The (Re)solution for a Wandering Heart

Well, now that we’re nearly two weeks into the New Year I’m curious to know how your resolutions are coming along. Perhaps, if you’re like me your only resolution is to stop resolving altogether, but I suppose an approach like that ultimately requires an additional resolution to stop making illogical promises to yourself. Maybe I should just simply resolve to blog more frequently.


The fact is that we are all seeking to add meaning or value to our lives no matter what date happens to be approaching on the calendar. We may occasionally take stock of our lives, and based upon what we see, decide to eat healthier, save more for our kid’s education, or get to the gym more often. Whether we are disciplined enough to meet our individual goals doesn’t mean that the pursuit ever stops even if your new elliptical machine slowly morphs into an extra place to hang your clothes.


Time is the great equalizer, and with its passage we receive a clear understanding of where our dearest and truest commitments lie. What is it that gets us out of bed in the morning or compels us to stay up late into the night? What drives us to scrape in order to save every penny or borrow to spend into oblivion? What person, object, or lifestyle, captivates our imagination and becomes the perceived ideal for our personal peace and satisfaction? Make no doubt about it, our hearts are continually resolved to run swiftly towards significance, even if our heads may not consciously perceive it.


Though God has placed eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11) we are often prone to spend our lives in hopeless quests that offer no eternal return on investment (Isaiah 53:6). I am haunted by the first verses of II Timothy 3 which say that in the last days people will own a form of godliness but suffer from a faith that ultimately lacks power because it chooses selfishness and pleasure over the Lordship of Christ.


In the light of scripture, Jesus asks each one of us as he repeatedly asked Peter in John 21, “Do you love me?”


God’s grace alone saves us (Ephesians 2:8) and continues to welcome our wandering hearts back to Him, but what do we give in return? My prayer is that it is nothing less than a total surrender of our will in submission to the only One who can provide for our otherwise insatiable hunger and thirst.


In that surrender, I would challenge each of us to look beyond the worlds we’ve constructed to carry the light of God’s love into the places where its rays are scarcely shining. Today in Mbulu, Tanzania there are young mothers-to-be who have not heard the name of Jesus, and there are little ones who may not see another year of life on this earth, unless someone obeys the Lord’s call to act on their behalf.

Providence

God is a boundless provider. I tend easily to forget this, and maybe even you do too, which quickly reveals the identity of the limited party in the relationship between humanity and its omnipotent Creator.

Much has happened since I last posted two weeks ago and reported a remaining need of $282 to meet the key $4,500 threshold to cover the start-up costs for the Anslay Church of God Child Survival Program. It began on the morning after my blog entry posted, when a good friend knocked on our front door to deliver a check for $100 towards that remaining balance. He and his wife were also monthly sponsors but after reading the blog he felt compelled to commit additional funds to provide for the mothers and infants in Mbulu. It was an enormous blessing, but as I would soon find out, there would be more to come.

That following Saturday morning I received an unexpected call from my good friend Steve, explaining that he and his “Bible Club” were hosting a car wash that day and that 100 percent of the proceeds would be donated to the CSP. I was dumbfounded. Steve, who is a teacher in the Fairborn, Ohio public school system, hosts a Bible study for several of his students, and they had elected to focus on the Anslay CSP for their annual service project. He was previously unfamiliar with this blog, and knew nothing of the immediate need which made it that much more special.
I quickly explained the situation to him, and then drove the family up to see Steve and his crew at work. Steve had directed us to the Minute Lane Car Wash which had graciously agreed to donate 20 percent of every car being washed that afternoon towards the Child Survival Program. It was such a blessing to see these kids so hard at work: beckoning passing vehicles, toweling off windows and wheel hubs as cars exited, and asking for additional donations for those willing to give.

Later that day, I received a second call from Steve, explaining that it would be a few days before the receipts were tallied from the car wash itself, but that they had made more than $200 that day in tips alone! Just like that, a milestone was reached, and I was humbly reminded once again that these Tanzanian mothers and their children belong to God, and that He can accomplish whatever He wills far beyond any human effort and ingenuity. It’s all His, in case we’ve (more than occasionally) forgotten, and it’s because of His inspiration and grace that we’re able to come to this understanding in the first place.

The need continues and the opportunities abound for individuals or groups to partner with us on a monthly or one-time basis. Praise the Lord who gives each of us the opportunity to serve Him and seek first a kingdom that will never end.

