Here it is everyone. I am nearing the end of my trip to Hong Kong. I leave on Wednesday at 3:10pm Hong Kong time. I will arrive in Indy at 9:54pm Indy time.That means it will be August 22nd for 36 hours to me. Crazy.
I have finished up Vacation Bible School. It went great. We all had a real fun time. At church today the VBS kids got on stage and sang a few songs for the church.
I have been trying to see everyone one last time before I leave. The best way to do that in Hong Kong is to have meals with the people you want to see. So basically I have spent the last few days eating great food with great people.
Hong Kong is a city of transition. People are always coming and going. Many of the friends I have met in Hong Kong are coming and going from Hong Kong. It seems like all the people who are going are scheduled to leave this week and next. It has been crazy. Everyone has been having goodbye dinners.
I have been reflecting this week on my time here. It has been a blessing. I am grateful that I have been able to be here in Hong Kong with the Watermark community. I will never forget this experience. One thing that has stuck with me and will continue to stick with me throughout my life is intentionality. It is so important to be intentional with the people around you. Time is short and one never knows the future. I value my time with everyone in the States more and I value the time I have had with the people in Hong Kong more. Being intentional does not mean just spending time with someone. It means giving them your time to learn who they are and what they care about. It is giving up your own selfish desires and putting others before you.
I love all the friends I have all around the world. I am blessed to have met all the wonderful people I have.
It is sad that I am leaving Hong Kong. It has been a great part of my life. But God has not told me to stay here yet. I am ready to embrace the next stage of my life that God has planned for me. I have a beautiful soon-to-be-bride to come home to who I cannot wait to see. I have a wonderful family and wonderful friends who are excited to have me back. I also have an exciting future ahead of me to take on. I am excited for Elizabeth and I's future at Francisco GB. Our time to be with that family is coming soon.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Quick Update
Hey everyone,
I just wanted to send out a quick update about what is going on in Hong Kong. I have 11 days left in this amazing city. I have had a great time and I know my last few days will be blessed, but I am excited to see my family and friends back home.
What I wanted to do real quick was ask for prayer support. This coming week Monday-Friday is Vacation Bible School. I am excited for it. This last week, I have put majority of my work time into preparation for VBS. I think everything is coming together. There are still some things that need work but I think we are going to have a great week. My request is that you pray for this week, for the volunteers, and for the students coming to VBS. Thank you everyone for the support you have given me up to this point and that I know you will continue to give. It is greatly appreciated.
I just wanted to send out a quick update about what is going on in Hong Kong. I have 11 days left in this amazing city. I have had a great time and I know my last few days will be blessed, but I am excited to see my family and friends back home.
What I wanted to do real quick was ask for prayer support. This coming week Monday-Friday is Vacation Bible School. I am excited for it. This last week, I have put majority of my work time into preparation for VBS. I think everything is coming together. There are still some things that need work but I think we are going to have a great week. My request is that you pray for this week, for the volunteers, and for the students coming to VBS. Thank you everyone for the support you have given me up to this point and that I know you will continue to give. It is greatly appreciated.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
My blessings
I want to share with you the blessings I have received the past few days from God.
God has blessed me by showing me my friends grow in Christ. Learning more about His love and how He is always there for us.
God has blessed me by being able to Skype into my awesome friends wedding on the other side of the world. Congratulations Mat and Mal Murphy!
God has blessed me with Nepalese children who are wild but are leaning about Christ.
(God has also blessed me with patients)
God has blessed me with friends around the world. Some near and some far. Every friendship is a blessing.
God has blessed me with a supportive family and church family.
God has blessed me with His Word. I studied Philemon and Colossians a few days ago. They are amazing letters.
God has blessed me with His love, mercy and grace.
Philemon 1:18 says this, "If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account."
Paul writes this to Philemon regarding the debt owed by Onesimus, Philemon's runaway slave who is being returned. However, the reason why Paul is willing to take on this debt is because Christ took all of Paul's debt, all of Paul's sin, and charged it to Christ's own account. Paul is following the example of Christ. Amazing.
