Hey guys,
Catholic Charities just called and could use some help if any of you have non-traditional work hours or are at home during the day. They have English classes on Monday and Wednesday from 9:30 to 1:30 starting September 8th and need some people who are willing to help transport refugees to and from the classes. If you are able and willing to help out, give us a call. Brad 812–5595 or Kim 706-3354
Thanks!
Well, we’re fans of Shane Claiborne here at Spero. And this is an interesting new project that he’s working on. Check it out and see what you think. Thanks for the tip, Chris Branson!
www.theordinaryradicals.com
This is another one of those posts that we’ll re-post when Spero launches, but I couldn’t wait to share! I don’t know how they pulled this off, but World Neighbors has a good thing going on!
Check out www.shopfortheworld.org. You can also get to it from the World Neighbors site, www.wn.org. If you shop at the “emall” a percentage of the proceeds will go to World Neighbors. You just have to get to the sites through the emall site. I thought it might be some random, obscure places but it’s Old Navy, Target, eBay, Amazon, iTunes, and more!!!!
So get busy downloading ‘N Sync tunes and feel good about it! Well, kind of…
Brad and I have connected with some really great people lately that are helping us with tips on the technical end of Spero. And our unbelievably fantastic brother-in-law/brother, Bryce, is helping us with the design of the blog. You can’t ask for more than that! He’s FANtastic.
So, we’re encouraged and excited to see how things go.
There is an area that we could use some help, though. We would like to use the daily blog section to let missionaries/global or local ministry leaders tell us what’s going on with them. We want to know the great things Jesus is doing across the globe, what needs there are we can meet, and how we can pray for them. We don’t need/particularly want a very long post just because people tend to zone out if its too long, but it doesn’t have to be terribly short, either.
So, if you know anyone you think we should contact, let us know. Thanks!!!
Make plans to check out World Fest, beginning October 3rd (Premiere Dinner on October 2nd). Click here for info. The interactive element sounds really exciting this year and it definitely sounds like it’s worth the $5 entry fee.
We’ll post again about this when Spero launches and have it on the calendar. But, here’s some extra time to get it on your calendar.
Sadly, another thing I’m remembering (see previous post) is that I have no backbone. I ordered a bacon and egg hamburger (Red Robin style) and it was delivered without egg. That’s exactly 50% of the description missing. But, I’m eating away. I’m either still in a moment of awe and am just thankful to have food or I have never once in my life corrected a waiter and perhaps have even gone back through a drive through to re-order and pay again for the meal I actually ordered the first time.
The lesson here is to borrow lots of things from me and keep them for yourselves. I will never, ever ask for them back.
After dropping Layne at my father’s for a bit, I raced to IHOP to get some wi-fi time without the kiddo. It’s much easier to complete sentences without stopping to remind Layne that climbing the stereo could result in a “surround-sound” experience that would be less than pleasant for him.
And, believe it or not (probably not for those who know me well), I actually started tearing up when I came through the door. I was shocked myself. Crying for me is typically reserved for severe meltdown after at least 72 hours of sleep deprivation, a toe or some other digit being amputated, or at the very least finding out that Don Johnson had some serious misgivings in his past, leaving me with a black hole where my crush on Nash Bridges once resided.
But, on occasion, the Lord softens my heart when He is teaching me something or reminding me of a sweet time with Him. This is one of those times. IHOP will always be the meeting place of myself, Nikki, and Emilee when we came from our first Passion Experience. OneDay in Sherman, Texas–and God spoke to us all. Seriously. He told us to wake up and see His Glory. To re-orient our thoughts about the Gospel, putting Him in the center and not man. And He told us to get ready for a generation of people who would do the same.
Most of these IHOP meetings immediately following were complete silence. We all knew it would be irreverent to “chat” about what we’d come to know as if it was a great principle. This was the ultimate Truth and we needed Jesus to dwell in us in such a way that it could be a reality. And, I remember the feeling. Before the work of ministry clouded our thoughts and we felt torn between “results” and “resting”. Before it just got so hard to trust Him. Before I thought I was being a silly kid when I believed a group of people would rise up, passionate only about His Name.
Well, I’m glad He’s reminding me. He hasn’t changed. I have. It’s easier to have dreams before you start the process. Then the stuff that happens in between the dream and the reality doesn’t trick you into thinking there won’t be a reality at all.
I’m reminded of Isaiah 62 (thanks, Em!), and Haggai, and John 17. I’m reminded that we are to be a people completely given to Him. And I’m reminded of the beauty He can show when a few girls are willing to try to figure out how to live out John 17 with each other. I’m thankful to Nikki and Emilee. I’m thankful for John Piper, Louie Giglio and all the others who were willing to be used at OneDay. And I’m humbled and humbled and humbly grateful that the Lord reminds me of His Glory, His Grace, and His Purpose. I needed it now.
Here’s a new film you might want to check out: www.callandresponse.com
We signed up for updates, so we’ll post it here when we find out the exact release date.
..that I’m gaining no credibility by continuing to write long posts. I’ll do better.
I’m just going to see how many of these entries I can make with logical alliterations. It sounds like a fun game. Well, Brad and I just talked to a good friend Ben Hill who is excited about the Spero vision and is going to help us with some ideas on getting the word out when September 30th comes. That’s good news for us because my technological savvy ends at text messaging. And, that’s a stretch sometimes.
It was so good to talk to him in person because it was helping to solidify our vision for what Spero could do. We don’t want to re-do something that a church is already doing. We love local churches. We have friends at lots of them and have probably attended more than reasonable just because we love aspects of all kinds of churches. We want to help local churches work together, to live out John 17, and to find joy in doing it. Some of the long-term things we’re thinking of that we shared with him:
Language for missions classes. Not many of us have time to learn the entire Spanish language in order to go on a short-term trip. But, maybe you’d want to go to a 6-week class that focuses on the basics plus what you might need to know in mission-minded conversations.
A little more long-term: Transitional apartments for long-term missionaries before and after they go as well as while they’re home on visits. It’s hard to time everything right when leaving, and when you come back, you might have sold your house, you quit your job, and you need to start over. We want to help with that.
These are just a couple of ideas that we think would be really beneficial and we’re excited about being a part of it. We’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts? Nothing is too big or small. We’re looking for things that will help the local church, its members, and the community around them. Maybe things that one church wouldn’t have enough interest in to sustain, but a few people from several churches might come together and really need it. I know you have ideas. You’re smart. Let us have ‘em!
