Mr. DeMille, I'm Ready for My Close-Up

7 Books I am reading at the moment

Well, Randy tagged me with the 7 books meme. Here goes:

1. The Book of Isaiah - Whatever you are studying at the moment should be considered, right?
2. A Missionary Adventure by Rev. Solomon L. Ginsburg (1928) He was a converted Jew working as a Baptist missionary in Brazil from 1892-1922
3. A Short History of the Baptists by Henry Vedder
4. The Amazing Saints by Phil Saint - He was an older brother to Nate Saint
5. Jungle Pilot - biography of Nate Saint and the early days of the Mission Aviation Fellowship
6. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selsnik - Selznik is known for his artwork. In this story he combines a story and over 150 full page illustrations. My kind of book. Lots of pictures.
7. The Marvels of Grace by Oswald Smith

Ok, so I read a lot of missionary/missions books. What's it to ya? As Randy said, if you read this consider yourself tagged.

What's in a Name?

"Honey, I think I will call him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz."

"But, Isaiah, what does that mean?"

"Oh, i think the Lord said something like, "Quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil.""

"Well, that is an odd name. What does it imply?"

"Before little Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz can say mommy or daddy, the wealth of Damascus and Samaria will be carried off by the king of Assyria."

"Isaiah, dear, I am not sure I like that idea for a name."

"Well, my wonderful wife and prophetess, we are to be examples of faith for the children of Israel."

"Can we at least give Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz a shorter nickname like Masher or Baz or somthing?"

"We will work on it, dear. We will work on it."

-an adaptation of Isaiah 8

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

This is my favorite "patriotic" song. We will be singing this in church on Sunday morning. That is as patriotic as it gets at church, which is fine with me. This song allows me to remember those who fought for my freedom, but more importantly, to worship the God who gave me freedom from death and provided eternal life.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

Pining for Ireland

A year ago my family was in Ireland. God has called my wife and I to mission work and we have a heart for the people in Ireland. Ireland is a very difficult place to do mission work, because the Catholic church and Church of Ireland are very strong there. The Protestant churches are few and far between and very small. Anyways, I have been longing to return. Pictures will have to do for the moment.

Milestone!!!!!

Ian made it through the night wearing underwear (not pull-ups) and stayed dry!!!

Lesson in Futility?

Isaiah's Commission

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

9 He said, "Go and tell this people:
" 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes. ^[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed."

11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Have you ever wondered why God is having you do something and it makes no sense and you don't see any progress? Think of Isaiah (and Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Habakkuk among others) that was commissioned by God to preach the Word and expect no one to hear or act upon his teaching.

I have been feeling this way, in a sense. I am in a position where I see nothing happening. I see a lot happening at church and I know God has called me to ministry and missions. Yet, I am working some place else. I get frustrated easier now than I have ever been in the past. But notice all the "I's". God knows the score. He knows the why's and wherefore's. He has the eternal picture. I have the tiny photo. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and another omni-something. I am as smoke in the wind. God must be my focus, not my trying to please Him.

The Lord's Temple Established

I have started reading Isaiah...slowly... and this was a passage from a couple of days ago. What an awesome time it will be to sit at the feet of Jesus and be taught by Him and to praise Him.


The word which ^(A)Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2Now it will come about that
^(B)In the last days
The ^(C)mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And ^(D)all the nations will stream to it.
3And many peoples will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths."
For the law will go forth ^(E)from Zion
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And ^(F)they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks
^(G)Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
5Come, ^(H)house of Jacob, and let us walk in the ^(I)light of the LORD.

Compliments of BibleGateway.com

Eight Things About Me

Randy tagged me with the 8 Things meme. Here we go:

1. I have been happily married for close to 21 years (July 26) to the same wonderful Christian woman that I don't deserve. God is bringing us closer together every day.
2. God has blessed me with musical talent that was nurtured by my mother and grandmother. I was classically trained on the piano from ages 5-20, took voice lesson and now play keyboards in the Worship Band at Vista Grande Baptist Church
3. Mission work is my passion. This is God's calling on my life. It helps that I enjoy international travel. Over the last 14 years I have gone to Brazil a dozen times to help build churches but now God is sharpening my focus to evangelistic work. There have always been opportunities to share the gospel while constructing a church, but I have wanted more. Paul did not go into a town to strictly make tents and then share the gospel, but shared the gospel and, if he needed to stay awhile, made tents to support himself!
4. I have a BA in History with a special interest in the medieval church and Irish history. Lona and I would like to move to Ireland to work with the churches and exploring the Irish Church history.
   
