Hey guys (or gals),
As many of you know, my sister Jenny is spending this semester working in Kitale, Kenya. Well, it turns out I am going to be her neighbor for about a week during the month of June. That's right, I am headed to Uganda approximately 6 weeks from now. My team of young adults from Highland Baptist Church will be doing a threefold ministry through medical clinics, VBS/children's ministry, and Hoops for Hope basketball ministry at Restoration Gateway. I'm interested to see (and you may be, too) how we can squeeze all of this in during a week's time! Restoration Gateway was started by a couple from Waco, Texas and I am very excited to be a part of what they are doing for God's children in Uganda.
I will certainly post an update with pictures when I get back from my trip. In the meantime, I would love to have some of you sponsor me on this trip if you are able. The total cost will be just over $2000. If you would like to help by sending a check, you can write it to Highland Baptist Church and put "Uganda 11" in the memo line. You can send them to me, or to HBC at 3014 Maple Avenue in Waco, TX (76707).
Thanks y'all!
LB
4.26.2011
4.07.2011
Prayer
I've just finished John Piper's study on missions, entitled "Let the Nations Be Glad!" It is the best DVD study I have ever done and I highly recommend it. I have always struggled with reading Piper because he is so wordy, but the DVD allowed us to watch him speak his words and while it didn't reduce the wordiness, listening to his own inflection and watching his body language made it much more alive and understandable, if that's a word. The weekly homework was short and to the point and really opened God's word to me. The last session was on prayer, and one thing he brought up was the Lord's prayer. We all know it:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen.
If you notice what Jesus asks for in His prayer, it is:
1. that God's kingdom come (and it will)
2. that God's will be done
3. that He provide our basic necessity (food, and/or His Word)
4. that God deliver us from evil and temptation
It is not for a comfortable and cush life. It is not for that he make our way easy-going, or that he save us from suffering. For Jesus told us that we WILL suffer in this life. (There is a whole other section about suffering that follows which is also really good, but I will save that for another time.)
Piper's main point about prayer is that it is meant to be a wartime walkie-talkie, a direct line to the Father while we are down here fighting for His kingdom on earth, and that prayer malfunctions when we turn it into a domestic intercom (i.e. praying for a comfortable, easy, and pain-free life). He says, "You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is WAR."
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen.
If you notice what Jesus asks for in His prayer, it is:
1. that God's kingdom come (and it will)
2. that God's will be done
3. that He provide our basic necessity (food, and/or His Word)
4. that God deliver us from evil and temptation
It is not for a comfortable and cush life. It is not for that he make our way easy-going, or that he save us from suffering. For Jesus told us that we WILL suffer in this life. (There is a whole other section about suffering that follows which is also really good, but I will save that for another time.)
Piper's main point about prayer is that it is meant to be a wartime walkie-talkie, a direct line to the Father while we are down here fighting for His kingdom on earth, and that prayer malfunctions when we turn it into a domestic intercom (i.e. praying for a comfortable, easy, and pain-free life). He says, "You cannot know what prayer is for, until you know that life is WAR."
4.04.2011
Birthday fun
I had a great birthday weekend. It was packed with family and food and driving and movies (in the car) and beautiful weather! Here are a few things I got for my birthday:
I got to ride around with Ben in his new Jeep. This was the one thing I wanted to do for my birthday and it happened! He took me to Sonic and to dinner. And as it turns out, he's a pretty good driver.
I took a road trip. Mom, Mero, and Pam picked me up from work on Thursday and we drove to Houston for the night. Mero had her test on Friday morning and passed, so we all got to go downtown to the Federal Courthouse to watch her take the oath of citizenship. Then we all went out for BBQ to celebrate! It was very exciting, and it truly blessed all of us to be there. We drove back to Waco that night and then onto Dallas, Flower Mound, and Fort Worth for the rest of the weekend. I got to see Marcus High School and the Botanical Gardens. We even took Mero to the stockyards and had her picture with a real longhorn. It was lots of fun! Last night they went to Crawford and had their picture taken with George W!
I got to try new foods - one of my favorite things! We went to Ciro's on my birthday and I ordered seafood pizza. I know, it sounds weird, but it was tasty. Friday night we stopped at Ninfa's in College Station. Then on Saturday night we went out for Korean food in Fort Worth, and on Sunday we had lunch at Fadi's (Mediterranean). I found out that I love grilled cauliflower. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE to eat, and I LOVE ethnic foods. Here is one of the cakes we had for my birthday!
I finally got to redo my flower beds. This has been an ongoing process in March and one I have really looked forward to. We took out the old bushes, brought out the beds, and put in fresh new pretty things. I really hope I can make them last!
I got to ride around with Ben in his new Jeep. This was the one thing I wanted to do for my birthday and it happened! He took me to Sonic and to dinner. And as it turns out, he's a pretty good driver.
I took a road trip. Mom, Mero, and Pam picked me up from work on Thursday and we drove to Houston for the night. Mero had her test on Friday morning and passed, so we all got to go downtown to the Federal Courthouse to watch her take the oath of citizenship. Then we all went out for BBQ to celebrate! It was very exciting, and it truly blessed all of us to be there. We drove back to Waco that night and then onto Dallas, Flower Mound, and Fort Worth for the rest of the weekend. I got to see Marcus High School and the Botanical Gardens. We even took Mero to the stockyards and had her picture with a real longhorn. It was lots of fun! Last night they went to Crawford and had their picture taken with George W!
I got to try new foods - one of my favorite things! We went to Ciro's on my birthday and I ordered seafood pizza. I know, it sounds weird, but it was tasty. Friday night we stopped at Ninfa's in College Station. Then on Saturday night we went out for Korean food in Fort Worth, and on Sunday we had lunch at Fadi's (Mediterranean). I found out that I love grilled cauliflower. If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE to eat, and I LOVE ethnic foods. Here is one of the cakes we had for my birthday!
I finally got to redo my flower beds. This has been an ongoing process in March and one I have really looked forward to. We took out the old bushes, brought out the beds, and put in fresh new pretty things. I really hope I can make them last!
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