The Neighborhood

²⁵ And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?   ²⁶And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

   ²⁷ And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

   ²⁸ And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

   ²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor?

   ³⁰ Jesus made answer and said, A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

   ³¹ And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

   ³²And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

   ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,

   ³⁴ and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

   ³⁵And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee.

   ³⁶Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?

   ³⁷ And he said, He that showed mercy on him. And Jesus said unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

We had such an overwhelming response for the Jamaican orphans that it became necessary to set up a non-profit organization.  I was praying for a name for it and the Lord reminded me of the story of The Good Samaritan.  Anyone that God puts in our path to minister to is our neighbor,  so I called the new organization The Neighborhood.

The main focus of The Neighborhood is to link corporations with orphanages.  Our friend Melissa Rutty, who is building the website for my book, has volunteered to create a site for The Neighborhood free of charge!  We will post the new website as soon as it is avaiable. 

Please pray for this new ministry.  Pray that God will link us with the orphanges that He wants us involved in and that He will continue to give us favor with corporations that are looking for ways to give back.  This is definitely one of those “suddenlies” that I was talking about!

Suddenlies

2 Chronicles 29:36
And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

The “suddenlies” of God are fascinating.  They are not to be confused with anything happening fast.  It’s not like McDonald’s, where quality is exchanged for expedience.  No.  There is nothing fast about suddenlies.  Take a look at these suddenlies that were a long time in coming.

Luke 2:13
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,  ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

^{Acts 1:2}And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting 

Both of these “suddenlies” were fulfillment of ancient prophecies that took centuries of preparation.  Sometimes the years of preparation and waiting seem like delay, or even denial of God’s promise, but that is not the case.  God is patient to get us ready and everyone around us ready, because if He doesn’t we will not have the maturity to hear, obey, and move into the flow of His sudden actions. 

We are in a season of suddenlies.  We must prepare ourselves to hear His still, small voice amongst the clamour.  We need to be sensitive to His touch while everything is pressing in on us.  Most importantly, we must be ready to move quickly when He does.  This is a season of suddenlies.  These are days of rapid change, and those who have waited before Him will be thankful that God has prepared them.

Releasing the Seed

Yesterday I did something that I found to be scarier than I would have ever thought it would be.  I sent the completed manuscript of my book Walk It Out to the publisher.  Tate Publishing accepted it for publication back in October, and since then I’ve been finishing, proofreading, formatting and tweaking. 

I took the plunge yesterday and sent it off.  I felt like I was sending my baby off and wouldn’t see her again until she was grown. I’m sure Hannah felt a lot worse sending little Samuel off to be raised in the temple, but that is the image I’m seeing regarding our spiritual seeds.  The visions that God gives us must be prayed over, nurtured, carried then birthed and released.  They are not ours to keep.

I know we are in a season right now in which the seeds God has given us are going to seemingly grow up over night.  That’s what happened in Jamaica.  I’ve carried a burden for orphans for years.  I’ve prayed about it read about it, but never had the opportunity to really move on it.  Once the door opened, it’s as if the whole thing was born and grown all in one day!

It’s exciting to see what God does and yet, it’s a little unnerving knowing that what He does often changes everything about how we “do life”.  We’ve all been waiting for God to move.  He’s starting to do it.  Now He wants to know if we’re ready to be moved!

Blossom Garden Video

Here is a video of the Blossom Garden Children’s Home. It was taken in December and shows some of the children who live there currently. 

http://www.youtube.com/v/CTuYdVtcvwk&rel=1

One Day in Paradise

2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

I am in awe of our God!  What He did in one day while we were in Jamaica, I couldn’t have accomplished in a thousand days on my own.  That is what makes Him God.  He is able to do anything!  I think I’ll be writing about this trip to Jamaica for a long time, but for now I have to give you the overview of what He did on Sunday.

God has put the care of orphans on my heart for years, and I’ve just been waiting for the opportunity to step out. So, when I learned that Ryan won this trip to Jamaica I searched the Internet for orphanages in the Montego Bay area and found that Blossom Garden children’s home is just minutes from the resort we would be staying in. 

