back into mountain biking

this summer i have gotten back to my love of mountain biking. these past few years is has been hard to get out because it seems that every 15 minutes or so Stacy and i are spitting out another kid. none the less, being a stay at home dad has it's rewards...the greatest being i get to spend time with my kids that a lot of dad's don't...another being i have more time to get out and enjoy God's creation.

yesterday was the first time this season that i decided to endure the mountain with a friend. seriously, it was two years ago that i consistently rode. one vasectomy and twenty extra pounds later...i am looking forward to getting back into the sport.

when riding, it seems people either complain about their legs getting tired or there lungs about to burst, it's rarely both...for serious riders. yesterday my legs were jello and my lungs exploded inside my body...so it felt! i will probably have a long road to recovery before i can walk down my stairs again but as the old saying says, "no pain, no gain," right?

do you not yet understand?

i am reading through the book of Mark. Jesus had recently fed the 5 thousand with 12 baskets of food left over. in Mark 8 He now fed the 4 thousand with 7 baskets left over. the disciple get into a boat immediately afterwards with Jesus and say...dangit, we forgot bread to eat, what are we going to do.

Jesus reminding them what He had already done in their midst says to them, "do you not yet understand?"

how blind are we to trust the hand of God when He has provided so many time in our lives? how quick do we forget that when we are pursing Him, He will take care of us. He will either close doors or perform miracles...either way we are taken care of.

we have hope...do we not get that?

the countdown is on

over the past few days Stacy and i have really talked about how transition sucks. as many of you know we are in transition between albuquerque and portland. we sold our house a few weeks ago and moved into a temporary home for 3 months. the house we are in is a total blessing compared to the 3 bedroom, 1000 sq ft, apartment for all 5 of us that we had lined up...need i remind you that stacy is a day sleeper 4 days a week. yeah, this house is a blessing.

this house is also a transition which makes it hard too. did i mention that it is in BFE, isolated from society. september 1 is the day our house is ready in portland...the countdown is on to normalcy!

real hope for haiti

earlier i spent about 3 hours reading blogs from Aaron Ivey (band member of Spur 58 and lover of Jesus Christ) about a rescue center (clinic) in Haiti. they are in the midst of a campaign called "Real Hope for Haiti"

over the past 8 months or so my wife has dived into the world of blogging (or stalking) as i like to call it. she came across Aaron and Jamie's blog site (two individual sites though they are married) and read that they were adopting two children from this rescue mission in Haiti. as she dove deeper she not only connected with the heart of the Ivey's but also fell in love with this center in Haiti.

this isn't one of those foundations that you hear about begging for you money to support kids and you have no idea where your dollar is going (not talking about Compassion International. our family has adopted through Compassion and we are extremely blessed...we love you Jonathan). this is a families heart following after God and found themselves in Cazale, Haiti in 1992 hoping to make a difference. in 1999 they took their first child into their home and in 2002 the rescue center come into full fruition.

read their story here. it's truly amazing.

Stacy has been talking about it non-stop for at least 8 months if not longer. she has begged that i read about it...she has now gotten through to me. it recently came to our attention through these blogs that this mission is in need of help financially. this has not come from the rescue center itself but from the people who see the fruit of this center and want to help.

you need to read Aaron's blogs this week to get the full story here. (scroll down till the beginning of this weeks blog entitled "real hope for haiti campaign) it is worth the hour of reading. i am not asking you to do this so you give money or even consider to give money but i am asking you to get connected to a story that bigger than you. a story that is changing lives. a story that needs to be known.

Steven Curtis Chapman loses youngest daugether in accident

My wife came home from work this morning and told me that she read on Yahoo! that a popular Christian artist (Steven Curtis Chapman) lost one of his adopted daughters from China in an accident that happened at their home. I did some reading his webpage and read that it was true. Maria Chapman, 5 years old, was struck by a car in their driveway and died at the hospital.

Check out this link:
http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

I have clowned Steven Curtis Chapman a lot in my life because his music is not something I listen to. It's just taste difference. Something about this man and his family that is undeniable, they seek to further the kingdom of God here on earth and God has given them a unique heart to caring for orphans all over the world. Through todays research I have found out that aside from him and his wifes three kids, they have adopted 3 girls from China. Aside from his successful singing career, he has also started the Shaohannah's Hope Ministry whose mission is mobilizing the body of Christ to care for orphans.

