Worthwhile Chatting Saturday, Jul 12 2008

I had mentioned in a previous post about my conviction of not having Christ-centered conversations when I was meeting with other Christians, so Bill and I have been evaluating that lately.  Basically, we came up with a few questions to help keep Christ in the middle of the conversation, most of which are on the Girl Talk blog.

When we are meeting someone new…

1.  Tell me the story of how you got together (this is an ice breaker question that really helps you learn about the other Christians, but you can obviously only use it if you’re meeting someone who is married or dating).
2.  How did you come to Christ?

When we are repeatedly meeting with someone, particularly for accountability or discipling (though they work great with any believers)…

1.  Describe your current practice of the spiritual disciplines.
2.  What passage of scripture have you been meditating on recently?
3.  What fruit of the spirit are you cultivating?
4.  What sin are you seeking to weaken?
5.  How can I pray for you?
6.  Here is an evidence of grace that I observe in your life.
7.  How are you seeking to grow in spiritual masculinity/femininity?

To get conversation going with unbelievers, Bill recommends “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.  There is absolutely nothing Christian about the book.  He is actually trying to teach you how to make sure everyone loves you–not what we’re going for here.  Bill finds it useful, though, for learning how to take the focus off self and have a sincere interest in others lives for the purpose of building relationships.  Prayerfully, that relationship will quickly turn into an open door to share the gospel.

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Ted’s Testimony Wednesday, Jul 2 2008

We had a wonderful priviledge this past weekend.  We finally got to hang out with our friends Ted and Kelly (sorry, Kacie).  There was great fellowship and more than a few laughs.  It was especially funny when Ted showed Liam his tongue trick and Liam screamed.

After the kids went to bed, we asked them to share how they became believers.  Ted shared first, and Bill and I are still talking about how much it blessed us.  First, this guy has been a believer for a couple of years now, but he’s actually excited about it still.  Though I say that tongue-in-cheek, it really seems true that most of us lose our enthusiasm after we’ve been around other Christians who have lost their enthusiasm after being around other…you get the idea.  Well, Ted hasn’t.  You would think he had heard about Jesus for the first time hours beforehand.  He truly treated the cross with the honor it deserves, as being by far the greatest news we could ever have.

Something else–his testimony was loooong.  So long, in fact, that Kelly didn’t have a chance to share her story with us because it got so late (you owe us, Kelly).  We all lovingly picked on him for talking so much, but while he was sharing I began to realize how often we put time limits on others when they are talking about God’s work in their lives.  Preachers, after all, are really pushing it when they hit the 45 minute mark.  If we were honest, we would admit that much of the time we’re “listening” to a lengthy testimony, we’re distracted by other thoughts and are relieved when the testimony is over.  What is it, exactly, that we need to get to right then?  Food prep, bed, television, sitting on the couch, reading, hobbies, errands?  Isn’t that all “dung” compared to Christ’s love, grace, and faithfulness (Phil. 3:7-8)?

As we watched Ted’s passion and heard a truly amazing story of God’s grace (aren’t they all?), we were refreshed and convicted.  We hope to have many more opportunities like this where we can rejoice in the Lord always without thinking anything is the world is more worth our time.  Maybe the next time will be Kelly’s testimony…    

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Home Missionaries Thursday, Sep 13 2007

Bill and I were at a class last night at church that talked a bit about what it meant to be a missional church.  At the beginning of the class, our pastor had us reflect on the last time we reached out to an unbeliever.  I realized it had been a while.  I have lived in a little “believer bubble” pretty much since I became a stay-at-home-mom 2 1/2 years ago.  I basically hang out with my husband and kids, church family, and other believing friends.  I probably could count on one hand the amount of unbelieving friends I currently have.  I was ashamed to think about it.

Our pastor explained that missional is not the same as missionary minded (though we are also missionary minded).  Missionary minded basically focuses on overseas missions, wheras missional focuses on understanding and being a part of the culture around us so we can more adequately share the gospel with people where we are.  As the night progressed, I realized that if we uprooted our family to become overseas missionaries I would most likely be aggresive and intentional about getting to know the culture and sharing the gospel every chance I got.  I wouldn’t be O.K. with making that big of a life change and then failing to do the job I had gone there to do.

