Archive — May, 2008
30 May
Ready…Set…Wait?
Have you ever had opportunities to see different parts of the world? I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many different cultures. I’ve stood in the shadows of the Athenian Parthenon, gazed down from the Eiffel tower, sailed the Amazon River, and safaried into the African wilderness. But all these amazing places have had one thing in common: hopelessness. Ever seen the slums? If so, you can relate that they break your heart. I’m always filled with conviction, “I need to do something!” I long to rush out and start making a difference. However, God has been convicting me lately of the question, “Who has the power to change this world?”
28 May
Let’s celebrate! JosiahRoad.com turns one year old…
While we couldn’t have imagined it just a few years ago, the reality is that the Internet is becoming an invaluable tool to share the Gospel and introduce people to the King of kings. It was just a year ago, on June 11, the ERLC launched JosiahRoad.com—a web-based community designed to reach people exactly where they are, connect them with other like-minded individuals, and open up a chance for dialogue on issues of faith, family, and more.
Jessie Miller interns with Jars of Clay’s Blood:Water Mission
In 2002, Dan Haseltin, Jars of Clay’s lead singer, visited Africa and was changed forever. He saw poverty, physical and social suffering, and disease that “shook him, challenged him, and changed him.” … He and his bandmates began Blood:Water Mission—an organization committed to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic and build clean wells, support medical facilities caring for the sick, and fight poverty, justice, and oppression—all in Africa. The band’s target audience is the church and young people, so they saw an opportunity to spread the word and call the church to action… .
Jessie was in Jars of Clay’s target audience before she came on board. At Passion 2007, she visited the “Do Something Now” booth, and felt a tug toward Africa.
Joy in the Journey
It starts when we are very young. Someone, probably a mother or father, hears a young child plink plinking on the keys of a piano and decides it is time for him to take piano lessons. Before he knows what’s hit him, his newfound delight in music becomes homework. His passion is smothered in scales and thirty minutes of practice each day. His joy morphs into a world of rules and theory and hard work, and he nearly forgets what made him want to touch the keys in the first place.
27 May
Training Wheels
I remember my very first bicycle: a deep purple frame, a white basket fastened to the handlebars, beaded spokes framed by white tires, and pedals that acted as the brakes when spun in reverse. I loved that bicycle because no matter how much I swerved, my bike always stayed on course. It never teetered or ventured from its straight, upright position. No matter how much I leaned to each side, my bike remained steady, held in place by a sturdy set of training wheels.
21 May
Three Feet Under…
I remember the first year I started working for the Town of Cochrane for my summer job. They put me on a little John Deere mower and it took me forever to learn. However, after a few weeks I started to get the hang of it; then I started to get cocky. I would pull into the yard and kick up a dust storm as I spun into my parking spot on the gravel road. I would roll up my sleeves, put on my sunglasses and jam to my iPod as I sped around trees and playgrounds, cutting grass like a pro.
Just Below the Surface
Crash! In one blinding instant, lightening struck a tree about 50 feet from our house. Peeling bark as it went, the bolt leapt from the tree to the fence post, splitting it into pieces, and then ran along the barbed wire at the bottom sending metal flying like shrapnel. At the gate post, the current dove into the ground finding the wire to our old, long-forgotten, electric dog fence. It followed that wire straight into the house, exploding the control box and frying the outlet, the security system, my laptop and printer, our garage door opener, and the light bulbs in the eaves. Naturally, at that moment, we didn’t know what had hit us.
19 May
How’d I End Up Here?
I’ve realized something about myself: I’m a complete sucker for compliments. A couple years ago while doing intern missions in Athens, Greece however, this got me into some big trouble.
16 May
The Face of Grace
A few weeks ago my Sunday School class discussed the story of Jacob and Esau. The events were familiar enough…a stolen birthright, an estranged relationship, and ultimately reconciliation for this pair of twins. (See Genesis 27-33 for a complete recap.)
However, one verse in this passage seemed particularly fresh and applicable. After years of separation, Jacob and Esau reunite. Jacob fears Esau’s wrath for his past deception but instead finds mercy. Jacob then says to Esau, “…I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me” (Genesis 33:10b).
14 May
Carried on to Completion
If you were asked to describe yourself to someone who knows nothing about you, where would you begin? You may decide to use words that detail your relationships with others such as daughter, brother, husband, friend, or Christian, or you may choose words that tell what you do: artist, engineer, student, writer, or athlete. Both are good choices as they provide your new acquaintance with two aspects of what makes you you. But, how would you choose which titles to use?
