Let There Be Light

A few weeks ago I discovered a treasure at the local store.  I found some of those battery operated tea light candles (it’s the small things!).  Candles of any sort are a little hard to come by in the village and these little tea lights were going to put the finishing touch on one of my decorations.  

With great anticipation I opened my package of candles and flipped the power switch to “on”.  Expecting the warm glow of candlelight to emanate from my new decoration (okay, so maybe LED light isn’t exactly warm, but you get the idea), I was quite surprised and more than a little disappointed when nothing happened.  No flickering LED light, no warm glow, nothing.  

Thinking the problem must be the battery, I opened the back of the candle to investigate the reason for the lack of light.  What did I find?  A little plastic shield that prevents the battery from providing power to the candle. Of course if I had read the instructions, I would have saved myself some frustration because the instructions clearly stated that you “must remove the plastic shield over the battery before the candle will operate”.  Oh.  Right.  It’s amazing how things work when we follow instructions!

Isn’t that just like our life?  When we discover the treasure of Jesus and choose to embrace him, he promises that we are a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and we will be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6). Sometimes however our light doesn’t work and we wonder why.  But when we read God’s instruction book, it clearly states that in order for Jesus to power-up our light we have to remove the thing that prevents us from tapping into His power:  sin—anything and everything that displeases God (Romans 8:13). The more we indulge our sinful nature, the further we get from God’s power, and the dimmer our light grows until it finally disappears altogether.    

Together, let's turn away from the sin in our lives that prevents us from tapping into God’s power.  Then, and only then, will the warm glow of the Holy Spirit emanate from our souls and shine so that those around us will discover the treasure of Jesus, too.  (Matthew 5:16)

21 Lessons Learned

1. When learning a language be sure to verify the pronunciation of new words before trying to converse. If you don’t, you might mistakenly call your host another name for a donkey when you thought you were asking for a cup of tea. Oops.

2. People over productivity – Opportunities to spend time building new relationships always trump getting things done on the "To Do List".

3. Which is scarier? Large animals outside the church that go bump in the night, or a stark white pastor investigating said "bump in the night" in his skivvies armed with a flashlight and a loaded 9mm pistol? Pastor won.

4. Count your blessings. Friends, family, haircuts, and burgers are a luxury—don’t take them for granted!

5. God provides. Always.

6. Riding an ATV with your mouth even slightly open guarantees a non-vegetarian meal. Yumm!

7. Silence is golden.

8. God's armor: don't leave home without it! There is an intense war waging for our souls.

9. Remember the plug or your boat will sink....rapidly.

10. Everyone in the village owns multiple pairs of binoculars, and they are often aimed in our direction. We like to think of this as built-in accountability for practicing what we preach!

11. Remove suckers before eating octopus legs.

12. Hurt people, hurt people. BUT Jesus has compassion on them, and we should too.

13. Eskimo Ice Cream will never be Baskin Robins’ flavor of the month. Somehow Crisco, fermented fish eggs, and mayo don’t go down as easily as Pralines and Cream.

14. Don't just read God's Word, know it!

15. Seal oil is an immediate (and very effective) laxative....enough said.

16. Pets are angels in fur.

17. God can use loss to bring blessings.

18. Who needs entertainment when you have crazy white man in village?

19. Observation is the best teacher when learning to live in a new culture.

20. God’s will, not ours.

21. John 3:16. JESUS is the answer for everything and everyone, no matter what culture you embrace, language you speak, or where you live.

Winter Wonderland

He spreads the snow like wool and
scatters the frost like ashes. 

Psalm 147:16

 

  

 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.

Psalm 16:1

 

 

 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.

Job 37:10

  

 

 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, 

their starry host by the breath of his mouth.  

Psalm 33:6

 

Special thanks to Maddie for sharing her wonderful photography.

'Nough Said

This morning when my computer entered the cyber highway, I was greeted with a giant sign that read, "San Bernardino Tragedy Proves God is Incompetent".  Wow.  The irony is stunning.  This country removes God from everything--schools, courts, Pledge of Allegiance, liberties, basically America in general--and then tragedy strikes and we immediately point the finger at God, label Him "incompetent", and conveniently forget that we dethroned Him from our nation a long time ago. 

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place."  2 Chronicles 7:13-15 

Does that sound like an incompetent God to you?  'Nough said.