Module 3/12 Questions

When students don’t respond like I hoped, I…

...tend to reevaluate the delivery mechanism rather than the fundamental premise or the validity of what I'm asking.  Mike's statistics related to the Theory of Change have helped me to grow in this area, and the principle is applicable in multiple life situations, such as relationships and interactions with my wife, kids, and coworkers.

When I look at my staff account balance and contributions, I…

...cringe, judge, and doubt.  Then I remember the Lord's faithfulness for the past 8+ years in ministry, and I'm ok-ish.  I don't know where new partners are going to come from - but God does.

Module 2/11 Questions

My financial partners know...that God is doing some amazing things this semester in the Northeast.  At least, they know that if they read my blog entries and prayer letters.  Many of them also know that we need additional support to continue in full-time ministry, as we just sent our EOY Ask.

My sleep, exercise and eating habits are…getting better.  I am working on going to bed most nights at 11.  I don't exercise regularly, but I do walk regularly as part of my commute and time at home.  I eat a LOT of sugar, which I love, and not much salad or vegetables.  Lots of carbs as well.  Hmm...

Taking a day with the Lord is…happening for the Ops Team, me included, next week.  I'm excited about worshipping together to Handel's Messiah.  I'm continuing to pray for God to be my provider - still working out how that works...

Mod 1 Questions

I took the initiative to share the gospel, leaving the results to God, and...the results have been mixed.  I'm ok at initiating, reticent to engage in cold-turkey evangelism, but also protective of my emotional engagement relationally.  This is a growth area for me.

My walk with God has been…interesting.  Tense.  Difficult.  Good.  I've had some good connections, and some active rebellion.  I tend to not spend time with God when I'm not commuting in to work.  I'm experiencing stress in a number of areas and struggling to actively release outcomes to the Lord.

Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit is…a challenge.  Spiritual breathing becomes both more important and more difficult as my stress level increases.  I suspect that neglecting this discipline in the "good times" makes the stressful times that much harder.

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...