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
Psalm 127:1

Falling Forward

I apologize that it’s been so long since my last post, but I’m hoping to make up for it now with some truly encouraging news. As I’ve already reported, we were able to raise over $2000 at the September rummage sale at Concordia Lutheran Church, putting us within striking distance of the foundational $4,500 needed for the initial costs to set up the CSP. Additional donations have continued to come in, putting us a mere $282 from hitting this milestone! Would you be willing to help us meet this key goal by the end of this week?

At this point we still need a total of 92 monthly sponsors (at only $20 a month!!) to fully fund the Anslay Church of God CSP. We are hoping to reach this milestone by April 1, 2011, which will mark the one year anniversary since we kicked off this campaign. That’s a total of 15 new sponsors by the end of each month. We are excited about some wonderful opportunities we’ll have in the upcoming weeks to share the CSP story, but we will definitely need your help to meet this goal.

What can you do? The most important thing we would ask you to do is pray. One thing we are learning is that God is providing for the project in ways we would not have traditionally imagined. These Tanzanian mothers and babies belong to Him, and many gifts have arrived from unexpected sources in spite of our human efforts to “market” this message. This causes us to once again realize that He is the provider and sustainer of all!

As we work to reach out to individuals, groups and churches, we would ask that you join with us as we share with others about the ongoing needs of these African families. Do you belong to a small group or church body that you would like to be a part of this effort? Please feel free to e-mail us and we would be glad to come and share about the needs of this project and invite others to participate. As always, word of mouth is also greatly appreciated, so we would be grateful if any of our readers would be willing to spread the word through the various social media outlets such as Facebook or MySpace.

More to come soon!

The Journey Ahead

It’s already Tuesday and our family is still reflecting with joy on the weekend that was, and thanking God for the tremendous success of this past Saturday’s Rummage Sale. As I last reported, we are approximately $600 shy of funding the Anslay Church of God Child Survival Program’s initial $4,500 start up costs. Though this represents a significant milestone, it is not a stretch to say that in many ways the work is just beginning in our efforts to completely fund this program. Once this task is accomplished, the Anslay CSP will be able to fully accommodate and save the lives of mothers and babies in Mbulu, Tanzania.
As of today, we still need to obtain right around 95 monthly sponsorships at only $20 a month. We need your prayers as we ask the Lord to continue to open doors and hearts as we seek to meet this challenge. We have been excited to see this number continue to drop from our original goal of 123 sponsorships, and we thank the Lord for everyone who has chosen to partner with us.

However, as you can see, there is still much to be done, and we would ask you to join with us as we walk forward. Think about it. For just $20 a month you will actively play a part in saving the life of a new or expectant mother and her baby. Best of all, your gifts will allow the local church to minister to their physical needs and introduce them to the love and person of Jesus Christ. Though it may be easy to calculate the amount of your gift, it will have an immeasurable impact upon the lives of God’s children both in this world and in the kingdom to come!
Click here to become a monthly sponsor or here to make a one-time gift today!

So Blessed!

Well, my wife and I woke up this morning feeling a little bit as though we'd been struck by a rather large truck, but neither of us was about to start complaining. I also have the sneaking suspicion that there were several other individuals who felt quite the same way today. It's hard to know where to start but if you've been following this blog, you know that we've been preparing for several weeks now for a large rummage sale that was being graciously hosted by a church in our neighborhood to benefit the Anslay Church of God Child Survival Program.

I don't think that anyone who was involved in this process ever imagined the sheer volume of donated items, nor did we anticipate how great the response would be from our community. I'll begin with the results and let you know that our final count showed that we brought in a total of $2,055! That figure will likely change since we still plan to deliver several boxes of leftover books to the Half Price Books store as well a large elliptical exercise machine to a local sporting goods consignment shop. There are still a few other big ticket items we plan to sell on Craigslist, but in the end, this total puts us on the verge of a very significant milestone in our fundraising efforts.

For several months now we've been sharing that the overall cost to fully fund the Anslay CSP amounts to $29,500, of which is made up of a combination of $20 monthly sponsorships and one-time gifts. $4,500 of that total is needed in order to officially launch the CSP, and create the needed foundation so medical and educational supplies can be purchased to accommodate the influx of mothers and babies into the program. Well, yesterday's total puts us within a mere $590 of that $4,500 goal!! We are overwhelmed to get this close and feel so amazingly blessed to be involved in this incredible journey.

No part of this effort has been alone and we have been equally overwhelmed by the loving and gracious gifts of time and effort by so many who worked behind the scenes to make yesterday's sale become a reality. We want to extend our deepest thanks to so many who donated items, and for each individual who was involved in the hours it took to haul, sort, price, work the sale, and then finally deconstruct and haul away the mountain of leftover items to Goodwill when it all ended. The blessing of your servants hearts resonates with us still today!

