebrated! His answer might surprise you. But don’t ask unless you intend to follow through and do what He says.

Just in case He mentions something about re-focusing your holiday efforts,  I’d like to suggest a few practices you might incorporate into your Christmas tradition—or even participate in all year. They can at least get us pointed in the right direction.

  • Don’t let “stuff” be the focus of Christmas. Set a reasonable budget and stick to it. Let your gifts be thoughtful rather than expensive. Give the gift of yourself—time spent with family and friends, perhaps an outing together. I like to complete my Christmas shopping (or finish hand-made gifts) before Thanksgiving so that I’m not distracted during Advent.

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