Check out this link:
shaohannahshope.org

This tragedy comes to an amazing family. This tragedy reminds me to cherish every moment that I get with my three little ones. It reminds me to instill the love of God so deep in their core that He is undeniable...and only through God grace that someday they will receive Christ in their lives and live for a purpose that's greater than themselves.

Chapman family, I could never imagine what you are going through. My prayer is that you will continue to place your faith and hope in Jesus Christ through this senseless time for God always makes sense. I pray you mourn and in your mourning that the hand of God comforts you. I pray that millions will be reminded of the gift they have in their children. I pray that many will be encouraged through the faith and dreams God has given you for your lives and that Christ will be evident through your hearts as you continue to look to your creator in this "Job" type moment.

All glory to God even (an most importantly) through our suffering.

Christianiese

You know what I mean! If you have been involved in the American church for any time then you have sat in a service and heard a sermon filled with words you would only hear at a church and most likely if you were asked to define them you would be stumped. I want to focus on one word right now. A word that I have sung countless times and probably never knew what I was singing...till now!

HALLELUJAH.

What does this word mean?

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by something that there were no words to describe your heart. Have you ever had so much on your mind that you sat in prayer but couldn't think of ONE word to say. Overwhelmed...with joy. Overwhelmed...with suffering or anger.

Hallelujah simply is translated from the Hebrew text in scripture meaning "let us praise."

Romans 8:26-28 states, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

Hallelujah!

When our heart is so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God that there are no words...when we are weak in the knees...when we want to praise and cant find the words...when our spirit is broken...Hallelujah.

When our heart is overwhelmed by sin, struggle, suffering, anger...let me praise. Bethany Dillon states it perfect in her song "Hallelujah" (what a ironic titled)..."whatever's in front of me, help me to sing hallelujah...I choose to sing hallelujah."

When there are no words...I choose to sing hallelujah! I am thankful for a God that is familiar with our suffering and familiar with our joy. Don't be afraid to not have the "perfect words" because the perfect word is HALLELUJAH!

Next time you sing this word during a worship setting, think about the Spirit of God interceding on your behalf and rest in His perfect language to approach the throne of grace for you and sit still with one word on your lips...Hallelujah.

Warning: Don't throw this powerful word around senselessly. We may be use to singing it as a joyful response but that has to be transformed in our minds and our heart to fit the biblical definition of this word...God's order for us to praise Him no matter the circumstance,because He deserves it, because He's God. God, in His perfect nature, deserves for us to know what we are saying. Christianiese has to go if we truly want to seek the heart of One True Almighty God!

Cursed Are the Ones Who Can't Abide

My brain tends to work slower than others. I will never forget when my best friend, Jay, came over to my house one morning to share a new song to me. It was Shane and Shane's new album (hot off the presses) "Pages" and the song was "Embracing Accusations." I got the song. I knew what Shane was saying through it. I have even worshiped to this song over and over. Have you ever known something but then God hits your personally with its meaning after the fact, it brings new perspective...an ah ha moment?

I will also never forget sitting in a worship service (or a concert turned worship service) of the Shanes and being brought to my feet as we were sitting there listing to them sing "Embracing Accusations" and balling like a baby as the freedom of Christ poured over me.

I guess this morning was a reconnection...a remembrance of the truth of this song. I was reading in Galatians 3, the inspiration for this song, and I was able to see right through Paul's (the author) heart. The words after Galatians 4 and 5 are heart piercing for a sinner like me. He boldly proclaims that followers should never again be burdened by the yoke of slavery. Dang...sin burdens my heart often. Never to the point of saying that "God can't...in me" but to the point of feeling like trash. It's Scripture like this one that don't help these feelings because I feel I should be "a better Christian."

It's the precursor to Galatians 4 and 5 that sets the tone for Paul's heart in these verses. It's the precursor that Shane so vividly describes in his song. It's this precursor that should define us...not the lies of Satan.

The truth lies is the fact that cursed are those who can't abide in the book of the laws...in the system set up in the first five books of the OT...the Law. If you can't follow these laws set up by God then you are cursed. Can anyone ever reach this perfectionism?

This truth is followed by a greater truth, Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming the curse for us...on the cross. The ultimate truth lies in the fact that we will never be good enough but that Christ has freed us from the curse. We have been supernaturally saved from what is rightfully ours.

If this doesn't throw you to your knees than nothing will...except for the day that every knee will bow in His presence.