A Weekend Retreat and Weekday Drive

Molly and I returned yesterday afternoon from quilt retreat. We had a great time with friends and relatives visiting and working on our latest quilts. Molly and I were up until 1AM Saturday morning and 2AM Sunday morning working on our quilts. Both mornings we were awake again around 7. Sleep was not our goal, quilting was. Molly came home with a completed quilt. All she has left to do on it is to hand stitch around the outside edge to attatch the binding. She was complimented over and over for her maturity and ability to stay focused on her project. I was very proud of her. She made the quilt for a young girl whose house burnt down a few months ago and hopefully we can get it to her next week or so. I will try to get a photo of it to post here too. My quilt is in the finishing stages as well and although it is peiced, and pinned with the batting and backing it still needs a bit more quilting stitching on it before adding the binding.

This morning I left home for more trainig for my job with the Census Bureau. The first two hours took me about 3 to drive because of the blizzard that was happening in Minnesota when I left home this morning. I saw at least 20 cars in the ditch before hitting the Iowa border. Even after I was on the interstate the driving was dificult as there was so much slushy snow on the roads. Changing lanes was nearly impossible and was likely what caused most of the cars in the ditch to be there. Once I got into Iowa things setled down a bit as the snow changed to rain and wind. I arrived here at the hotel in Kansas City around 5, about 9 1/2 hours after leaving home. I could have flown at the Bureau's expense but after my last experience with that(last spring I had my flight cancelled home-I ended up going through Houston, Texas to get home!) I didn't want to do that again. Driving doesn't take much longer than flying and I am paid mileage so it works out.

Pray for the family back home, that they function well without me. It is a scheduling nightmare to get everyone cared for when I am away with Shannon's schedule but we think we have it worked out. I believe they have quite a bit of snow up there again-7-10 inches had been predicted when I left home an I know school was let our early because of the snow too.

Computer problems so no photo

I am so disappointed. I took a great photo on Thursday and in light of the recent snow pictures I wanted to share it but alas, my computer is confused...again. Our computer is 7 years old and needs an upgrade badly. It is possible that just a proper "dumping" would be helpful and we may need to do that soon. Programs are getting slower, some don't even work, and it seems, at least for now, my camera program is taking a break.

Anyway, I looked out my sliding glass door on Thursday afternoon to see E(10 years old) outside. We have a huge playground out in the back yard and he was sitting on the timber that holds the swings. This timber is about 8 feet up in the air and there he sat, leaning against another post, comfy as could be, sunning himself in the 45 degree weather we were having. What really humored me was that he was dressed in shorts and a sweatshirt with nothing else-no shoes or jacket. He had to go through snow to get there but found boots to be a hindrance. Here in Minnesota, at this time of year even 40 feels pretty warm and I guess E thought so too.

Molly and I head out today to go to quilt retreat at a bible camp. This will be her second retreat and second quilt. It will be my 7th. We both have intended recipients of our quilts already figured out. Hopefully we can get the camera program working soon so I can post photos of our efforts. We are excited to join 12 others of our extended family and friends circle and always enjoy the time of fellowship and fun.

Wordless Wednesday

Fun in the snow last Friday. The little dog could hardly get around in it. It sounds like there is more snow coming over the next few days too. March-it came in like a lamb but it's going out like a lion.

The Folded Napkin

"So Peter and the other disciple(John)started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed." John 20:1-8

Disclaimer:In my research on this topic, there is some disagreement over the validity of the following. In part the disagreement lies in the biblical translations and whether the napkin itself was actually folded or rolled up. I share it with you because for some reason, John felt it important to share that the face cloth/napkin was definitely separate from the rest of the linens.

What was it about seeing the empty grave linens that made the disciples believe that Jesus had risen from the dead? Was it just the empty strips of fabric lying there that convinced them or is it possible it was the way in which the fabric remained that helped them to believe?

No one knows exactly what thoughts went through Peter and John's mind that morning but it is interesting that although the strips from Jesus body lay in a heap, John took the time to describe that the face cloth, or napkin, was not in a heap but that it had been carefully folded. To you or I, the folded cloth holds little significance, to a couple of men familiar with Jewish culture and looking for their "master", it meant much.

In those days, a Jewish servant would serve his master's dinner at a table carefully prepared with furnishing placed perfectly and a napkin folded at the place his master would sit. The Jewish servant would stand off to the side and wait while his master ate. When the master removed himself from the table, the servant knew, by the placement of the napkin what to do next. If the napkin lay crumpled on the table it meant that the master was finished eating and the servant could clear the table. However, if the master had carefully folded the napkin and placed it on the table, it meant that he was coming back. Jesus was telling his followers that He is coming back!

