Friday's

Friday's are my days to be off from work, or at least I try to be. Recently I started helping get Josh & Paige off to school and watch Tori. What a hoot they are, from the time I get to their house, my grandson is trying to get ready for school - without getting distracted from reading a book or picking up his GameBoy. Then there's Paige who doesn't want to get out of bed and you have to practically drag her out so she has time to get dressed, get breakfast, get her hair done, her teeth brushed before going out the door with "Opa" who comes to take her to preschool. However, it's Tori, who's takes the prize. What a livewire she is. Today while trying to finish up some setups on my Blog I got her occupied with magazines, toys, shoes (a favorite of hers) and all of this didn't work as she found it funnier to shut my computer down three times before I could stop her. The room is a disaster with "fun" but finally, it was just time to hold her on my lap and let her have center attraction. She repaid me for this with love sound "farts" on my cheek. Wow, was that ever fun. Remember what I said about bellylaughs ...great moments on the beach today.

Bono on my mind

Since I've been blogging I've been checking out a lot of other sites and doing a lot of reading while online. When checking out different blogs I start site jumping and suddenly I find I'm in a zone that strikes the passion of my heart....children...in Africa and around the world. Starting with Pastors.com I journeyed to many devotional sites, booksites, speaker sites but there was a thread that kept bringing me back to something that has been popping up for over a week. It was Bono of U2 and his work in Africa...yes, it's not new news...it's old news, he's been doing it for awhile now. However, there's something God wants me to consider and I think I may be getting closer to it. In an article from NBC news in 2006 by Brian Williams he wrote, 'This continent has become Bono's calling. It is an enormous task. He has put together an army of allies. From President Bush to the author of the "Purpose-Driven Life," evangelical pastor Rick Warren, who happily teamed up with the Irish rock star in working toward the same goal.
"He's the real deal," Warren says. "He knows what he's talking about. Bono understands what I call 'the stewardship of affluence and influence,' in that God does not give us either money or fame for our own ego. But we're to use it. It's a stewardship. And I love the way that he's leveraging the fame that he has — for good."

In my mind I'm being pulled back to the class I took in 2006 "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement" and perhaps it's a strange chord linking Bono's work with RED , One, DATA, and how it may impact kingdom work. Could it be that the 10/40 window may possibly close quicker since "felt needs" are being addressed on a large scale of influence.
Prime property to watch in the world - the 10/40. Get involved, start by praying, then by giving, then by going. You'll experience God-size life change.

other stops in the journey: The Independent, buylesscrap

Compelled to share...

Over the past six months I've come to learn something about myself. If I find something or read something really good that motivates me or inspires me - I just have to share it. It just can't sit still within me. Hmm, here's a thought I think children are often like that too. They just have to show you the latest bug or the latest toy or take your hand and lead you to look at something they've just discovered.
Well here's the devotional I want to share with you. John Fischer knocks it out of the park on this one.
"The power of a changed life"
http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/devarchive.aspx?ARCHIVEID=1171

Ever hear the saying "that sometimes to go forward you have to go backwards". I hope you remember your first encounter with God and saw it as a time He knocked your socks off with life changing power. For some of us it's time to revisit that encounter and renew your childlike faith to see Him again like it's the first time...after all there's work to do and you need your eyes wide open.

Missions

This team went to Egypt from January 25th - February 5th to do VBS and Sunday School Teacher Training. We did 16 services in 7 days. What an outstanding team! We learned to be flexible in all situations and to trust God to bring about things that didn't line up with our agenda.

At one point when I asked one of the team members to do something she just mentioned "whatever" using her hands to make a "w". This was her communication style to say "sure, I'll do whatever needs done". There's times I don't willingly signal God with a "w" with my heart or hands. I can be slow to respond, resistant to change and to busy to hear His voice. I'm finding if I'm flexible when God speaks He will show up in an amazing way. Well that was the case in Egypt. He showed up in a big way because of the willingness of each team member to be used! No one on this team came back the same. How can you remain the same when you have such a manifestation and an unforgettable encounter with "the Spirit of the living God".

We were humbled by the gentleness of the people we met, their earnestness in prayer and their faith in the midst of making a living in dire conditions. I think the most humbling was their request for us to pray for them after we had just watched them pray so fervently and passionately. It made us look at our prayer life and question if it was where it needed to be.