made me laugh…

Think of Me (well not me, but….just watch)

A friend of mine sent the link to this video – a video for Francis Chan’s church in California, Simi Cornerstone, to give weight to the decision NOT to throw tens of MILLIONS of dollars at a new building.  A compelling story to say the least, and if you click on the link to their facility site, it’s a beautiful community concept as well.  (the beautiful vocalist is Chan’s wife)

Here’s the original post I read on the blog (or shlog) of Shaun Groves:

Francis Chan is just a guy who pastors a large church in California.  He’s not the smartest, most famous, most respected, most anything...I’m guessing.  He’s just a guy.  But the direction he lead his church in, or so the legend goes, is remarkable and unheard of.  Or perhaps it wasn’t lead as much as allowed.  Anybody know?

The story is - correct me if I’m wrong - that his church was on track to spend 20 million dollars to build a new building.  What happened, and I don’t know how, was that the decision was made to build an outdoor meeting place instead.  Much cheaper.  Much much cheaper.  And the money that was saved would then go to the truly poor around the world.  And, the story goes, meeting outside on rainy days or hot days would serve to remind folks in the church of the discomfort others live in every day.

Spend less.  Create empathy.  Mobilize to show mercy.  Sounds like church to me.

and a commenter added:

Cruz-Control said:

He told this story at the National Worship Leader Conference.  He said that he told them it was repulsive to spend that much money on themselves, and he could never pastor such a group of people.  He said that he, as a pastor, would be responsible for that before God.

He suggested that every time an offering was taken that it was divided equally - half spent on their church, half spent on others outside the church.  This is the only way Christians can claim that they love their neighbor as much as themselves.

He said that if we really believe Jesus is starving (cf. Matt 25), then we can’t sit back and let that happen and expect to call ourselves Christians.

So, he told the elders it was repulsive to spend that kind of money on themselves when Jesus was starving on the other side of the world.  He suggested building a park with an amphitheater that the community could use and they could hold services in - and would cost less money; the rest could be given away.  When one asked about the weather, Chan reminded them of the Green Bay Packers fans who sit through a blizzard for the season every year.  Packers fans are that dedicated for the team; are Christians that dedicated to sit outside in Southern California weather so that Jesus, who is starving on the other side of the world, can be fed?

His sermon was one of the best I’ve ever heard.  An audio copy is available from the Worship Leader folks.

Posted  on  08/07  at  02:46 PM

following taken directly from Simi Cornerstone’s Building Project Website :

On a practical level, Cornerstone has been unable to grow numerically for the past seven years. This is due to lack of space. While many would be content to keep our church at the current size, our mission statement reads that we seek to reach “every individual” in our community. 

The obvious solution would be to buy more property and build a bigger building. However, this would require spending an amount of money that none of the leaders feel peace about spending. This lack of peace primarily springs from a desire to give more to the poor who are suffering around the world. 

The idea of building an outdoor sanctuary rather than an auditorium sprung from a desire to save millions of dollars.  It came from a belief that God would rather we spend that money in other ways. It comes from a thought that God would receive more glory from seeing His children sacrifice for others - namely, those around the world who lack basic necessities. The idea then evolved into developing the property into more of a park-like setting that could be enjoyed by the church and community throughout the week. In this way, we would be giving to our community as well as to the needy around the world. 

In reality, this is about more than a building. The park/amphitheater is an expression of a mindset. It represents a group of people who are willing to sacrifice their own comforts in order to better care for others. The following are not just reasons to build inexpensively, but they are the reasons why Cornerstone strives to be a “giving” church.

1. We love the poor: People around the world desperately need aid (Romans 12:13).                                                                     2. We love Jesus: He says that He is the One suffering (Matthew 25:35-36).
3. It’s best for us: We’ll be more joyful if we give rather than receive (Acts 20:35).
4. It affects unbelievers: They are impacted when they see good works (Matthew 5:16).
5. It models Christ: Laying down our lives is how we imitate Christ (1 John 3:16-17).
6. We gain eternal rewards: God rewards those who care for the poor (Matthew 9:21).

William is…Peter Parker

During our exciting evening at the Emergency Room following an ‘assisted’ fall in the backyard, William asked me whether the CAT Scan would turn him into spiderman…i think these pictures speak for themselves…

Now by day he goes by the name of William Henry…

…And during other parts of the day…he goes by the name Peter Parker…and sometimes Peter the Magnificent (from Lion, Witch and Wardrobe)…and sometimes he goes by the name..

