Kingdom Technology

I once heard a speaker talk about what to look for in another speaker; 'someone who can communicate well' is certainly something I think we would all agree on. I heard yet another speaker who was praised beforehand by 'expert' speakers as a great communicator; but when he spoke, I couldn't tell what he was talking about...just a string of thoughts and one-liners and cliches...I couldn't see where we were going.

But from his message I did hear one thing: that words are being replaced by images in our culture. (Maybe he should have stuck to a pictionary style message!)

I'm not sure I agree with him, and for a message I fidgeted through, enduring til the end, I have been ruminating on this all week. What DOES it mean to communicate well in the new millennium? I am no public speaker, but I do have to communicate daily. And I notice when someone doesn't do it well. They are misunderstood. They are frustrated. Their audience starts to nod off. They sometimes start to yell or cry (like in the case of a three year old I know with a lisp trying to tell me what he got for his birthday, and as I asked him to repeat it for the fifth or sixth time, he got louder and louder, and eventually looked to his interpreter - Mommy).

Now the question at hand: ARE words being replaced by images? Certainly ours is an image-driven society. But I had a thought as he was talking about this in the context of how we do church...God left us the written WORD. And throughout the many centuries since it was written, we've had an oral tradition, again - words. Even Jesus, when using an image, did so with words. So images, of the internet/video/photograph variety, are a relatively recent development, and I think they deserve a little more scrutiny. Just because our culture is demanding them doesn't mean we have to cave. Jesus will draw all men to Himself, if we lift Him up. We don't necessarily have to constantly keep up with the cues the world is giving us.

I appreciate facebook. It's interesting how bold we can be on facebook. It's like Paul said to the Corinthians, "I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away!" I feel like I can say all kinds of things in this public platform that I would not have the voice to speak when talking face to face. Firstly, because I can communicate so much better in writing and get tongue tied when I speak, especially to groups. But when I can gather my thoughts, and write them down, I do feel bold.

So I boldly wrote something on my wall yesterday about an observation I made at church, that I saw, for the first time ever (probably not the last) someone browsing the internet during the sermon. Wow. The responses. I deleted most, because I just wanted people to think. But all over the map; in defense of and vehemently against. My friends on remote mission fields were blown away. It was embarrassing, actually.

On the surface, taking notes on a laptop or an iPhone is legit. But the temptation is just so strong to use it otherwise. And the people sitting nearby...they're looking over your shoulder, too, wondering what is going on on your screen. The jury is still out on this. But just like shushing the teens sitting nearby, I am still prone to ask the internet cruiser to shut it down during church please.

It distracts me.
It annoys me.
I think it is disrespectful.

Somewhere along the way of new wineskins, we have lost some of the reverence that for centuries has been a part of corporate worship. I have been to lots of dead cathedrals where the cold stone walls and floors are beautiful, but the warmth of the Spirit is buried with the patriarchs beneath the mosaics.

We attended a church in Rome where if you arrived early, you did your visiting and chatting outside; once you entered the sanctuary, it was quiet prayer time until the service commenced. Then it was a noisy celebration of worship to God amidst vast diversity of culture and language. Our focus was completely on the Lord, having prepared our hearts in prayer beforehand.

I like that idea.

And somehow, courtesy has gone out of fashion. I remember when cell phones made their debut, we called them "electronic leashes" because people felt obligated to answer them every time they rang, as if they had no option. Unfortunately, this is still the case. "Just a second, I HAVE to take this." If I have made the effort to speak with you face to face, do me the courtesy of paying attention to what I am saying, and instead, require the caller to wait for you. It's worse now: emails come blasting in at any moment, interrupting the flow of a good conversation.

So, in this image-driven culture, I am calling for some more scrutiny about the limits and self-control we place on our use of technology.

Can we consider others better than ourselves when it comes to interrupting, distracting and offending?

Is what you have to browse, answer, or respond to more important than setting a good example, being polite, or relating to those around you?

Can we bring respect and reverence back to church with us next Sunday?

Can we leave some of our distractions at home and come into the sanctuary unencumbered by the cares of this world and really focused on worshiping God?

Don't you get tired of your cell phone and computer during the week and look forward to an environment without it on Sunday morning??!!!

I write this inclusively, as I have been known to distract, to offend, to be irreverent, to interrupt a good conversation to take a call, to be rude and selfish.

