Prayer

What better place to study for a midterm than on a blog? 

From the book - The Essence of the New Testament:  A Survey By Elmer L. Towns & Ben Gutierrez

Luke is the most prayerful Gospel:  He (Luke) shows Jesus in prayer more than any of the other Gospels.

• Jesus prayed at His baptism
• all night before selecting the 12 apostles
• over the fish and loves before feeding 5000
• before announcing His coming death to the disciples
• at His transfigureation
• when the 70 returned from their mission
• just before the disciples asked him to teach them how to pray
• in Gethsemane before his arrest
• and twice on the cross he prayed

How much do I want to be like Jesus?

 Not only did Jesus give us his example in prayer He also exhorts His followers to pray:

• for their enemies
• for workers to be sent into God's harvest field
• for needed things
• always
• to avoid tempation

The Covenant

Traditional Jewish Engagement/Wedding - (as it was described to me)

A man decides he wants to get married.   He then goes to the girl's father and they discuss the bride price.  After the price has been set they take a cup of wine, when it touches the lips the deal is sealed.   The groom agrees to the bride price and he drinks.   Then he turns to the girl and says "this is the cup of my covenant, will you agree to the deal."   

The cup touches her lips and the deal is sealed.  

She is promised to him.  

He is promised to her.

Then they part ways.  He goes to his fathers house to prepare a place for his bride.   The whole extended family would be living in the same courtyard.  Each son who marries adds a room to his father's house for his wife.   

Meanwhile the bride is in her own home preparing herself for her grooms arrival.   She stops all other plans and begins in earnest to prepare to be a wife.   She learns from her mother, her aunts, and the other married ladies the things that she needs to know for her future marriage.  She is busy preparing herself for that great day when the groom will come and get her. All the while she will be totally faithful to him.  

Into this culture - enter JESUS.   

Luke 22:20 - Jesus took the cup, saying "This cup is the new covenant" 
(remember, what this means in the Jewish culture?)

Luke 22:42 - Jesus prayed; "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will , but yours be done" (he had made a commitment, he would keep it)

John 14:1-3 - Jesus says; "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  

(according to the Jewish customs this sounds a whole lot like a marriage proposal followed by the preparations that need to take place)  

And now...
While the groom has gone to his Father's house to make preparations for his bride, What is the bride doing? 

Stop Doing List

Here's a "Stop doing list" from Phil Cook

1. Stop avoiding responsibility     "Own It"
2. Stop multitasking                      "Focus"
3. Stop talking                              
4. Stop complaining                      (How much time do we spend complaining to people who can't fix the problem?)
5. Stop working randomly             (Find your most productive time and use it.)
6. Stop ignoring your story
• your past
• your family
• what makes you different? 
• what makes you stand out? 
• what makes you, you? 

If you can tap into who you are it will transform what you do!   

The WORD

 
On the book of John...

Why the use of the word "Word" to refer to Jesus Christ?

Here is a key Old Testament passage to understanding God's "Word".  

Isaiah 55:10-11
As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, So is my word that goes out from my mouth:  it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.   
  
What does this tell us about The Word? 

1. It is sent from God
2. It will accomplish what it was sent for
3. It always returns with a message of accomplisment

In the Old Testament God sent his word to guide his people. 
In the New Testament Jesus came to us as God's word.   

To Learn...

The desire to learn is upon me.  

I've had 4 days of class and I'm so excited about more.   It's best though if I don't think about it in years but rather in moments...days...and the joy of learning more.  

Random things I've learned...
It's so simple really.  I've spent a lifetime trying to remember what was created on which day of creation and wonder of wonders it now all makes sense.  I could tell you what was made on each of those 6 days.  It's really quite simple to keep it all in order.

And the the Israelites when leaving Egypt.   They had the mindset of slaves.  Well duh, of course they did that's all this generation had known.   Slavery!  
Now to get their thinking from the thought patterns of a slave to believing that they are truly God's chosen people.  
And what about me - Do I simply think of myself as a "sinner saved by grace"?  or do I think of myself as a saint?  

Learning simple things....

It makes me happy! 

Reflections!

08/08/07 - was it not just yesterday?   (Or maybe it was 100 years ago.)
That's the day I made my very first stop at the Vientiane International Airport. 

I had no idea what I was doing.  
No idea what I was getting into.  
No idea how much my life would change over the next few years.   
I had no idea how much I would learn to love the people in this little country or how frustrated I'd get with cultural differences I couldn't understand.  
I had no idea how much I would change and grow.   

Looking back it can feel like 100 years ago.   Never mind the fact I was 28 when I arrived I'm pretty sure I was still a kid.  

Looking back it feels like yesterday.  Wasn't it just yesterday I took that first all night bus ride to the south?   Wasn't it just yesterday I arrived LATE to that first language class because I got lost? 
Wasn't it just yesterday - Oh wait - that was 100 years ago I taught that first class with much fear and trembling.   

Wow, so many thoughts, so many things, so many feelings, so many...