God has blessed me by letting Christ be my example.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Looking at the Scripture
So I have been told that I have to make this next blog a reflection of my thoughts on a specific Scripture passage. Here is the Scripture passage:
"Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord? "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:5-8 NIV)"
So there is the Scripture. What do I think of it? I was told to discuss how affected what I was doing. I assume that meant what I was doing in Hong Kong but I do not want to limit this Scripture to a specific point in my life. I feel that if I only talk about how this Scripture affects me in Hong Kong then I will have missed the purpose of this Scripture.
My understanding of this Scripture is that Isaiah is contemplating what it means to fast. God calls us all to fast so how do we respond in that? I have been guilty of fasting how Isaiah describes in the beginning of this passage. It is a fast that lasts for a day. It is a temporary fast with a temporary burden for the reason I am fasting.
God calls us to fast but not in a temporary since. Our lives should be a constant act of fasting. Now I am not saying we should give up food. Fasting does not always mean from food. The fasting Isaiah is talking about is a fasting from his own ambition, schedule, or purpose.
A fast from one's self, that is acceptable to the Lord, does not last for one day. Everyday we live for God and for the glory of God. We should have a burden for His people. We should have a burden of the broken and discarded people of this world. We should have a burden for those who do not have a relationship with Christ. We should have a burden for our fellow Christians to grow more in Christ.
So how does that apply to what I am doing? My life is not my own. It is the Lord's and I will follow Him. Honestly, I will fall short at times and find myself seeking my own desires. But I am being molded in the image of Christ and I pray that my life looks more like His as I move forward.
I do not want to fast from my own selfish ambition when I am only in Hong Kong. If I do, then my fast is temporary. I want to fast from my own ambition for life. I will go where the Lord leads and serve where the Lord guides me.
Colossians 1:28-29 says this, "Him (God) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
Romans 14:8 reads this way, "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."
These verses do not say we should serve God most of the time or when we have the opportunity. These verses say we are to put aside our own ambitions, whatever they may be, and serve the Lord.
"Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord? "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (Isaiah 58:5-8 NIV)"
So there is the Scripture. What do I think of it? I was told to discuss how affected what I was doing. I assume that meant what I was doing in Hong Kong but I do not want to limit this Scripture to a specific point in my life. I feel that if I only talk about how this Scripture affects me in Hong Kong then I will have missed the purpose of this Scripture.
My understanding of this Scripture is that Isaiah is contemplating what it means to fast. God calls us all to fast so how do we respond in that? I have been guilty of fasting how Isaiah describes in the beginning of this passage. It is a fast that lasts for a day. It is a temporary fast with a temporary burden for the reason I am fasting.
God calls us to fast but not in a temporary since. Our lives should be a constant act of fasting. Now I am not saying we should give up food. Fasting does not always mean from food. The fasting Isaiah is talking about is a fasting from his own ambition, schedule, or purpose.
A fast from one's self, that is acceptable to the Lord, does not last for one day. Everyday we live for God and for the glory of God. We should have a burden for His people. We should have a burden of the broken and discarded people of this world. We should have a burden for those who do not have a relationship with Christ. We should have a burden for our fellow Christians to grow more in Christ.
So how does that apply to what I am doing? My life is not my own. It is the Lord's and I will follow Him. Honestly, I will fall short at times and find myself seeking my own desires. But I am being molded in the image of Christ and I pray that my life looks more like His as I move forward.
I do not want to fast from my own selfish ambition when I am only in Hong Kong. If I do, then my fast is temporary. I want to fast from my own ambition for life. I will go where the Lord leads and serve where the Lord guides me.
Colossians 1:28-29 says this, "Him (God) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me."
Romans 14:8 reads this way, "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."
