We're Finally Home!

Friday night at exactly 8pm we drove up the driveway to our home. We had left our home the previous Saturday at 7pm to begin our adventure of driving straight to Miami, Florida to retrieve our two girls. Last Saturday we were a family of six. Now we are a family of eight!

It was a long, but really fun trip home. We sang. We played cards. We listened to music. We laughed. Everybody but me slept. We stopped at various rest stops and fast food joints and hotels. We began our bonding process. It was awesome.

All six of my kids were awesome. I am so proud of each and every one of them. Conor (17) is a loving, caring big brother. He is a leader. To see him interact with the new girls is something that blows me away. Kolten (15) is so considerate and kind. He is constantly making sure everyone is comfortable and safe, while making all of us laugh our heads off. Maria (14) is quiet, shy, and a little freaked out. Yet, with all she's been through recently, she is kind and shows an excitement for what lies ahead. When she experiences something brand new (like snow, Wal-Mart, or sour patch gummy bears) she simply smiles and widens her eyes without saying a word. Caleb (13) has, too, been such a great blessing. He can get our youngest (Merci) laughing like no one else. He let Maria braid his long hair, which I know was painful for him, but barely even whimpered. Michaela (10) is so happy to have two more girls in the family! At times I'd watch her in my rear-view mirror (remember we just spent three days in a van) and marvel at how beautiful and loving she is. Merci Klarrah (5) I've started calling 'Klaire-Bear' for some reason. She is just fun. Everything is new and everything is exciting. Ever since I've known Merci, since meeting her almost four years ago, she has had a curious habit of sucking on three of her fingers with her opposite arm covering her eyes. I've come to learn that she does this when she is feeling nervous or scared. In the past three days I've only seen her do this twice! She is sure loved... and I think she gets that.

We were so excited to show the girls our home. Wow, were we surprised. As we were gone some magic elves came into our house... and transformed it!

Our upstairs bathroom was completely gutted and re-done. New beautiful tile is now on the floor, in the tub, and around the sink! The faucets in the sink and shower/tub are new and super cool. New towels and shower curtain that actually match are hanging.

The upstairs attic was cleaned out, the doors that were falling down were taken out and replaced with drywall, insulation, and a new 36" door that completely keeps the cold out of Caleb's room! (This may not seem like a big deal to anyone, but you just have no idea what a burden this was on me... and what a blessing it is to have done.)

The girls room was rearranged to have three beds, three dressers, and set up cuter than you can imagine! Notes were left for Maria that she immediately read with a huge smile on her face.

The house was dusted from top to bottom. The ceiling fans, that previously had a special science experiment taking place on them in the form of one entire inch of dust, had been wiped cleaner than a plate of food put in front of Merci!

Perhaps the best part, or at least the most meaningful to our new daughters, was the fact that there were pictures of THEM all over the house! Right alongside Conor, Kolten, Caleb, and Michaela's pictures in our main dining room were new, big pictures of Maria and Merci! This actually made Kelli cry and me so appreciative of the friends and family that we have here in Liberty!

I could go on and on, but won't for sake of time. I just want those involved (you elves know who you are) to know that you can never understand what you've done. I love you, I love you, I love you. More than words can say,... I love you.

We were all tired, so after an awesome meal (that was prepared for us and waiting in the crock-pot... another 'thank-you') we got ready for bed. I read a book about monkeys to Merci and brushed her teeth. Maria and Michaela tried on new clothes that had been left for them in their dressers. The boys showered in their new bathroom. Kelli started doing laundry. And then we all held hands and prayed together as a family - thanking God for His mysterious love and care, and for the many blessings we enjoy.

Life is good. We're finally home.

Hiddur Mitzvah

My wife just called me and gave me some awesome news. She told me that a woman that is new to our church, and brand spanking new to this whole "Jesus-Loving" thing, came to our Christmas Eve worship service. If you remember that night, the weather outside was frightful - sleeting ice and snow had put many folks, brave enough to drive in it, in ditches and worse. However, we were all warm and toasty inside the Worship Center, and we worshipped our guts out to the One Who deserves it most. Afterwards, this new-Believer went out to her car, only to find another D.C. lady scraping her windshield for her. Apparently, this unknown "angel" had done this for every car in the parking lot. Again, it was FREEZING cold and absolutely miserable conditions outside!

My wife asked me if I knew who this was. I do not.

