cold weather = this.

This is what playing outside for a couple hours when it's cold looks like when your mom puts the blankets in the dryer.

I love my mom.

No, it's not Mother's Day, or Grandmother's Day, but for sure
this is one great woman.

sleeping ring bearer

Our friends Will & Jana were married this weekend. Josh and Caleb were the ring bearers, well kinda. Caleb fell asleep about five minutes into the ceremony, and slept all the way through it. Could be worse. For sure.

From the Garden to the City - Part 2

God created man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27

So, it's 2:39 am, and while I should be sleeping, my mind is racing. Tonight at encounter, I was more than overjoyed to look out on a sea of faces; the looks of desperation shown in the expressions of hundreds of college students. What a precious sight. Let me say for the record, I love what God has allowed our family to be a part of for these years in Auburn. In due time, I pray I can stand among a similar crowd of Hong Kong students, where their faces, also made in the image of God, would reflect a similar desperation to know and love God. 

Today's thought, from the Garden to the City, is one of image bearing. I've been thinking a lot about how we as people are image-bearers of our God, the One who made men and fashioned women, the same One who fearfully knits unborn children in their mother's wombs, the same One who transcends the color of skin or eyes, the same One who creatively makes different smiles, different personalities, different shapes, sizes, and textures of hair. That Amazing God, whose creativity is immeasurably expressed in the intricacies of creation, chose to place in the heart of mankind - eternity. The souls of men - restless until they find their rest in Him. The thought of creating souls that can think, feel, and choose - billions of them, each unique. Come on. That is impressive. Billions of image bearing souls walk the earth tonight. 

The Garden was a place of rest. Work. Yes. Kinda. Keeping and cultivating and loving and enjoying paradise was life. I am still perplexed how those two people, in perfect paradise, with perfect freedom, knowing perfect provision, enjoying a shame-less, guilt-less, sin-less life with God and each other --- would have chosen sin. But, they did. No doubt. 

The Garden is gone. Or at least inaccessible to man. Now, cities are filled with shame, guilt, and sin. Cities around the world are epicenters of invented gods and counterfeit glory. Now, people go to cities to find themselves, make a life for themselves, forge an identity for themselves, make a name for themselves, on a quest to satisfy themselves. 

Interestingly, one can observe this phenomenon at work: the larger the city - the less eye contact. Walk down the street of small town America and people look you in the eye. Walk down a dirt road in Buloba, Uganda - and everyone is looking at you. Hop on the subway in NYC, and you will be hard-pressed for eye-contact. Try the MTR in Hong Kong, very similar (though much cleaner and more pleasant) - you will be hard pressed for eye-contact. Something about being around a lot of people, actually makes people appear less interested in other people. 

Yet -- as image-bearers of our God -- We need to place value on the image we bear. Hello. We are made in the image of God. So, all the more, as the redeemed sons and daughters, beloved ones, forgiven ones, purchased ones,grace-changed ones -- as we fix our eyes on the Author and Perfecter of our faith - can we look people in the eyes in the hope they will see "the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6b) 

Image bearers. Eyes reflect. Eyes receive.

What do people see when they see your eyes? 

What do you see in the eyes of the redeemed? 

What do you see in the eyes of those still searching? 

From the Garden to the City - Part 1.

Then the Lord God took man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 1:15

This week, my blog journey will be in the thought of movement from a garden to a city. Scripture unfolds the story of God and His people in a garden, and there we see man is charged to cultivate and keep it. Sin invades. The garden is off limits. Man wanders. God still reigns. Man builds towers and cities. God still reigns. God's people experience wilderness until they can appreciate the Promised Land. God still reigns. Even in Canaan, the people are prone to wander. God still reigns. Redemption once and for all is born and dies. God still reigns. Eternal Life rises from death. God still reigns. The message of the Redeemer goes out to the countryside and cityscapes. The course of history changes forever because of Jesus. Eternity is life forever in the holy city (check out Revelation 21). 

Still, all of the cities on earth, great and small, have a limited shelf-life. This generation is in the midst of the greatest movement towards urbanization in the history of the world. Millions are migrating towards the urban city-cores around the earth. Less gardens and more cities. Less cultivating and less keeping. And yes, there are great cities all over earth where very few people believe that Redemption is in Jesus. 

Yet, nothing will stand in the way of wrath and justice. No amount of neon, steel and concrete can withstand God's righteous and holy anger towards the sin of man. So, all the great cities that are and will be, face eternity. Either the Redeemer pays or eternity will be hellish beyond description...I'm thankful to have friends and family that are shaken by the reality that BILLIONS of souls are screaming towards a Christ-less eternity. Big cities. Small cities. Everything in between. Lives are all around us, but do they know Life? Will I share Life in the context of love? Will you? Am I? Are you?  

It's His word of power that spins the earth, sustains our breath, and maintains control... and at some point after unspeakable chaos and destruction, we are promised the story resumes for those who believe, in a New City, only this time there is no sun or moon, but the glory of God lights the streets. These streets are the walkways of the New City. They line the neighborhoods where the people of God from every tribe, tongue, and nation will celebrate Jesus. Forever. What an amazing City this will be. The convergence of global cultures - centered around the King of All Kings - Jesus.

And the city, has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of the Lord has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb... Revelation 21:23

 

$58 Guarantee of Love?

A hospital distributed makeup mirrors bearing medical ads to a Changchun university, reports the New Culture View.The mirrors were passed out at the door to the cafeteria to every student who entered from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm.