These verses do not say we should serve God most of the time or when we have the opportunity. These verses say we are to put aside our own ambitions, whatever they may be, and serve the Lord.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
For The Moms
I want to take some time in my blog to thank all the wonderful moms in the world. I want to especially thank my mom. She has always supported me and helped me through all of the trials of my life. Also, I came to realize how great my mother is when I had to clean my own apartment yesterday.
It is true. My mom is wonderful. She has taken care of three kids and all of their friends AND all of their mess. Thanks mom.
Here in Hong Kong everything is going great. This morning was the final rally for the English teachers. They are getting ready to travel throughout Asia and see more places where God is working. It has been amazing to have them here. I have been very blessed to have Dylan Branson and Kyle Fischer here. It has really been great to have them here.
I am excited for the next month to come. I am getting ready to work on Watermark's Vacation Bible School. This will be a great time for me to learn more about VBS.
It is almost time for Elizabeth to come home from Spain. It is crazy to think that she has been there for a whole month. Time is passing quickly. I am excited to see what God will do in my last month here and what God will do in my future. It is amazing to see God working in my life.
It is true. My mom is wonderful. She has taken care of three kids and all of their friends AND all of their mess. Thanks mom.
Here in Hong Kong everything is going great. This morning was the final rally for the English teachers. They are getting ready to travel throughout Asia and see more places where God is working. It has been amazing to have them here. I have been very blessed to have Dylan Branson and Kyle Fischer here. It has really been great to have them here.
I am excited for the next month to come. I am getting ready to work on Watermark's Vacation Bible School. This will be a great time for me to learn more about VBS.
It is almost time for Elizabeth to come home from Spain. It is crazy to think that she has been there for a whole month. Time is passing quickly. I am excited to see what God will do in my last month here and what God will do in my future. It is amazing to see God working in my life.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
A Moment of Silence
We live in a broken world. Tragedy is all around us. When I hear about days like last night my heart breaks. If you are unaware there was a shooting last night in Colorado during the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises.
My heart goes out to those who were involved and their families. There are some articles on Time magazines website if you want to learn more about it. Take some time tonight and pray for these families.
My heart goes out to those who were involved and their families. There are some articles on Time magazines website if you want to learn more about it. Take some time tonight and pray for these families.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Normal Update
I do not have too much to report. Not because nothing is happening but because things are becoming normal. We had our first English Cafe on Sunday and it went well. Not a great amount of students showed up but there were a few and it was a great time to connect with some of the church members of Watermark. I think that it was overall a success.
Sometimes I find myself forgetting I am on the other side of the world from my family. Everything is becoming a normal routine. When I was in high school someone told me that it takes a month to form or break a habit. I have been here for 24 days now, just shy of a month. It has got me thinking.
What habits have I formed while I have been in Hong Kong? 1) I make my bed everyday. Did not think that would be something I would learn here. 2) I miss Elizabeth Harlow everyday. I am sorry if that is sappy but it is true. I love it here but I wish she was with me.
Elizabeth is currently in Spain. She is doing amazing things for God there.
I also have thought about what habits have I broken since I have been here. There have been a few. Some I didn't even know I had.
So I have two questions for everyone reading.
What are some good habits you can form in these next 31 days?
What are some bad habits you can break in these next 31 days?
Please challenge yourself and think about this. It is interesting to say the least.
Sometimes I find myself forgetting I am on the other side of the world from my family. Everything is becoming a normal routine. When I was in high school someone told me that it takes a month to form or break a habit. I have been here for 24 days now, just shy of a month. It has got me thinking.
What habits have I formed while I have been in Hong Kong? 1) I make my bed everyday. Did not think that would be something I would learn here. 2) I miss Elizabeth Harlow everyday. I am sorry if that is sappy but it is true. I love it here but I wish she was with me.
Elizabeth is currently in Spain. She is doing amazing things for God there.
I also have thought about what habits have I broken since I have been here. There have been a few. Some I didn't even know I had.
So I have two questions for everyone reading.
What are some good habits you can form in these next 31 days?
What are some bad habits you can break in these next 31 days?
Please challenge yourself and think about this. It is interesting to say the least.
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