Let our love for God and for His people be our guide. Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Hope Against Hope

I was reading through some old journals last night, amazed at the fact that we've been at this marathon of financial hardship for almost 24 months now. I memorized Ps. 27:13-14 (I am still confident of this: that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living; wait for the Lord, be still and wait for the Lord) LAST October, but it seems so fresh in my mind, like I worked on it yesterday! And I stand in awe of the Lord that we are still intact, in every way. We are so blessed; we are still in the small fraction of a percent of the most:


* wealthy

* healthy

* happily married

* with successful children who love God

* with incredible caring friends

* well-educated



people in the world! Do you realize how rare that is? I know our cup is overflowing, and we have literally nothing to complain about. So we go on praising God as he stretches us from glory to glory.

My latest stretch has been dealing with the idea of hope against hope. I know we've all probably wrestled with the same idea.

When our heart is sick due to deferred hope, what do we do next?
What about the next time the opportunity comes along to hope?
Do we push it down, get cynical, get our hopes up??

I know love hopes all things, so the right thing to do is open our heart again to hoping, but at the same time, that bare heart is

so exposed
so raw

especially if it's recently been disappointed. And perhaps I am still learning what it means to "hope in God" not in the thing I am asking him to accomplish. Seems like such a platitude, but there is a reality there that I still don't think I've grasped.

I have found a peace that plows on through the storm
I have found a joy that jumps over sadness
I have found a love that lights up every room
I have found a trust that teaches how to rest
I have found a grace that guides me by the hand
I have found a strength that stands like a mountain
I have found...I've found You.

You are all I want, You are all I need, everything my heart could HOPE for
We are longing for the glory of the Lord, 'cause we know there's so much more
Only You, fill my soul.

Thank you Kim Walker for recording this amazing song. I have also learned that "only You" really means God in all His fullness, which includes His precious people, my brothers and sisters in Christ who stand with us in all our trials and blessings.

So, if I can just find that sweet spot in the crook of God's arm, where I can snuggle down and rest in Him.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

80 is the new 40

One of the things Kirk and I have talked about over and over again, is that we want to be like Caleb and Joshua who said they were as strong at 80 as they were at 40. I have no desire to retire at 65. I want to go and work and accomplish and be productive and REALLY LIVE until I die. There are examples all around us...Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter.

I have seen this is several less-known people, too. Missionary friends who just keep going, well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. One friend, who is 70, just sold some land so he could buy a facility for his trade school in a developing nation.

Our Haitian friend, Pastor Val and his sister Yrma, are 70 and 68 respectively. They are still going strong caring for 30 children. I know how impatient I am sometimes with children, even though I have raised four of my own; I can't imagine having 30+ around, and in the conditions they live in!

But I talked to Pastor Val last night, and told him of the great provision God has given him. He was so amazed and praised the Lord, and just began talking about the great VISION he has and how God is providing. You could hear the youth in his voice! He is like a young man with all the energy of a 30 year old! He's not even close to calling it quits, taking it easy or going golfing! He still has lots to accomplish and still looks forward to seeing God work miracles on his behalf.

I want to be like that.

Testimony BEFORE the Victory

I have often thought that I'd like to see someone get up in church and give a testimony about how they are surviving the trial...not just what happened at the end, when they experienced the victory, but how they sensed God's presence in the midst of the storm. I think this, b/c we have been in one for a while. Sometimes it's even DISCOURAGING to hear about the triumphs people experience, b/c you wonder, why isn't that happening to me? Why isn't God helping me? We even experience spiritual jealousy...how come God is helping that person but not me?

So, although I am not getting up at church and sharing this, I'm posting it up on fb for "all the world" to see.

We are in a storm. We are in a desert. We have been pregnant with a dream that has been a difficult pregnancy and it seems we have been in labor for years. I have written about it before and talked to so many of my friends and acquaintances about it, so it's not news. But it struck me again this morning that God has truly been right there with us through it.

I had the image of a pregnant woman on bed rest. She is unable to do anything, unable to move about, go about her normal activities. It is a terrible trial, waiting. But there is the hope of a new life that keeps her in that bed, taking care of herself and her baby.

This scripture has brought me great comfort through this period: Psalm 27:13-14, "I am still confident of this: that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Boy, that waiting. It's tough. But our hope is in God, that He indeed will bring deliverance. Just like that woman on bed-rest...that baby will come. It is natural law - the baby will be delivered.