The mirror was enclosed in a seven by five centimeter plastic case. On the front was the the inscription: "1,000 yuan in generous aid." Inside: "Ultrasound visual painless abortion (超导可视无痛人流): It only takes 400 yuan and three minutes for the safest guarantee of love," and ""Show this mirror to the hospital and you can get a female check-up, ultrasound, expert appointment, and early pregnancy check-up free of charge." And on the back: "30% discount on all female disease treatments and surgeries (vagina tightening, maidenhead repair, ectopic pregnancy, cervical cancer). Medicine during treatment is free."

The president of the hospital, a certain Mr. Wu, told the New Culture View that the hospital used to hand out leaflets, but their effect was not very good because too many people threw them away without reading them. The hospital is now using the mirrors in the hope that people will keep them longer. Wu also said that they chose the university to distribute the ads simply because university students are their core customer group.

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When I read an article like this -- I think about the thousands of families waiting to adopt children from China. For about $58 (or 400 yuan) university students can have an abortion in three minutes, meanwhile, for $25,000 USD families can wait years for a child. Things like this make no sense. 

It is incomprehensible how anyone can murder a child and label it "the safest guarantee of love". Sad. Incidentally since 1973 in America? 50 million abortions. 

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 

Psalm 139:13-14

perfect peace

坚 心 倚 赖 你 的 ， 你 必 保 守 他 十 分 平 安 ， 因 为 他 倚 靠 你 。

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isa 26:3

While I try to blog every day, there are days where that doesn't happen. So much has been happening in these days. After sharing the news of our transition to Hong Kong on Thursday at encounter, we spent the weekend in Montgomery with our family, spoke at Christchurch on Sunday, then went to another fall festival that afternoon, and then our week gets flipped backwards with encounter beginning on mondays for the next three weeks. Life is moving pretty fast. 

One thing I continue to experience is the promise and provision of peace - the kind of "shalom" peace (or as they used to say/mean the wholeness of God) when I stay my mind on Him. It's not to say there's not stress, or drama, or low moments -- but it is totally true that in those moments when I am aware of human frailty -- that perfect peace is my reality as I choose to trust in Him. 

By the way, Josh, our oldest son, has begun to ask me lately about "his" bible, and if i will tell him more stories about Jesus. Last week, he said he wanted to go "where you preach daddy". I am humbled by these words of his, and more than anything hope to point him towards Jesus. My desire to be the perfect father gains sobriety fairly often when he sees / I see how imperfect I am . April and I saw an old friend at a wedding this weekend, and she remarked  "Being a parent so reminds me of my sin and need for a Savior. I am in counseling because of it. I feel at though I am making no progress in my faith" --- Now that's honesty for you. She's right about the reminder. My point in saying this, is that imperfect people can and do know perfect peace - as we stay our minds on Him.

these people make me laugh.

Today for the most part is a day to do nothing, on purpose. It is so good to be around these little clowns. When Luke is old enough, I'm pretty sure the laughter will be multiplied all the more. It's days like this where its cool / rainy and we're forced to stay inside that random hilarious moments happen. 

Yes. It is true.

Yes. We are moving to Hong Kong next summer.
Yes. Encounter will be ending at the end of this semester. 
Yes. We still love you and still love Auburn.

After praying about this for more than a year, April and I sense a clear calling to move our family to Hong Kong, China. As we have processed this enormous idea, we have rested in the fact that God would make every step clear for us. In short, He has. The clearest confirmation of this decision is our unity; we are believing God together on this.

After sharing this burden and our vision for ministry to university students in Hong Kong with the Grace Campus board of directors, our pastors, family, and staff team, we have made the decision to re-plant our family in Hong Kong. With the approval of our board of directors, we will be establishing Grace Campus Hong Kong in the summer of 2009.

I can tell you that Hong Kong is uniquely positioned as a gateway city to mainland China. In Hong Kong, more than 100,000 university students across multiple campuses in HK live and study; about 20% of those students are from mainland China. Less than 5% of the 7.3 million people living in Hong Kong professs faith in Jesus.

For the most part, collegiate ministry is overlooked by the local Church in HK, but we believe this is one of the most strategic times to influence men and women as they determine their values and future direction. With great joy, we want to serve the Church by influencing the next generation to know and love Jesus Christ.

Imagine Auburn's campus if all the great churches and campus ministries were gone ... it would be a different place. Here in Auburn, you can choose from multiple meetings, worship gatherings, bible studies, community groups, and churches. There? Not much. In fact, very, very little is happening on the collegiate ministry scene in Hong Kong. Literally, people are hungry to know Jesus and not many people are there sharing the story of Grace. How can this be?

On November 20th, we will share the story at encounter of how God has worked in our lives, and our process as a family of walking into this next season of life together. We would love for you to be there!

jet lag isn't always bad.

I got back from Hong Kong two days ago, and so far - jet lag is not so bad. The trip was amazing. 

God did more in my heart than I could have anticipated. I am so thankful for His clear leadership and for the provision He shows our family. Our hope is in Him. 

This morning, baby Luke and I are up really early together. Just the two of us. It's awesome. The house is quiet. He's having his morning bottle and me... well, coffee with soymilk because we ran out of real milk. His little leg movements and hiccups remind me of the same little season of life with Josh and Caleb as well. Life IS precious. The biggest thing I have come to understand about home life -- is that it's less about our address, and more about who is home. April and I have been talking a lot lately about what "home" really is -- and it's people for sure.

We could live anywhere I think, and as long we make / our families make the effort to communicate. We're home. 

Luke - I've read the accounts of missionary fathers who've left house and home on a quest for adventure, and forgotten their children. In my mind, their "success" on the field is immeasurably compromised if they fail their families. If you read this 20 years from now - please know you are true joy to me and I delight in your little life. If we go anywhere on "mission" in this earth, I hope you know how much more you are loved.