SPIDERMAN!  Thew, thew, thew go the sound of his webs…

Ever vigilant to protect us all from danger, William Henry (or whatever his real name is) stands ready to take on evil whether in the form of Green Goblins, White Witches, or big sisters…

First Time in 10 Years

For the first time in nearly a decade, Sam and I had our picture taken together WITHOUT A CHILD IN VIEW!  A family friend, professional photographer donated this session to us and this is our favorite of the two of us together. 

Thank you to Clayton Wallace of Clayton Wallace Photography!

SCARED: A Factual Fiction & A Worthy Escape

I loved it SO much, I had to write a review on Amazon – my first! Below this trailer is a copy of what I wrote:

As an English Major and former teacher of literature, I will say that Scared is one of the best novels I have read (the others were classics). I will also say that it was a record read for me - not sure that I've ever read a book in only two days, especially since children - but I could not put it down.

I was captured from the prologue to the close. Through Davis' words, the country of Swaziland became real to all my senses and I felt as though I was within five feet of the action at all times: I was having coffee with Stuart, looking over Adanna's shoulder as she penned poetry, and holding on for dear life as the waters washed the Range Rover off the road.

Rarely have I experienced the "escape" that a great work of fiction can lend. Scared took me away to a place of fear and pain, a place I wasn't sure I wanted to go, and returned me to a place of freedom, a place where the hope of redemption lives.

Although there are some hideous truths in this novel, there are at least as many beautiful ones. If you were not aware that these kinds of pains are a daily occurence for a majority of our small world, it might be time to read some more. After all, how can you help a problem if you won't admit it exists?

John 8:32
"...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free"

Fields of the Fatherless: Discover the Joy of Compassionate Living

Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds

Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It

Confessions of a Good Christian Guy: The Secrets Men Keep and the Grace that Saves Them

Technorati Tags: orphans,AIDS,justice,africa,swaziland

In a Nutshell, How to Feed the Forgotten

I couldn't have said it any better myself. What are you going to SWAP this weekend in order to feed our neighbors in Uganda? Click on Amy's Blog to find some GREAT suggestions! It's a birthday weekend around here, so I see several opportunities for moderation - thank you Amy!

Here's a copy of her post in case clicking through to her blog challenges you technologically :-).


Swap It This Weekend To Feed The Forgotten!
Ok everyone...it's the weekend! We all know what that means - time for some fun, right? May I ask you to consider doing things a little bit differently this weekend? As you enjoy time with your friends and family please remember that there is an urgent food crisis in Uganda right now and that you can DO something about it this weekend!This is not meant to be a guilt trip of any kind but an opportunity for us to creatively find ways to give food to these families who are hungry and weak as we begin our weekend full of energy and well-fed.

Thanks to Children's Hope Chest we can all take part in bringing meals to people who desperately need them - what a great way to spend a weekend! We get to Feed The Forgotten.I know...there may be many of you out there like me who have already given financially to this and other projects and are feeling like there might not be much left to give. But since we can provide a meal for only $.14 for someone in Uganda I suggest we swap something we have planned for this weekend in order to feed these precious, hungry people. Are you in?

Here are some ideas:

Who has plans to go out for lunch or dinner this weekend? Would you consider swapping your meal to Feed The Forgotten? Get this: The $30 dinner that you swap can provide 214 meals for Ugandans! (When you swap your meal please remember to note "Feed The Forgotten" in the notes section.)

Who is planning on shopping for new summer clothes this weekend? Would you consider swapping one of your items to put food in the bellies of hungry people? Giving up that $25 shirt will provide 179 meals for people in Uganda!

Whose children are anxious to do their first lemonade stand of the year? How about talking to your kids about swapping their profits from the lemonade they sell to Feed The Forgotten? One $.75 lemonade can feed 5 children a meal. What a great way to show your children that they CAN do something too!!

Who is planning on paying a babysitter so you can go out this weekend? How about swapping babysitting services with a friend so that you both can donate the money you saved to Feed The Forgotten? A $40 savings in babysitting can provide 285 meals for Ugandans!!

Who is looking forward to that Saturday morning coffee at the coffee shop? How about swapping your $4.00 coffee drink for 29 meals for hungry people? It doesn't take much!

Who has plans to catch a movie this weekend? How about swapping one movie ticket (about $9.50) for 68 meals?? Hard to believe that sacrificing one movie can give so many people food!

Who is planning a trip to the local ice cream shop? How about swapping your $10 ice cream visit to fill up 71 people with a meal?

We CAN do something and we can do it together this weekend! As you give (being sure to identify "Feed the Forgotten" in the notes section) please pray for these people who are suffering and have such tangible needs. It's humbling that God chooses to use US to be His hands and feet. These people will NOT be forgotten this weekend!!

So Excited For This Book!

Get yours today at Amazon - mine's on its way! And thanks to my friend Tom, for this compelling piece of fact-filled fiction...we all need the truth.