When we realized that it would cost $100.00 per hour to get a car to take us, we weren’t so sure we would be going.  Then God providentially connected us to a godly man, Ron Lawrence.  He was our driver to dinner on Friday night.  We talked to him, and he offered to drive us free of charge (we would only have to pay for the use of the car)!  So for $150.00 we could use the car all day!  We were thrilled! 

To make it even better, Ron picked us up and took us to his church.  It was incredible!  These people had enormous faith and it was such a blessing to be able to worship with them.  They allowed us to give our testimony as well, so by the time we left, we had many new friends!

Next we went to Blossom Garden.  It is a small, one story building nestled in the hills above Montego Bay.  Inside it was brightly painted, though poorly lit.  The first room we saw had ten cribs and eleven sleeping newborns.  One woke up, so we asked to hold him.  His name is Christopher, and he has got to be one of the happiest newborns I’ve ever seen!  As soon as he saw us he broke out into an enormous smile!  I’m beginning to think Jamaicans have a happy gene!  Christopher was quite congested and we were told that he suffers from asthma, but it has not affected this baby’s joy at all!!

Next we went to the toddlers.  I think there were twenty-two and most of them were sleeping.  Most of them are quite small, since they have very little protein (if any) in their diet.  There was one unusually big baby.  We were told that he had been found two days after his birth under a bush, and so they call him Moses.  Several of the children in that room were paralyzed.  We prayed for as many as we could reach before we went onto the porch.

There were three baby girls playing on rocking toys and an older autistic boy.  I was told to be careful because he can be rough, and has been known to bite.  He came to me and put his head in my lap.  He stayed there as I stroked his head, talking to him and praying over him.  I hated to leave him, but we had to move on.

We went out to the play yard.  The one thing Ryan kept saying was that he felt so much better knowing the children were getting lots of sunshine and good air.  They all wanted to be held and talked to.  We had a good time just loving on them before we went to see the oldest children, up to age seven.  They were all watching a video in their room.  They all wanted to be held, too, and seemed especially excited to have a man to play with.

We were told that the greatest need at Blossom Garden is for diapers, but it wasn’t until well into the visit that I really understood how great the need is.  The babies do not have enough diapers to get changed every day.  They get one diaper about every other  day.  They also have need of formula and food.

I left determined that these babies would have diapers.  I was getting too tired to stay out any longer, so we bought 300 diapers and asked Ron to deliver them.  Later that night, there was an awards dinner that we attended at the hotel.  During the cocktail hour, the CEO of Royal Bank of Canada invited Ryan and myself to join him at his table for dinner.  Ryan sat next to the CEO’s wife, and she asked what we done that afternoon.  So, he told her and she told her husband.  He then asked me to tell the table about it, and he promised that he would help the orphans.  Meanwhile a man from the next table talked to a lady I told about the babies and he came over and promised to help.

Then Scott, the CEO, stood up and welcomed everyone and then proceeded to tell about our trip to the orphanage.  He said that there would be baskets at the doors for anyone who wanted to give!  Suddenly, a man stood up and said, “Scott, can’t the bank match whatever is given?”  Scott agreed!

The next morning we left with our driver, Ron, and seventeen hundred dollars in cash to go shopping for diapers!  More money was still coming in, and the bank hadn’t even matched it yet!  We went to a big store that was a little like a Sam’s, and we bought tons and tons of diapers, four cases of formula, bibs, washcloths, disposable wipes, more diapers, shirts, onesies, notebooks for school, play-dough, jump ropes, more diapers, balls, balloons, baby bottles, ointment, baby wash, and more and more diapers!

We were very short on time, but managed to get everything and deliver it to Blossom Garden, hug the children, get some photos (coming soon) and make it to the airport by 11:00 a.m.!  Praise God and thanks to the big hearted people at RBC we accomplished what would have been impossible for us to do on our own!

Hey, Mon!

                                              

I am writing you from the beautiful island of Jamaica.  It is home to what has to be the happiest people on Earth!  Where else in the world do you go through customs and the walls are painted pink, green, yellow and blue?