I'm at a loss for words!   

I'm  speechless!  

Random Things

 So the recent past (okay so maybe not as recent as yesterday) I've had several experience which I considered blog worthy.   As a matter of fact during the events I've thought, "Now this is going to be a good story".  Unfortunately, remote mountain trails, tiny airplanes, and mini-vans are not exactly the best locations for wi-fi.  

That's right, I don't even own a SMART phone with which to access the internet.   I am proud of my phone though.  (I had no intention of writing about my phone but now feel the urge to add a small blurb about it)   My phone is now over 5 years old.   Was the cheapest one I could find back in those days and it still works.   No, you can't really see the numbers (more importantly the letters), and yes, it is cracked and the buttons sometimes take extra effort to push but I don't want to hear anyone bad mouthing my phone.   My only regret is I never gave him a name!  Yes, I am quite proud of my special little phone and it's very sad to think I may have to give him up soon.   But I've heard it said, don't cling to your friends too tightly.  

Anyway, as I was saying - In the recent past I've actually felt like I may be living up to my blogs name.   Sunshine - I've seen it, I even saw a sunrise.   That is a fairly unusual thing for me, therefore picture worthy! 

Rain - I've felt it.   Traveling at dusk by dirt bike on fairly rough roads.   It sorta stings the face but hey, I was just the passenger so the driver got the worst of it.   I'm not complaining 'cause that was one of my best trips yet!  

Dust - This picture may not do justice to the dust but check it out.   There really was a pretty good supply of dust on my face.

And Potholes - Well, I actually don't know if potholes is actually the correct word for what was involved in this trip but I got a real close up look at a large rut in what might someday be a road.  
Possibly the reason I could no longer focus at the time of the picture taking (no idea where I was looking) was the fact that my toe was throbbing from the pain of the dust caked inside of it in places that dust and dirt was never intended to go.   (again I'm not complaining - I could've lost a toe)    So this is just a group of amazing people who went on an amazing trip where most of my friends have never been.  

(forgot to mention that most of the rugged roads we were on was by accident but I really think it was a pretty good accident.) Pretty sure I can now say I've been places you've never been!  

And now... friends are arriving at Cafe Nomad so I'll have to save the super small airplane and the mini van stories for later.  

Sometimes I wonder, of all the people in the world why am I so blessed to be able to see so many places in this great big world!  

Tuk Tuk's, Guesthouse's and Shattered Glass

It's amazing what might await a person who simply wants to do a small get away to relax.   Upon arrival at my small destination town I dig the crumpled paper with my guesthouse name and approach a Tuk Tuk driver.   Ok I lied - I didn't approach a tuk tuk driver, I entered the excited mob who all wanted go give me a ride to my awaiting guest house.  
Since I had a good idea (but not a 100% idea) as to where my guesthouse might be located I sorta had in my head how much I would be willing to pay for this little ride.   The price in my head and the price given to me did not match.   I would maybe pay 30 baht but I'm not even considering 60 baht so I began walking.   About half way to my destination I meet more Tuk Tuk drivers - Guess what the price is still 60 baht.   And these guys even got a good laugh for our little conversation as I said, "If I knew exactly where the guesthouse was, I'd walk."  
Among their laughter they said the equivalent of "You don't know so you can't walk".  

Guess what?!

I kept walking!!  

Guess what else?  

I found the guesthouse very nicely on my own!

As luck would have it, upon arrival at my guesthouse I was ushered up 3 flights of narrow steps.  Have I mentioned yet that I have my small pull behind suitcase, and my computer backpack and it's 100degress outside so I'm hot and sweaty and pretty sure all signs of beauty have long disappeared. 
Yet what's 3 flights of narrow stairs after dealing with tuk tuk drivers and walking from the bus station.  I am starting to wonder when the relaxing will start.  

Enter - nice room, complete with a refrigerator larger than my own person fridge at my house and lovely TV Channels.   Complete the room with rather mismatched lace curtains and an equally ugly lace table cloth covering the coffee table.  
In this particular case I should have looked under the lace before sitting down.

But after 3 flights of stairs a person has to take a load off their feet, right?

Down I went - Then begins the shattering of glass.  
I really expected to hear knocking on the door very soon as the noise from that broken table could/should have been heard very far away.  

Since no one arrived to check on me I decided to wait until morning and try to explain to the staff why there was much glass spread around their once clean room.   But even in the morning by the attitude of the staff you could imagine that they are used to cleaning up glass tabletops.   After paying my 600 baht to get it replaced you almost have to wonder if the glass table tops are actually a money making scheme.

Hmmm, I'll have to keep that in mind when planning for my own guest house someday.  

The only other thing I managed to break that week was one of the blood red glasses that was kept on top of the LARGE refrigerator.   How was I suppose to see that it was partly on the door when I swung the door open. 

I wonder if these people ever want to see me again?  

I don't give the Tuk Tuk's business and I break things in the guesthouse.   What better way to relax?