Mod 2 Questions

My financial partners know about our house and ministry, but not necessarily how much we appreciate them.  I need to be more intentional about this; one way is by celebrating ministry anniversaries.

My sleep, exercise and eating habits are kind of weird.  I stay up late, and adjust my eating by limiting myself to one large meal a day.  Probably not the best way, but status quo for now.  Going to bed earlier is the big thing.  Oh, and I don't exercise beyond walking.

Taking a day with the Lord is something I have to build into my life.  I need accountability and structure - that's why the Ops Team HDWTL is so important to me.

Taking the initiative: Module 1

I took the initiative to share the gospel, leaving the results to God, and the results were mixed. I haven't been yelled at or spat upon, and most people share quite a bit about themselves. Sometimes someone prays to trust Christ.

My walk with God has been pretty good - but different with kids. I am not very well-rested in general, which affects my walk. My time is not very flexible. But I find that there are some great moments of spiritual connection with my girls.

Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is an elusive goal. Sometimes I feel stuck in a cycle of my own power. Raising support is a good antidote for this.



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God's Servant

I am praying that God will use me as his servant by...

• connecting w/ the Ops team
• ministering to my supporters
• connecting in a ministering way with potential new supporters
• loving my wife and kids

God's Promises

I have found myself clinging to some promises of God this year, such as:
1. God will provide for me. It's so easy to view jobs that don't involve MPD as more secure. That's not true - actually God's provision is independent of economic flux - but it feels that way. He has sustained us financially during the recession, and still I doubt and am insecure.
2. He will never leave me or forsake me. Romans 3 comes to mind:

³What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness?⁴Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.

And 2 Timothy 2:

¹¹Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,

we will also live with him;

¹²if we endure,

we will also reign with him.

If we disown him,

he will also disown us;

¹³if we are faithless,

he will remain faithful,

for he cannot disown himself.

Sometimes I feel adrift - actually fairly often these days, as my increased obligations combine with some poor choices to create a frustrating spiritual climate in me. God's promises are what I cling to as I push through my circumstances.

My participation in our WSN partnership has opened my eyes to opportunities to serve worldwide. Kerri and I are especially interested in Paris, as the spiritual climate there seems to be similar in some ways to NYC. Plus, it's Paris...

Tim Keller: Religion vs Christianity

I just finished an excerpt of a Tim Keller teaching, linked above [and password protected, sorry]. He makes some remarkable points about truly making a positive impact on American culture. I'll talk about two here:
1. Go to the city. Cities are what impact culture, even if (as in the U.S.) they represent a small proportion of the total population. When christians talk about declining morals in society, they're referencing urban influence, since a majority of suburban and rural Americans self-identify as evangelical or protestant christian (not true in cities like NYC). I've heard him say elsewhere that "the biblical narrative starts in a garden, but ends in a city". I think God has a special heart for cities.
2. Religion versus Christianity. Keller's incisive contrast here is both compelling and convicting. Click on the link and look at #2 for the list- if you're honest with yourself, probably you're like me and are often more religious than christian. He makes these points as a challenge to preach and live the Gospel, not just as a reaction to "liberal theology" but in opposition to religion. Whoa.

Role Model?

Because my life is a role model to other students, I am committed to...

1. Transparency. Appropriately, I hope. I want students and staff to feel that I am honest and open with them about my life - and frankly that's to my benefit, because then I have the opportunity to be corrected when I am in error.
2. Excellence. (Especially in what I produce, as excellence in my life is much more complicated.) I want to model attention to detail, because I believe that matters and is often lacking.
   
3. Processing my issues. This one is not directly related to being a role model (or shouldn't be). I want to not ignore patterns of sin in my life, but acknowledge them as a first step of asking God to intervene.

Seeing a new movement planted and growing makes me think of... the spiritual ripples that will result from a few faithful students who are committed to reaching their friends and peers. This is particularly poignant to me in the Northeast, because of the spiritual climate and potential influence of the students here.

Disappointment with God

When I feel disappointed with God, I remember (or try to) that I don't know the whole story. I'm also coming to realize that disappointment and anger don't have to speak against my relationship with God; rather, they are emotions to be worked through, and even to allow God to speak into eventually. After all, I may be mad, or upset, but He's still my Father. Of Note: I have not yet experienced the depth of disappointment that comes from the loss of a loved one, or tragedy, so my thoughts are essentially theory.

I have experienced God as...

A constant presence - comforting, "in it" with me, convicting when I rebel against him, and always loving. He is there - not in a creepy way, but like a part of me. My experience of life and the world is inevitably filtered through my relationship with God. That part requires little effort; the hard part is intentionally nurturing our relationship. I love God, but my actions and emotions are fickle.

My Team

Each person on my team has been a role model and an example to me:

Ryan has shown me how to balance grace and truth in everyday life. He is transparent with his life, and calm and thoughtful in responding to tense or uncomfortable situations.

Kat has been an example of having a heart for God. Her passion, enthusiasm, and positivity buoy my spirits, and her passion for prayer is an important reminder for me.

Rachel is the work-ethic bedrock of our Ops team. Her attention to detail and commitment to the cause of Christ in and out of the office is inspiring.

Nate's perseverance in moving to Boston, and his ability to make complex mathematical and financial statistics understandable and applicable are both amazing.

Susie's emergence as the leader of the Transition Track, her willingness to lend a hand, and her collaborative spirit are all inspiring.

Paul has a knack for putting his thumb on an issue and not removing it until it is resolved. His intensity, punctuated by incisive humor, is so valuable to our team.

Courtney is an amazing multi-tasker! She handles multi-faceted conferences and events with ease, and her cheerful spirit is a joy to be around.

Julie probably has more ops experience and skill than the rest of us combined; yet she holds decisions with an open hand. Her humble spirit, not to mention her ability to contribute to the team while raising three small children, is phenomenal.

Lorenna has persevered through an incredible trial with her back this semester, and even through surgery and painful rehab has maintained a bright outlook. Next to Julie, she is probably the highest capacity person I know.

Christina has endured tough years of raising support, yet continues to keep at it and is seeing God do some amazing things! Her faith in the face of obstacles is awesome.

I am so thankful for our Ops Team!

Taking the Initiative

The definition of successful evangelism, according to Crusade, is this: Taking the initiative, to share our faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results to God.

I have had the opportunity to share my faith many times since I became a Christ-follower in 1992, and I have come to deeply appreciate the "leaving the results to God" part of CCC's statement. My tendency is to approach a spiritual conversation as a transactional opportunity, and my personal definition of success (sometimes conscious, sometimes not) becomes whether the person chooses to follow Jesus. Given that I am wired as more relational in nature, and not generally an effective "deal-closer", I have been frustrated at times in my evangelism efforts.

The more I internalize Crusade's definition of successful witnessing, however -especially the last part - the free-er I become to engage others in relationship and even to care about them as individuals without imposing a standard of performance on the interaction. This is especially true with my family, with whom I have the closest relationships. My primary role as a son and brother is to know them better, to ask good questions and really listen to them. Knowing that I am to leave the results to God when it comes to faith decisions makes a world of difference.

God's Servant

I am praying that God will use me as his servant as an effective manager of the regional Ops Team. The last year has been a learning process, as I have not managed a team in a long time. One thing I've learned about myself: I love to repeat processes, which over the years this job will allow me to do. A challenge for me: consistently spending time pursuing relationship with God, in prayer and in the Word. Lord, I need your grace and the prayers of your people to be an effective servant. Please help me remember that. To those of you reading: please pray for me. Thank you!