To those of you who made a purchase, and perhaps are learning about the Child Survival program for the very first time, we extend our deep thanks to you as well. 100% of your contribution will go towards this program and will by God's loving providence and grace save the lives of many! If you like to do more, we would love to partner with you and ask if you would be willing to consider becoming a monthly sponsor. Your gift is an not only investing in the health and well being of someone in desperate need. It is an investment in eternity!

God bless you all!

Spread the Word

For a couple of months now, we have been working with several friends, family, and neighbors to prepare for a rummage sale that is scheduled to take place this coming Saturday, September 11th, from 8:00AM-4:00PM EST. What was originally planned as a simple garage sale, quickly blossomed into something much bigger, as we began to receive offers for donated sale items, and a simple willingness from many to pitch in where needed.

A neighbor reached out to her church located just a few blocks from our house, and just like that Pastor Tony Sobocinski, and the parishioners at Concordia Lutheran Church opened their doors and agreed to host the event in their fellowship hall. It's been a true blessing and we are so grateful to everyone who has given of their time and their resources to make this become a reality.

With that said, if you happen to live within driving distance of Dayton, Ohio, we would love to have you visit and consider stopping by. Concordia is located at 250 Peach Orchard Drive in Oakwood, Ohio. 100% of all proceeds will go towards the funding of the Anslay Church of God Child Survival Program!

Additionally, we will have a special table on display where visitors can sign up to sponsor the Anslay CSP for only $20 a month, and choose from a variety of premium gift items that will be available on that day. Also, the wonderful folks at Chik-fil-A have provided us with coupons that will go to the first 50 visitors who buy an item at the sale. Each coupon entitles the customer to a free chicken sandwich with any restaurant purchase.

For those of you who live out of state, we would love to have your presence with us on that day as well. Above all, we would value your prayers before and on the 11th and that the Lord would use this event to bring in the needed funds and attract new sponsors. If you are already a monthly sponsor would you consider making an additional one-time gift on behalf of the sale? If you're new to the program, monthly sponsorship is only a click away!

Lastly, as the sale approaches, would you also be willing to share the link to this blog on your Facebook account and on other social media outlets? We're looking forward to what this weekend will hold and continue to trust in the Lord's sovereign will. God bless!

The Question

I’ve been thinking a lot these days about my grandfather, Norman. This is nothing new, but the memory of him always seems to be that much stronger as the fall approaches. It was nine years ago this month when he passed from this world into Heaven’s kingdom, and though this time of year strengthens my recollection, it is not the primary reason why he’s come to the front of my mind.

There is one memory of him that seems to transcend all others and is practically woven as if with a golden thread through nearly every long-term encounter I ever had with this extraordinary man. As I look back on the times when I had the privilege to be alone with him, either driving in a car or on one of our family’s weekly Sunday afternoon visits, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I would be asked “the question.” At a certain point during our conversation he would inevitably pause and then re-direct the subject to gently ask, “So how are you doing with Jesus?”

This was not an intrusive inquisition of my faith, but was instead a gracious and loving invitation to reflect upon and discuss the state of my daily walk and relationship with my Savior. I think back to those moments often, and vividly recall those times as a teenager and young man when I wasn’t especially proud of the answer I had to give.

Over the past couple of weeks our family has found itself in a season of uncertainty. We recently received word that the Rwandan government has temporarily halted all adoptions while it takes steps to update its process to meet certain international standards. The news is a disappointing pause in what is already a very long journey. Additionally, though the work has continued on in our fundraising efforts for the Anslay Church of God CSP (more on this very soon!!) there are admittedly times when it seems that progress is slow, and we feel as though we are running in place.

We know that both of these endeavors belong to God, but during these times it has been eye opening to learn just how much I have assumed a sense of ownership over each one. Work and duty has been the defining priority as we knock down each task and tirelessly pursue every goal. As worthy as these efforts might be, the relative stillness of the moment has been the cause for reflection, and the question once asked by my grandfather, returns as if it is spoken softly by the one he now walks with in a place that is just a breath away from here. “So how are you doing with me?” I hear Jesus ask.

As I have searched for my response I have seen a person who is eager to work but is often too busy for fervent prayer, or the extra time it takes to truly study God’s word. How quickly can we allow our work to distract us from the person whose love drew us to it in the first place? It’s a humbling reminder to return to where we were called to live from the start, but if a season of uncertainty is what it takes to bring us back there, then it may be the best thing that could ever happen to you or me. As you read the passage below, I am compelled to lovingly ask the question, “So how are you doing with Jesus?”

James 5:31-20
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.