5. I am eclectic when it comes to music. Some people would say I can't make up my mind. I prefer to think that I appreciate most genre's of music. Certain modern urban music is difficult to find redeeming qualities, but other than that, I can listen to most anything.
6. My favorite book in the Bible is Ephesians followed by the Psalms. I did a 33 week study of the church at Ephesus starting with a few chapters in Acts, then Ephesians and ending in Revelation. It was quite fascinating, especially the first chapter. There are probably 30 sermons in that chapter!
7. I love most sports. I played basketball in HS and one season in college. The small college had a crappy coach and my career would have included a lot of splinters so I moved on to other sports. I also played golf in HS and college. Playing for free is great and playing on some awesome courses in the midwest while in college was a dream. Crooked Stick is still my favorite course in Indiana. I also played one season of soccer in college. Never played the game in my life until then. After the first game of the season my sophomore year, 7 guys were injured for at least 5 games or more. Three guys were out the entire year. The coach had open tryouts. Seven of us went out and he kept all of us. I was probably the only soccer player with glasses (sports goggles, actually).
8. My kids are the joys of my life. Madeleine is 11 going on 16 and seems to succeed in everything she does. She has an awesome voice and can mimic a decent Irish singer. Ian is 3 and our adopted gift from Korea. Being a new parent at 40 was tough. Three years later, we are trying to stay fit so that we can keep up with the little guy. Ian is a Thomas the Tank Engine savant! If he lived 150 years earlier, he would be an engineer.
   

Well, that is it for now. I don't know 8 people to pass this on to, so it will stop here.

In Memoriam

Internet Funeral

I need to make a few comments about my cousin Natalie's funeral. A fellow blogger who is a cousin-in-law, Randy, and I were discussing the funeral. You see, Natalie was a blogger as well. She was part of a group called W@H, meaning Women @ Home. There are about 150 of them scattered around the country and in various parts of the world. They seem to be a close-knit group and draw support from each other. Well, about 12 of these ladies came in for her funeral. Five ladies came from out of state, the farthest coming from Washington state. None of these ladies had met Natalie in person. This was a true internet funeral. Randy said he hoped some of his internet buddies would show up at his funeral.

The pastor read Natalie's blog once he knew he would be leading the service. He printed over 100 pages of Natalie's writings and used her own words. Her friends retrieved some lost files that Natalie thought was irretrievable because of a server that went down. These friends used her words. Natalie used a lot of scripture in her writings, words to hymns and praise songs, and her discussions with her heavenly Father. She called herself God's girl. A truly internet funeral.

I was happy I was able to attend the funeral. Thanks to dad for helping financially. There were only 5 of us first cousins on mom's side of the family. Natalie, at 33, was the second youngest. I am the oldest. I never expected anyone younger than me to go first. I am saddened. I am sad for her two young children. I am sad for my Aunt Mary and Uncle Geoff, for Natalie was their only child. I am sad that I never knew her that well. I have learned a lot about her through her blog and the comments of all her friends.

Natalie, I will miss you. Say hello to mom, my child I never knew and our grandparents.

Celebration of Life Service

Here are the arrangements for Natalie's Celebration Service. Feel free to view and sign the guest book.

Natalie Rose York

Natalie - Glorified Beauty

This is my cousin Natalie Rose (Carter) York. She passed away this morning after a brief but serious bout with cancer. She was 33 and leaves behind two children: Jonathan (9) and Anna (6). Natalie had her own blog and this is one of her last entries, dictated to her father from her hospital bed.

Natalie is now with her Lord, Jesus and with mom, Cody, our grandparents and other family members that we love and miss.

June 01, 2007

Beauty for Ashes

(Note: Although Nattie is still in the hospital in Indianapolis, she dictated the following this afternoon for her daddy to share with you.)

"While my mom was reading to me from my Bible, she came across a highlighted passage--Isaiah 61:3. There God talks about trading pleasure for our pain, and to this truth I’ll hold.

"I have people praying for me from coast to coast and around the world. I want to thank you for being some of those people.

"No matter what happens, it's going to be OK. This is just a twinkling of the eye, a mere moment of pain..In a little while we will all see our mourning traded for 'oil of gladness.'"

On the DL

Ok, it has been nearly a month since I posted. Frankly, I have been busy and haven't taken the time to write anything. Also, my new favorite player, Josh Hamilton, has been on the DL since May 15. He is taking some at-bats in Louisville and is set to return next Tuesday. I will strive to get back in the swing of things along with Josh. Have a good weekend!