Scared - A Novel on the Edge of the World from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

Scared - A Novel on the Edge of the World from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

Feed the Forgotten

okay, so I know I’m JUMPING BACK IN WITH BOTH FEET after some light picture posts and no REAL blogging for months, but this is DIRE and URGENT, and my friends have just returned from holding these very children, so it is heavy on our hearts. My friend, and fellow RLC leader, Brandi gave her post to use, so rather than re-invent the proverbial wheel, I’ve copied it below. Give it a good read, and if you get time, head on over to Brandi’s blog to read a little more – love this girl and the heart she has for the forgotten (oh, and envious of the energy she sustains, even with three little ones).

Too often we hear heartbreaking stories like this (that I posted on Saturday) and do nothing. We feel helpless. . . and so we move on. Not this time. There are people DYING in Uganda right now. There are children who's bellies are hungry and aching. There are mamas who are too weak to stand and babies begging to be held. There are people trapping termites hoping for food and eating dung in helplessness. DO NOT CAVE TO DESPAIR. YOU CAN DO SOMETHING.

Join us and Children's HopeChest to FEED THE FORGOTTEN!!! (CLICK HERE TO GIVE NOW) (note: please write FEED THE FORGOTTEN in the notes section when you give thru this link)

For $0.14, we can (and WILL) feed someone a meal of posho and beans. (posho is cornmeal, which is filling and beans are protein). Take that in for a moment. . .

$0.14 a meal

$2.86 for 20 days

$1 per FAMILY

$20 feed a family for 20 days.

How much was my Chick Fil A yesterday? How much is your Starbucks? The bigger question is how much am I willing to give up SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT EAT?

Remember Jesus story of the Good Samaritan? Remember how his very neighbors walked right by him? They probably looked at him with pity. . .probably thought "oh poor guy, that breaks my heart" but the fact is THEY DID NOTHING.

What will you do? These children are starving. . .

these actual children. . .

will you help? The money raised will feed those precious children. There are 3 - 4 villages that we are targeting (I'm hoping for more after we see how much we can raise!) to bring food relief to asap. These people are literally starving. . and waiting for you to act. Will you help? Even with Paypal fees (2-3%) even $1 will feed 6 people! You CAN make a difference.

Spread the word, blog about it, Facebook it, twitter it, ask your church or school or business to give, post the blog badge anything. Truly, we are begging you. . .on behalf of these children not to forget this post and move on to the next in your Google reader list. Stop, pray, act.
GIVE TO FEED THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN!!!!!

To GET the blog badge, copy and paste this code (below) into your post (remember to switch to the "edit html" mode in your post), or add as a "widget" on your blog. Spread the word!

<a href="http://www.brandisthoughts.com/2009/05/feed-forgotten.html%22 mce_href="http://www.brandisthoughts.com/2009/05/feed-forgotten.html%22 target="_blank"><img src="http://tomdavis.typepad.com/feedtheforgottenweb.jpg%22 width="160" title="Feed the Forgotten" /></a><br /><br />

Technorati Tags: Uganda,starving,Childrens_Hopechest,Tom_Davis,RLC,Red_Letters_Campaign,orphans,justice

What a Difference a Year Makes

Before we had children, a year seemed like quite a long time.  And since children, we know just how quickly a year can blow by us and how much can change in only 12 short months…it’s a lot.  I’ve been scouring through old videos recently, getting a good laugh, and reminding myself that a year is not so long…

I’ve been in a limbo rut; I’m waiting…for what?…I’m not sure…just waiting.  To quote the namesake book of our Blog Title, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”, I’ll start somewhere near the middle:

“You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wide space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.  The Waiting Place…for people just waiting…”

And, oh that’s where I’ve gone!  Yucky waiting place!  I’m daily holding myself back from tantrums (except for the days when I don’t and then everyone gets a taste), and I keep thinking…I just can’t wait another month…I just can’t wait until Fall…I just can’t wait for…???

And then I saw it…ah, yes, a blessed tweet, come tweeting across my phone my screen…from a precious friend, Brandi.  She has been doing a Beth Moore study on Esther and sharing snippets via Twitter.  I have gleaned so much from these nuggets, I may never actually have to do the study myself :-).  Here’s what hit me right between the eyes:

• Isaiah 40:31 "wait on the LORD and the LORD will renew your strength". Wait on the LORD not the EVENT!6:51 PM May 24th from TwitterFon
• We will never see the fulfillment of our life's greatest destiny if we can not wait on the Lord.6:21 PM May 24th from TwitterFon

…yeah, ouch…but so necessary for me to meditate on right now…so true.  It’s not an unbearable thing…it’s just God’s timing, and if I’m spending time with him, and waiting on Him, instead of “that thing,” then I won’t miss a beat….but when I wait on ‘things’, I find that life passes me by and I miss out on….well, everything.  I want to choose to wait on God and not things; it may take every ounce of concentration I have (which isn’t a lot right now), but I want to.  Lord, help me see all that you have in store for me, as I wait on YOU.  I don’t want to miss a thing!!!

