eyes at the window

One afternoon early last year, as I brushed my hair in preparation for a meeting at the office,  I sensed something was not quite right.  I turned around to find,  two feet away through the always-open window, an unfamiliar old Filipina woman watching me, her eyes pressed up to the window screen.  

photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thelightningman/5609066984/

She was on her way to visit my neighbor just behind our home, and she saw nothing strange in stopping to watch me brush my hair.  She was, after all, intensely interested in who I was and how I lived.

We talked for a few minutes, and as she left, I found myself wondering,  

“Are my eyes on Christ in that kind of focused way? 

 Do I long that much to know Him?   

Do I take any opportunity I can to gaze on Him, 

and focus on His Words?”  

Hebrews 12 tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”  What better way to grow our faith than by peering closely into the window of the Word, observing the life of Christ, seeing His promises to us, hearing His commands and His warnings?

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”

Heb.  2:1

inner sweetness

Kenyan street vendor selling fresh sugar cane

How sweet are your words to my taste, 

sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103

The Bible is not an end in itself, 

but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, 

that they may enter into Him, 

that they may delight in His Presence, 

may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself 

in the core and center of their hearts.

A. W. Tozer

onehundred-fold

Abegail sent the photo via Face book to Amy,

a picture of herself posed with the group of Compassion children 

who she now serves in Luzon, Philippines.

Abegail above, circled in yellow!

Abegail, who was once a little Compassion girl herself,

is grown up, graduated from college,
and living a life devoted to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ
with children from her own tribe through Compassion International,

just as the Gospel was shared with her.

This is the kind of story we love to hear,

as the Word of God transforms lives,

giving a hope that spreads hope to others!

I have no greater joy 
than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 1:4

the other side of the world

As I write this, Mark is getting ready to wake up and begin his day in Nairobi, Kenya.

He's been in Africa almost two weeks now

at a translation conference. 

In his Skype message to me this morning, he wrote: 

What a great group of guys. It's such a privilege to be doing this work, 

and to be serving with men like this.

I've loved some of the photos he's shared with us, and thought you might enjoy them, too...

Of course, Mark is exploring this new surroundings on his morning runs, 

and he came across this sign one morning.

It's a little different than the signs in our neighborhood.

 Mark's enjoyed how friendly the children are, and how surprised to see him running by their homes!

 Yes, he's really on the other side of the world...

 ...and the personalized Coke bottles look a little different than the ones at Kroger.

 Mark wondered if the chickens were part of the payment,

or part of the cure?

 

 Thanks for your prayers for Mark, and for the others he's working with during this conference.

We'll share more in the near future about the trip!

"Reading the scripture in another language is like eating a banana with the skin on. 

Now the scripture in my language is satisfying . . . 

like a sweet banana. I can't get enough of it!"

-recipient of a newly-translated NT...

homesick at Christmas

 Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. 

 ~Carol Nelson

As overseas missionaries, we did find ourselves homesick at Christmas, missing the special events of the season, missing our families and friends.  But being back in the US this year, it's pretty obvious that it's not just those who are far away from home who feel this Christmas homesickness.  Maybe every human feels a little nostalgia, a longing for what used to be, or for what never was; the ideal Christmases of our youth, or of our children's youth.

Maybe that longing echoes a greater homesickness that we share in common; not for a moment in time, or for a warm hearth, but for our eternal home.  A homesickness for glory, for our beautiful Savior, for the peace and sinless perfection of our REAL home.

Sometimes storm clouds block our view of Home. Tossed and flurried, eyes on the waves and the upheaval in life, whether it’s political strife, or negative attitudes, or more laundry on top of more appointments, or sickness, I forget about HOME and about seeing Jesus, and about the cross that paved our way there. But HOME is no less real because of the distractions.

And the One Who slept in the manger in Bethlehem, who spoke peace to the waves, who hung on that cross and lives again is preparing a place there for us. One of these days we’ll be going Home.

"In My Father's house are many dwelling places;

 if it were not so, I would have told you; 

for I go to prepare a place for you...” 

 John 14:2

This Christmas, we can look with faith toward that Homecoming, when we will see our Emmanuel face to face.  Until that day, may we be ever ready to share His Word which illumines the path Homeward.

*edited from the archives

all quiet on the home front

Life in the U.S. is just not as exciting to blog about.

We see many of you on a regular basis, and you know what we're up to and how we're doing!

But for those of you who are going through withdrawal from more details,

the following is for you.

:)

**************

Elise and Amy have completed their first semester at college.  

They've worked hard, made friends,

and assimilated into a student body of 20,000 pretty smoothly

for a couple of MKs*.

(*MKs - missionary kids)

Amy and Elise pose in front of their dorm building with Mark's mom who honored us with a visit

They are pretty happy to be on break, but are already buying books for next sem.

Michael's finished his first semester of high school,

and has been using his extra time to play some disc golf,

learn archery, 

and cut into new foam board

to create small r/c planes perfect for the front yard.

Mark and Michael do a Saturday airplane build together

Michael flies his Mini Scout in the front yard

December in Georgia means that it's cotton-pickin' time.

I had never seen fields and bales of cotton before coming to Georgia!

  It also means that it's time to put up some Christmas lights,

Michael does the high parts for Mark who doesn't like heights...

 ...and to bake Christmas treats.

Time for family ping-pong tournaments...

  (with thanks to Sunju for the perfect-sized dining room table, 

and to A&J for the removable ping pong net!)

Though it's been a busy season for Mark in his work,

it's been a delight to hear the voices of all our kids laughing together again,

and to see Amy and Elise have the time to read

and practice driving, and exercise creativity.

And now it's almost time for Christmas...

for a remembrance of the coming of our Savior,

and a reminder to come and adore Him,

for He alone is worthy!

photo thanks to Kay Heritage ♥

We wish you all a season of joy!

Good news from heaven the angels bring,
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:
To us this day a child is given,
To crown us with the joy of heaven.
~ Martin Luther

 

moonlight shadows

photo courtesy Seed Company

'I feel that I have spent my life seeing the Bible by moonlight--

as if seeing the shapes and shadows of things, 

but not the details of what is really there. 

Now it is as if someone has turned a huge spotlight on the Scriptures. 

For the first time in my life 

I can see clearly what is in the Bible.'

-new recipient of God's Word in his own heart language