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Category Archives: Christianity

Hopefully I will post a video later, but I wanted to give a quick update of today…

First of all, the rest of the team is on the way!!! We can’t wait to see them. We’ve done our best to help Russ and Diane Dean prepare for this week. Here is a shot of our team in the airport:

Today was pretty cool here in Brazil. Why? COPO DO MUNDO!!! For those of you who have no idea what that means, we’re talking about what Brazilians live and breathe — the World Cup! Things were crazy here: horns, fireworks, chants and cheers could be heard for miles. It was great to experience a game with the Brazilians. Here is a picture of Erin and April with some of the folks from IBABI (one of the churches we are ministering with this week) cheering on Brazil during the game against Portugal:

We ran some other errands today too. Preparations for food baskets for the impoverished neighborhoods are quite extensive, as well as preparing for 24 Americans who are staying for a week! Also, Diane and Russ took some extra time discussing missions and ministry with the early team. It was absolutely fantastic and very helpful to have their input. All in all it was a good day.

Blessings!

We had the whole team contribute to today’s recap… Quite a humorous operation.


A blogger/pastor/comedian named Chris Elrod posted this recently. It made me think. Some parts I agreed with, some I didn’t. But it made me think. And I appreciate that. Some of these “things I don’t understand” tie in with life and some with ministry. Hope it fosters some thoughts in your mind too:

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There is some stuff I just cannot comprehend. Try as I may to get it…it doesn’t make any logical or Scriptural sense. Here is a partial of things I do not understand.

1. Folks that show up to church only a few times a year but expect the pastor to drop everything to provide them with his undivided attention.
2. People that put nothing in the offering plate but still have the stones to expect that their opinions on the church should count.
3. Parents who ground their children from church or the youth group…the very things that could help them with their behavior, future and afterlife.
4. People that expect the pastor to tolerate their political views…but leave the church because of his.
5. The occasional volunteer that expects the church to throw a parade in their honor just because they finally did what the Bible commanded.
6. People that have basked in the grace of God…but fail to give grace to anyone else.
7. Pastors that leave one church for another…for better pay.
8. The need for church growth plans, programs, books, conference, seminars and resource kits…when we already have the Bible
9. Women that tolerate their husbands having multiple affairs…”for the sake of the kids”.
10. Pastors that would rather be political pundits or civil rights leaders…instead of just preaching the life-saving message of the Word of God.
11. People that have one spiritual standard for their pastor…and another for themselves.
12. Folks that think the word ‘disciple’ is a noun…and not a verb.
13. People that make comments about needing to go “deeper” in God’s Word…as if there is a Scripture in the Bible that isn’t deep.
14. Pastors that think accountability means never asking them the tough questions or taking the hard line when it comes to their failure to follow Scripture.
15. Men that think being the head of the household has something to do with the amount of money they are bringing in or the title they acquire at work.”
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Again – I don’t necessarily sign off on all of these. But they made me evaluate some things. What about you?

What resonated with your spirit? What did you disagree with? Did this make you think?

I know it’s a few days late, but Happy New Year to all of you! I pray that it is a fruitful year for you – spiritually, emotionally, athletically, hypothetically, salvifically, and superfluously. Here is a great passage of scripture that I’ve been meditating on, and it is fitting for all of us as we start the year off. It’s the first chapter of the Psalms, and it should be the first chapter of our lives in 2010:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1:1-6

May Christ richly dwell in you in 2010… God bless.

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