So what is our baby? Our hope is for a healthy one, but we never really know what we're going to get when we are expecting a child. And the same with the will of God. We have an idea, dreams and visions of what that child will look like, be like, do, etc.

Already, there have been signs of what is to come. Not what I expected, but better than I could have imagined. Who knew that in the midst of praying through our business trials, God would swoop in and make provision for our Haitian pastor friend? Who knew that I would get to pray for a potential client who is trying to conceive? Who knew that a family from the northeast would find a home here and we would get to speak to them about changing the world? Who knew that our kids would all be gainfully employed and provided for in every way this summer? Who knew that college funds would be made available BECAUSE of our trial?

Our specific prayer list for the things we are believing to happen in our business is still being brought before the Lord daily, but I no longer get disappointed when those prayers aren't answered right away. Or it turns out differently than I thought, and even makes things look worse on the surface.

God is weaving an intricate tapestry of his will on the earth. Over the centuries. Around the world. In different generations, with different people. Through the great and the small; through kings and peasants. He sees it all from the end to the beginning and I know that I am just a small part, but a vital part.

So although the storm isn't over, and much uncertainty remains, I am still confident of this: that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Red-headed Woodpeckers and the Intimacy of the Lord

Each morning, if I'm not running out the door, I have the privilege of making a cappucino (with my new $20 Craig's List Swiss-made Solis cappucino machine!) and sitting in my porch swing to pray and read the Word of God. I usually spend about an hour there, enjoying the blessing of the morning view out into the woods. I'm a nature-girl, and I love it when a family of deer graze peacefully a few feet from my loggia, or wild turkeys (a treat!) come pecking through the trees. It makes me think of those last chapters of Job, where God asks him where he is when the wild animals birth their young. (Job 39:1,2) There are so many things that we will never witness, just b/c we are human.

I have been hearing a 'noise' in the woods in the mornings, and have briefly wondered what it is. But I hear it a lot and wonder it often. A squirrel in distress? A bird? Some critter I don't know about?

But this morning I saw it! It flew by and made that weird noise simultaneously! It's a beautiful red-headed woodpecker, and there were actually three.

So what's the big deal? I live in the woods, and see stuff like that all the time. But the big deal is that God, in all of His greatness, knew what those silent imaginings were of mine. And He brought those birds calling, right into my morning, just for me. I never told anyone about those fleeting thoughts of wondering what that noise was. I didn't even think about it enough to research it for myself. Just one of those, "I wonder what that is?" thoughts that rolls through curious minds all the time.

With all the wars, famine, economic crises, and heartache in the world this morning, little me and one of my insignificant hankerings caught the Lord's attention, and He gave me an answer.

Just because He loves me.

Faith, not Sight

My friend Eleatta, an artist, asked several people to write some thoughts on what walking by faith and not by sight means to them. She wants to incorporate those thoughts in a painting on the subject. The exercise of this spiritual principle has manifest itself most recently in praying through the wilderness that our business is in right now.

Of course, Abraham is the ultimate Faith-Man. But I've always been a little jealous of him, b/c he seemed to know that God told him something, and what that something was. Did he walk around in those hours or days between the time God told him to slay Isaac and the walk up that mountain, wondering, "Now, was it really Isaac whom God was talking about? Maybe I misheard him. Was it really God who said that, or just my own thoughts?" The Bible seems to say that Abe knew that he knew that he knew what God said about it.

I'm not always so sure. It has been a rare moment when I know God has said something to me.

There are certain things in my life that I KNOW are God's perfect will, and those things are easy to ask God for: for people to come to know Him, for His presence in my life, for His comfort when things are tough.

But it's those gray areas, where I wonder, "Did God really say that?" I don't usually think it's the enemy speaking, but I do wonder if it's my own thoughts. Things like, "marry that guy" or "start that business" or "go on that missions trip." Then when the going gets tough, we go back to those thoughts and wonder if it was God's leading or my own desire. And it's very easy to justify that it was God when it's something you really want!

That's where the faith comes in, many times without the sight part. We may not 'see' for a long time. But with the seed of a dream, an idea, lots of prayer, and a clean life, I think the Christian can move 'in faith' on a particular idea. 'Going out on a limb' might be another way of saying it, but the Christian does it with much prayerful consideration, believing that God will close doors and open windows along the way to direct us.