The most common phrase here is, “No problem, mon.”  The thing is, they really mean it!  There just isn’t much that gets these people upset.  And did I mention that it is beautiful?

Many of you know we are here as the guests of RBC Bank, but that I was praying for time and opprtunity to visit an orphanage.  God always answers bigger than we ask!  The bank hired a driver for Ryan and I since it is difficult to get me on a bus.  Well, wouldn’t you know the driver is an awesome brother in the Lord, and not only offered to drive us to the orphanage on a Sunday, but also wants us to speak at his church and go pray for the children at the hospital where his wife works! Please pray with us tomorrow as we join God on this adventure!

We just got back from rafting down a river, but the best part was praying there and back with our driver!  Isn’t God just too cool?

Well, I’m off to the beach now, but will let you know as soon as possible what God does tomorrow!

Party Cont’d

OK, so it started as more of a fiasco than a fiesta, but it go better.  First, we realized that we had to go to an entirely different place than the airport to get our puppy.  I got directions, got the kids, including a neighbor who came along to see the puppy, and had Ryan follow with the SUV to accomadate  our friends, their luggage and the puppy’s crate.  We were off.  Then I made a wrong turn and we had to stop for directions.  No problem.  It was only two lights up.  Then we made it to The Billy Graham Parkway and found the street to turn on.  We followed it almost to uptown Charlotte.  We were in a bit of a shady neighborhood, got nervous and pulled over to call for directions.  Again.  Apparently I made a teeny mistake.  I got north and south mixed up. 

Stop laughing.  It could happen to anyone.  Fine.  So it’s slightly more likely to happen when I’m involved.  (See Life is  A Highway – September- to read about the last episode of Kelly, Dina, and the airport.)  Anyway, we finally got to Delta’s cargo building.  We were even five minutes early.  We waited and waited and waited.

Meanwhile, Dina and Vince arrived from California, but Vince’s luggage did not.  More waiting.  They tried to call me, but I forgot my cell phone.  More waiting with tensions rising.

Finally, the puppy arrived.  He looks like a stuffed toy! 

 We piled into the cars and after several wrong turns made it back to the Billy Graham.  We finally got to Dina and Vince.  Vince was told to come back to the airport at 11:30 p.m. to get his luggage.  So Dina and I took the neighbor kid home and Ryan took Vince to get some clothes to eat out in.  We finally met up with everyone at the restaurant and got some long awaited nourishment. 

          

 

So there you go.  You never know what the journey will be like, but in the end, we get where we’re supposed to be and the frustrations and stress just become another one of our stories to tell, and the relationships we make along the way are what make it all worthwhile.

Chosen for Sacrifice

12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attend unto the prayer that is made in this place.

16 For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

When  I read these verses, I am absolutely blown away.  I literally covered my mouth and closed my eyes as I meditated on this.  The realization that Yahweh God wants to speak these words to each of us is an absolute silencer.

Because of the cross and resurrection of our Lord, we are the Temple He is speaking of.  He has chosen Earthly, human vessels to be the places that he would sanctify, and that His name and  His eyes and heart would be perpetually.  It is not entirely a free gift as some have been led to believe.  To be indwelt by the God of the universe is a costly endeavor. 

When He chooses us, He chooses us as a house for sacrifice.  There is no longer needed the sacrifice for sin, as that was made once and for all by Christ, but there is a cost to be counted as a joint heir with Him.  We have to die completely to everything we are and have in order for him live fully through us in the power of His resurrection.  Dying to our flesh is a mysterious thing and it is never fully accomplished, but with every blow our flesh takes there is more freedom and power and life. 

As we become living sacrifices and God fills our temples, we become useful vessels for His kingdom on Earth, even to the point that God will hear our cries for our land when he sends judgement (locusts and pestilence).  There has not been a time in our nation such as the times we live in now, when there has been such a great need for men and women to lay down their lives so that people can see the true and living God among them and this nation could be healed.

There will be lots of media attention and even pulpit time given to the coming elections, but for those of us who are following Christ, the emphasis never changes.  Jesus and a life lived as an offering are our only hope and the only hope of our lost and dying nation and world.  May we be those living, moving temples that bring His presence and His heart to those around us.