A year is so short…don’t believe me?  Check out how much my cuties have changed since these funny clips were recorded…

Easter 2009

Snippets from our egg hunt.

Well, apparently, there hasn't been anything happening around here except some hair brushing :-). Quite the contrary...so MUCH happens around here since Henry baby #4 that I can barely see straight...one day I'll catch my breath and will be able to retell some of the adventures we have had over this past year, but until then, enjoy these long overdue pictures from things like Easter, Vacation, Madeline's First Play, etc.

My Wonderful Husband

This is one of his morning ‘jobs’.  He enjoys it and is actually quite good at it.  What’s not to love about a man who helps his daughter’s have “princess hair” when they ask?

  

Technorati Tags: family,kids,hair,fun,daddy

Celebrating Dylan Bree Chrisman

Today we celebrated the life of a little girl who along with her family has done more to advance the Kingdom of God in these four short years than most of us have done in our decades.

As we praised Jesus, hands raised, to Dylan’s favorite worship song, “How Great is Our God", the tears flowed in awe of a God who will not be hidden by the darkness of illness or even death.  He is Great, in every sense of the word, and watching the radiance of love pouring out of her two worship-filled parents this morning was only further confirmation that the God we serve has his own Kingdom, his own ways and thoughts (which are not ours), and his own plan for how all of this works for good. 

“All the time, God is good!” the little children cheered today, as Ms. Barbara (Dylan’s grandma, “Babs”) led them in a simple explanation of how we know Dylan is with Jesus.  It was the most beautiful celebration of a life LIVED that I have ever witnessed.  And all to the Glory of God. 

The reception time, appropriately decked with balloons and pinwheels, and cookies, and punch, and Dylan’s very favorite candy M&M’s, was a seemingly endless stream of one life after another touched by the Chrisman’s faithful walk.  Sam and I talked on the way home about how we can’t seem to sustain Kingdom work in the posh, life of ease that we’ve been given, and yet we have witnessed Kirk and Angie, not just sustaining it, but advancing it literally upon their daughter’s deathbed.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G…

God, today I ask that you move us each beyond our mediocrity and let us be finished with paper, plastic lives and instead, live like the heirs to the Kingdom of God that we are if we truly know you.  Thank you for sending us Dylan Bree Chrisman for these past four years and three+ months.  We are glad that she is healed; thank you for keeping your promises.

Wendi

Do Not Lose Heart

Today, Sam and I had the privilege to go visit sweet Dylan at Texas Children's Hospital.  I just wanted you to know how God is answering all of your prayers and to say thank you and do not lose heart.  If you want to know how God is working in AWE-SOME ways, you can check out Kirk and Angie's journal entries at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanbreechrisman

Her room is peaceful and full of life.  She has this verse hanging above her bed (it has hung above her bed since she was a tiny baby):

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".  -Jeremiah 29:11

There are many scriptures hanging around her room, worship music playing around the clock, and two FAITH-full parents believing with their faith and not their eyes what God has promised them.  They are missionaries in that hospital and are full of purpose and promise.  I was awe-struck by the truth-bearing presence of the Holy Spirit even as we stepped into their wing of the hospital...an experience I cannot describe in words other than in God's own words:

John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life."

Exodus 15:26, "...I am the Lord, your healer."

Matthew 18:14, "So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish."

Thank you for praying and giving.  You are faith-builders!  The need is still great, so if you didn't have a chance to give before and still want to, you can check a few posts back for instructions on how to do that or contact us off-blog.

Lovin’ this Song

Technorati Tags: poverty,orphans,music

Rescue the Perishing by Billy and Cindy Foote

A new take on an old classic; here's a sampling of lyrics from this heart-piercing song that takes a hard look at our part in being Jesus' hands and feet to the needy everywhere:

"Rescue the Perishing  Care for the dying  Snatch them in pity  From sin and the grave

Weep o'er the erring one  Lift up the fallen  Tell them of Jesus  The mighty to save

Rescue the Perishing  Care for the dying  Jesus is merciful  Jesus will save

Church open your eyes once more  And see what Christ died for  Jesus is merciful Jesus will save..."

I had the privilege of hearing this song at an America World Orphan Ticket Home Gala – a brilliant opportunity that I’ll highlight soon, but for now, check out this heartfelt song by a passionate and beautiful talent duo, Billy and Cindy Foote.