So for us in this season of wilderness, our faith and hope is that the desire of our heart will come to pass, that our business will survive, thrive and multiply even in this desert.

When Israel fled from the Egyptians in the time of Moses, they lived in the desert for a long time. And they really lived. It wasn't a vacation, but they always had enough food, drink, their clothes and shoes didn't wear out, they had homes, AND they multiplied. A whole new generation of people were born, and they were the ones to take the Promised Land.

This is my faith right now: that The Tuscan Group will not just survive; but that it will thrive and multiply. I don't see it at all in the natural. In the physical world we live in everyday, not much has tangibly changed. But with my faith eyes, I see homes sold, lots developed, carpenters and masons and plumbers out there working, families finding their dream homes, debts paid, obligations met, people staying in our basement finding rest and refreshment, orphans fed and clothed - overflow flowing!

So how do I walk this out? I keep the meditations of my heart and the words of my mouth pleasing to the Lord, and in accordance with the dream that is within. I won't know til it's over whether or not I really missed it. But it won't be for lack of faith; and the Bible says that it is impossible to please God without faith.

Choosing to Bless the Lord

Matt Redmond's music has ministered to me so much since about 2000 when someone gave us a mix cd with some of his worship music on it. We had moved to Verona, Italy, and we were really all alone. We did not know anyone there, let alone have a fellowship of believers to be with, and we were forced to hunker down with each other and Jesus. We lived among so much beauty - the well-preserved antiquity, the language, the food and wine, the art and generalized creativity that seems to seep through everything Italians do. But there was a decided absence of the presence of the Lord. I imagine everything there would be exponentially more beautiful if the Lord walked among the Italians. The glory of the Lord seems to have departed those tremendous cathedrals! There are so few who really know and love God, and the darkness is pretty dark.

But back to Matt Redmond... the song, "Blessed Be Your Name" is Job's song, and is every believer's heartcry when going through adversity. Job is really the sufferer's hero, and Mr. Redmond has so eloquently put that hero's struggle to music. Of course we praise God when streams of abundance flow, but what about in the wilderness? When the darkness closes in? Will we STILL say, "blessed be your glorious name?" Do we really believe God is God and we are the creation? God does still have the power to do as He pleases, right? Though there's pain in the offering... So many times I have worshiped with tears in my eyes, and I cry now as I listen to this song again, worship pours from my heart, but He gives and takes away, and my heart will choose to say, blessed be Your name.

I believe this is when it is a true sacrifice of praise, when it is really the last thing our flesh wants to do...this is a sweet aroma to the Lord. I also think these last several months of painful economic times, when so many are in the same boat as we are, have been when our worship has been the most pure, the most sacrificial, and therefore very precious to God.

Our struggles are not as severe as some, I know things could be so much worse, but everyone suffers in different measure at different times in life, and I assume our suffering days are not over. This is why Heaven and all it's perfection becomes more appealing as the years roll on. I want to learn the lessons of drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit, what a gift, so that when times of drought come again, this lesson is an old familiar friend.

I wrote this to a friend back around the first of March and I am so amazed to read these months old words now:

I better watch what I put up on fb status! I've had so many dear friends wondering the same thing. I was just browsing around fb one night, when Kirk wasn't home (you know he's working in Wilson and only coming home on weekends and Wed. night, right?), and I was listening to that Newsboys song, Blessed Be the Name, and I just wanted to declare it. I had the most amazing worship time that night. I feel like my faith has been shaken down to the absolute basics. Why do I serve God? Why do I pray? Why do I give? Is it to see results? To be blessed? If it all was taken away, which a lot of "it" has, will I still serve/love Him? Everything is very okay. I feel at peace although a storm is raging. There is nothing left in the business. One more month, then it's gone. Who knows? one day at a time, let's see what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month. I wake up every day and say, wow, we made it through another day, I never thought we'd make it to March.

The specter of what we fear is much worse the the thing itself, I think.

There have been many times of pain in our lives. Uncertainty, sadness, disappointment, physical pain, illness, hopelessness, fear, misunderstanding...why should this be so unexpected? Didn't Jesus tell his friends, in this world you will have troubles, but be cheerful, because I have overcome that world. Our hope is fully in His presence with us through these trials. His joy is my strength.

My heart will CHOOSE to say blessed be the name of the Lord.