The fact is, God has placed me here in Louisville, KY (and soon New Albany, IN) to do the same work as He has called overseas missionaries to do–to spread His gospel to those around us.  If a mission board were funding me to go overseas, I am quite sure they would send me home if I were making no attempts to spread the news that Jesus, who was sinless, took the wrath of God that we deserve upon Himself.  I don’t have to go before a mission board, but I will have to stand before God some day and give an account of all I’ve done or not done, and if that were to happen today, I’m certain I would not hear the words, “Well done.”  This was the one command Jesus gave before ascending to Heaven, and I have barely made an attempt at it.

When Bill and I were on staff at our previous church, our pastor wisely asked each of us in staff meetings each week to give an account of how we had shared the gospel with an unbeliever in the last seven days.  I remember many times I wished I could excuse myself right before that time.  It was difficult, but he helped to hold us accountable and regularly pushed us to be more intentional in this area.  I need you, my friends, to hold me just as accountable.  Be my mission board.  Ask me each time you see me (or ask me here on the blog) how I’ve been working to share the gospel.  I will try to do the same for you.  Imagine the work God might do if we show faith in Him by being obedient.

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Rappa P Diddy Homefry Monday, Sep 10 2007

So, my brother Paul is not a very public guy.  He doesn’t care for the spotlight and certainly doesn’t enjoy making a fool of himself.  Well, when your paycheck is on the line, that can change things a bit.  And this video (which actually did air as a commercial in western Kentucky) is proof of that.  So, presenting my nearly-CPA brother Paul or, as I like to call him, “Rappa P Diddy Homefry” (he’s the one with hair, by the way):

NOTE: You’ll have to click on the picture below to go to YouTube and watch the video.

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Ministry from Home Sunday, Jul 29 2007

Bill and I have been trying to have a more relaxed schedule in the evenings so we can focus on ministry opportunities.  We want our children to see us doing things to serve others in our spare time instead of sitting on the couch.  Some ideas we have come up with are writing notes of encouragement, preparing freezer meals, knocking on neighbors doors for fellowship, and helping our brothers and sisters at church with needs they have (i.e. moving or babysitting).  We are a bit limited, though, since it’s not easy to get out much with two little ones, especially considering nap and bed times.  What do some of you do to serve others from your home?  We really want to work hard in this area and would appreciate your input.

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Most Creative Answer Wednesday, Jul 25 2007

We almost forgot to award the most creative answer from our post announcing my new pregnancy.  The award goes to (drumroll, please)… Bob and Brenda!  O.K. they didn’t really give an answer, but they did respond entirely in Pig Latin.   Because Katie and Mark wanted it so badly, though, we’ll give them an honorary placement, too.  Bob and Brenda get fellowship at the Bell house with home cookin’, and Mark and Katie will finally get that Owensboro visit sometime soon.  Congratulations, guys, on a witty mind!

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Honors for the Day! Wednesday, Jul 4 2007

Cudos to our friend Carrie Q. for solving our mysterious post first!  For those of you who didn’t get it, eethray underay eethray was pig latin for three under three (aka, we’re pregnant again!).  I understand that pig latin is pretty hard, but when you’re a genius like Carrie, nothing is too difficult.  Maybe it’s because she is due with her 2nd child only weeks before we are due with Munchkin, or maybe it’s because she lives in the same neighborhood we hope to move into, or maybe it’s just because she’s so darn cool.  Anyway, she is the winner, so she gets honors for the day.

We have only known Carrie for a few months now.  She and her husband Jeremy lead a community group in the same house where we meet with ours.  They also have a gorgeous little girl named Noelle (who has a love/fear relationship with Liam).  Though we still don’t know the Q’s extremely well, it has been apparent to us from the beginning that their first priority in life is to live with the cross at the center of everything they do.  It is rare to see either Carrie or Jeremy without sensing the joy they feel, or without getting a word of encouragement from them.  Somehow they make you feel like you are the most important person in the world.  They display the kind of love we yearn to show in our everyday life.  The only thing I really know about them is that I want to know more about them.

