My post today is not really mine, but someone else’s. It was a side note in a email I received from him and I wanted to post it. When you think about Islam, the Middle East, and xtianity, perhaps this will shed some additional light to what understanding you already have. A thought from a reply from a Muslim man living in the Middle East
“The main question before us is not a question about Islam and xtianity; THEROCK or America. The main question before us tonight is this: if the terrorists find us tonight and we are left to face God with all of our ‘ayb - our shame - how shall we face God and give an accounting for all that which shames us? We should be giving honor to God, yet all we have is shame to offer. Who will replace our shame with honor that we could stand before God and give Him the worship He deserves?
Sometimes the question is not always one of right or wrong, one way or another, or some ideological battle of religion, but simply of a fundamental issue of human life. Shame vs. honor. We all deal with it. Some call it honor, others call it pride. Coming into the presence of God is a hard thing, and one that requires you to face your “shame” or sin or guilt or whatever it might be. As you pray during the next month for Ramadan, pray that Jesus would cleanse those that need cleansing of their shame. Pray that people would receive his unfailing love. Pray that they would bear themselves before a loving God and that he would open their eyes and hearts to Him. Pray for peace.
Most of the Kids Klash are hand-knit by mothers in Kurdish villages as wage-earning for the entire family. But some are produced at home by land mine victims who cannot work otherwise; and still others are made in Iraqi prisons as a means of teaching inmates the life-skills they need to re-enter society.
Medical solutions. Physical and social rehabilitation. Caring for Iraq’s poor. Great kids shoes! All things done through the Buy Shoes. Save Lives. program.
I just found a new blog for me to read. It is by my missions mentor, teacher, and all around Truett Superstar - Michael Stroope.
Here is one of his posts that you should go read. And pay particular attention to the middle three paragraphs that start with “In the realm of faith formation,…”
In other news I’m going to be doing some training the rest of this week. Here is what I’m doing:
For almost a year, Global Connection Partnership Network has been developing training that is church-based and deliverable online. The training consists of forty two lessons under the broad categories of Foundations, Character, Community, Competency, Church, Connection, and Covenant. These lessons cover such topics as cross-cultural living, approaching people of other faiths, partnerships, and conflict resolution. The launch of this new form of training will take place on August 14-15, 2008 in Arlington, TX. Once a person is trained and certified to faciliate a learning group, he or she will be able to access the lessons and begin training people in the context of their local church. To learn more about how to be part of this initial workshop, go to http://www.gcpn.org/missional_formation.html .
It turns out that all your “life’s hopes and dreams” are worth just less than $400. Or at least mine are. Ok ok, maybe it’s not “all” my life’s hopes and dreams, just the ones that could make me independently wealthy.The story goes like this…
Iit all started a long long time ago in a far off distant land called “Waco.” In this land the local youth were oppressed with excruciating amounts of work in a forced labor environment called “Baylor.” With no hope of ever coming out from under the excessive amounts of tuition, the future looked bleak for most non “trust fund daddy” individuals.
Then one day the unthinkable happened! A phone call with unimaginable news. No, not the one about The Great Watercress Shortage of 1999. This phone call would bring wonderful delights and hopes of a future that needed no epoxy on a car mirror for the third time, or a 500 sq ft. home to live in. This phone call said “you too can be a trust fund baby.” Goodbye 1994 Pontiac Grandprix, Hello 2008 Honda Accord Hybrid!!
Well, it sounds good and it’s probably going to be the story I tell my grandchildren one day, but it’s not entirely true. The truth is back in 1998/9 there was a small trust fund set up by my aunt in a startup company. There were 9 of us in the trust and it was invested for $100,000. You can do the math to how much each person is worth in it. This was the second company my aunt and her husband had started. The first one “went platinum” so to speak and now they just do whatever they want to. So I had VERY hi hopes for this one. If it did half as well as the first one I would retire when I was 30. Or at least that is what I told Trish.
Well, I turn 30 in a month and a half. Earlier this year the trust was…sadly…closed. In the end after 10 years of nothing but loosing money and whatever taxes had to be paid, I got a check for just under $400.
So in the end, my hopes and dreams of being rich, funding mission activities all over the world, not having to worry about bills and work, just doing whatever God led me to and being able to finance it myself, and buying Trish a car (promise I made 10 years ago)…I wound up with three hundred bucks and some change.
So now I’m forced to decide what to do with my “hopes and dreams.” What would you do with $300+ that was once your dream of sticking it to the man? What do I spend it on? Do I just put it in the bank and have it assimilated with the bills, living, etc.? Do I put it toward some type of loan (student, house, car)? Do I stash it as part of a fund to buy a nice camera? Do I buy and Xbox 360 (or PS3)? Do I give it to Wife at Christmas for a shopping spree? Or maybe I give it to wife because, as she said with her silent look, “you always have to figure out how to spend large sums of money, when do I get some large sums of money?” Or do I do something else with it? What do you think? I’m giving you input on what to do with what was previously part of my life’s hopes and dreams. So vote in the poll and leave me some comments.
**UPDATE** - While the poll result was an overwhelming majority of votes for a Wife shopping spree, I spent it on an xbox 360. Wife ended up getting her own money to spend!
I scheduled a lot of posts to post while I am in Romania. But really I’m far away having more fun than you are in your office cubicle. I just thought I would let you know! Of course I scheduled this one to post as I was coming back, so don’t try to break into my house and steal everything because I’ll be home in a few minutes!!
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