Exodus 15:2 - NLT
The LORD is my strength and my song; He has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise Him - my father’s God, and I will exalt Him!

From this line, rabbinic thinkers saw the words "I will exalt him", and asked the question,
"How can mere mortals hope to exalt God, the Creator of the entire universe?"

In the same way we could ask,
“How can we bring more glory to Someone as infinitely wonderful as God's own Son, Jesus?”

The rabbis had a wonderful answer. They said humans can bring more glory to God,… Who had all the glory in the heavens,… by doing His will on earth in the absolute best and most beautiful way possible. They called this "hiddur mitzvah", meaning to beautify God's commands. In the same way, we can do what Jesus commands in the absolute best way possible.

Christians may be surprised that the word mitzvah, meaning "command" or "commandment", is positive rather than negative in Jewish culture. The word is found in many verses, like the following: >"Keep my commands >(mitzvot, pl.) and follow them. I am the LORD." (Lev. 22:31) We tend to assume it refers to burdensome regulations, but the usual Jewish usage of mitzvah is that it is an opportunity to do something good that God told you to do. People say things like, "I had a chance to do a mitzvah today when the elderly woman asked for my help." The word is always used in a positive way, suggesting that doing what God has asked is a joy and a spiritual opportunity, not a burden.

The idea of hiddur mitzvah (beautifying the command) goes even beyond this - that if God tells us to do something, we shouldn't just do the minimum, but to perform it in the best way possible, sparing no expense or trouble.

Even if it's freezing outside.

We can see Jesus describing this behavior of hiddur mitzvah, going far beyond the minimum, in His story about the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan man obeyed God's command to love his neighbor by personally caring for the wounded traveler, carrying him to the inn on his own donkey, and investing a large sum of his own money to care for him. Because he was a Samaritan in Israel he even risked his own life, because as an enemy of the Jews, he could have been accused of being the attacker (Luke 10:33-35).

There are so many of Jesus’ commands that have to do with physically showing love to someone: Whether it’s giving water (Mark 9:41), giving away your clothes (Matt. 5:40), visiting the sick or imprisoned (Matt. 25:36), or just carrying their bag a bit further than they originally had asked (Matt. 5:41). May you and I be those that scrape windshields and ‘beautify the commands’ of Jesus, by going far beyond the minimum, and thus, may we bring our Lord massive amounts of glory!

And to the unknown, ice-scraping 'angel'... I want to say that you were Jesus to a brand new Believer, her two-week-old-in-Jesus husband, their small children... and their appreciative, humbled, and blown-away pastor.

A big 'thank you' to Lois Tverberg, who's book I'm reading currently. Her insight into the Hebrew Scriptures has been so exciting to me. Most of this information comes from her book, "Sitting At The Feet Of Our Rabbi Jesus".

Early Morning Revelation

I couldn't sleep last night. At least, not as much as I wanted to. Thoughts of our Saturday night service at Desperation Church last night, and the two services that we'll have today kept zipping through my noggin. I finally just got up, showered, shaved, and went out riding (my motorcycle). It was about 5am and around 40 degrees out. Yikes, was it cold! I'm dreading the day, which is coming way too soon, when I'll have to pack it away for the winter.

I ended up at Starbucks. One vinti carmel latte-breve' with an extra shot, and five chapters read in Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" later... and I was ready to head to the church.

I realize that I sorta like getting up early.

I like watching the sun rise,

while sipping coffee

and feeding my spirit good stuff.

I'm liking this Francis Chan guy. I agree with so much of what he's writing.
Perhaps the following stuck out to me the most today as I read:

• "I quickly found that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That's for the 'radicals' who are 'unbalanced' and who go 'overboard.' Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering."

Wow... there's some light reading for ya. Nice way to start the day, especially when I will be preaching twice today to this "American Church" of which he's speaking, and of which I am a part.

I want to be a man... a pastor of an 'American Church'... that takes the words of Christ seriously. I live in fear that I won't. I live in fear that I'll cave to what 'men' think, rather than live in such a way that all that truly matters is what God thinks... and desires of me.

It can be hard when so many are willing and able to voice their opinions... whether they be approvals or disapprovals.

So,... I just walked into my office... opened up my Bible... and read this:
"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets" (Luke 6:26).

Now, with warm tears streaming down my still-frozen cheeks, all I can say is:

"Jesus,... thanks for saying that".