For Carrie’s prize, she either gets a date out with Jeremy while we watch Noelle, whatever kind of chocolate (or other sweets) she wants, or a brand new car (O.K. really you only get to choose from the 1st two, and actually you can have both of them).  We would have done those things for her anyway, but it’s more fun to say that that’s her prize.  Anyway, great job, Carrie, for a job well done.  You’re honored for the day (and each day following)!      

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Giving Mommy a Break Friday, Apr 27 2007

I’m writing this while the kids are sleeping peacefully for their afternoon nap.  The apartment is quiet and everything seems rather ordinary–except for one thing: Mommy’s not here.  You see, Courtney took the afternoon (and possibly evening) off to have a small personal retreat.  One thing that has been hard to do for Courtney as a full-time nursing mother is to give her any “vacation time”–more than that, just a little time off!   For those of us who work for companies, we not only get vacation time, we actually get to stop doing our job at some point during the day and usually have one or two entire days off, namely weekends.  Not so for the 24-hour mommy.  The job is constant, tiring, demanding, exhausting, _________ (feel free to toss in any other word you think would best describe it).  So, in order to help Courtney get a break and be rejuvenated, I’m taking responsibility for the kids while she goes wherever she wants to be alone and privately worship God.

Now, I don’t tell you readers (all three or so of you ) this to build myself up (imagine macho guy voice: “Yeah, I’m making the huge sacrifice of watching the kids by myself so that Court can have some time to herself.”  Yeah, right.) because a few hours isn’t that bad.  No, I’m writing this to honor my wife who hasn’t gotten more than a few four-hour breaks from being a Mommy in almost six months.  And for me, it is a very small thing to watch my little boy and girl for the rest of the day.  I’m looking forward to some special time with them, so that their Mommy will have no obligations, no time constraints, no hungry babies, and no temper-tantrum-throwing toddlers.  Will she be glad to come home at the end of the evening and take up her mommy duties again?  I’m sure she will, for she embraces and loves caring for our children, feeling it is the very life to which God has called her.  But does she need this solitude?  I’m sure she does.  I can’t imagine going six months paying claims for twelve hours a day, seven days a week!

Me?  I’ve got it easy.  I work forty (or a little more) hours a week, sitting in a cubicle, using a computer, getting way overpaid for what I do.  So, today I want to honor my wife by giving her an opportunity for quiet reflection and, during that time, by sneaking onto the internet to tell all of you how amazing, how patient, how loving, how grace-filled, how radiant my Courtney is, both as a wife and as a mother.  I praise God that He gave her to me as my bride.  And even when she’s wearing spit-up, correcting Liam for the umpteenth time, and cleaning up the havoc wreaked in a way only a toddler can do, I know that her Father is making her more holy, more like Christ every single day by His Spirit.

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Honoring Our Friend Sunday, Apr 15 2007

I just wanted to take a moment to honor someone who is very special to our family–Rachel Hay.  We met Rachel about 3 years ago (right after she graduated from U of L) at Cedar Grove Baptist.  She is a student at Southern Seminary working on her MDiv and works full-time with children who have different sorts of brain injuries.  She also teaches Sunday School (1 & 2 year olds no less).  She is extremely busy, yet she does something very important in addition to all her other obligations.  She watches our children for us every other week so Bill and I can go out together.  As she says, “This is for your marriage.”

You see, though Rachel is single (she says I bring that up every time I see her–sorry, Rachel), she already has wisdom about this reflection of Christ and His bride.  She knows that no matter how much we love our children, we were a family before they came and our marriage still comes first (something that is so easy to forget).  Because of her generosity, Bill and I get to continue working on our relationship uninterrupted so we can reflect Christ’s love for His church and so we won’t be looking across the table at a stranger when the kids are grown and gone.  

Something else Rachel does for me–she reflects absolute beauty.  As one of our mutual friends recently said, “She radiates beauty.”  Why is that helpful to me?  Because though Rachel probably doesn’t know it, and though she is a little younger than me, she has become one of my heroes in the faith.  You see, I’m not sure if I’ve ever met anyone who is more passionate for Christ with a desire to serve Him and Him only with all her heart.  Rachel is the kind of woman every woman should want to model.  I always think, “If my heart looked more like Rachel’s, I would look more beautiful to the world, and even to my husband.”  So today, for no reason other than how much I love her, I want to honor our dear friend to whom we owe so much.     

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