Let the Veil Down

I am just finishing the Beth Moore bible study A Woman's Heart. The study has focused on the Old Testament tabernacle and the meaning behind the different parts of it. God was very specific in how He wanted it built and He was just as specific about who was allowed to be inside of it and how they must prepare themselves to be there. The most important part of the tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, was the dwelling place of God. Only the high priest could go there at specific times to commune directly with God. There was a veil that separated it from the rest of the tabernacle where the people were.

The video I have placed here is of a song that our choir will be singing tomorrow morning at our church's Easter service. It is such a privilege to be a part of an 80+ member choir, with each and every individual being completely committed and dedicated to giving God our very best in praise and worship. The song speaks of how Christ's death on the cross caused that veil to be torn, literally from top to bottom, in two, allowing us direct access to God. We no longer need to go through the priests to commune directly with our Lord. We can speak with Him directly at anytime and anywhere because of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Let the Veil Down, Let the Praise Go Up!

The First Day of Spring? It is Minnesota after all...

Here are some photos of what the first official day of spring has brought to our area of Minnesota.

The ruler is a standard 12 inch ruler. In case you can't read it, we had 11+ inches of snow by noon today and it is still snowing heavily out there now, two hours later.

The treeline of our property.

Playing in the snow. The kids even made homemade snow ice cream this morning

More fun in the snow.

Our new snow friend. He is pretty tall, about 8 feet.

Good Friday services at our church have been canceled. I don't believe the girls will be wearing spring dresses with white sandals on Easter this year. Fortunately, it is supposed to be in the 40's and 50's next week so this too shall pass.

143 Million! 1 every 18 seconds!

What would God have you do to help the orphans? Can you sponsor a child through an organization such as Compassion International? How about spiritually and financially supporting a missionary helping orphans? Maybe God would even have you consider adopting one of these children as your own.

Thanks to my friend Renee at Steppin' Heavenward for posting this so I would see it and be able to share it with you.

Movie Review: Horton Hears a Who

Shannon and I took the 4 youngest, ages 9-15, to see this movie over the weekend. Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss has been one of my favorite children's books since I worked at a local Crisis Pregnancy Center. The movie has been added to, as it needed to be, to fill up an hour and half on the big screen but the main message, "A person is a person, no matter how small," remains.

The story focuses around a bumbling elephant named Horton, who discovers a miniature world on a speck of dust that he carries around on a flower in his efforts to save it from destruction. The rest of the jungle creatures seem unable to hear the voices coming from the speck, likely because their ears are nowhere near as large as the lovable Horton. The jungle animals, include an over-protective, domineering, nearly abusive "pouch schooling" kangaroo mama and her poor unsocialized joey who says that Horton is causing the children to use their imaginations and not to think for themselves. That was an area the filmmakers seemed to have a theme going on throughout the movie that was offensive to me but also allowed for some good conversation with our children who do not feel the way the producers implied homeschooling to be. It was noticeable though that it was the young pouch schooled joey that ultimately saved the speck from its intended hot oil destruction, therefore thinking for himself and making the right decision. A few usages of the words boob and idiot spattered through the movie could be offensive to some as well.

As a family we were able to discuss homeschooling, the value of life including the unborn and the protection of God for his people. We also talked about the filmmakers efforts to sway people's opinions and thoughts on certain subjects. Overall, we give the movie 6 thumbs up.

A good clean joke-Pastor's business card

A new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners.

At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home,

but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

Therefore, he took out a business card and wrote 'Revelation 3:20' on the back of it and stuck it in the door.
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned.
Added to it was this cryptic message, 'Genesis 3:10.'
Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter.

Revelation 3:20 begins 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.'

Genesis 3:10 reads, 'I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked.'

Here's what's happening

First I want to let you know that I will be taking a break from my doctrine posts for a couple of weeks. This coming Sunday in class the kids are taking their first test which will be on the first 8 statements of faith. The next Sunday is Easter with no class so the next class will be on the 30th. Unfortunately, Molly and I will miss that class as we will be attending another quilt retreat that weekend. I hope to post that week with the next statement anyway.

Next, I wanted to update you on how things are going with Tanzania. I know that things seem to be moving along slowly but first of all, we continue to remember that God's timing is perfect. God will have us there exactly when He wants us there. He will not send us too soon, before we are ready or before everything is in place for it to happen. It is important to remember too, that as slowly as things may seem to move in America, in Africa they usually move slower. The culture there is much more laid back. Schedules are fairly unimportant, a meeting set up for 10AM may not take place until 2PM, or maybe even the next day since many businesses and government offices close for the day very early in the afternoon.

Pastor Richard has made several trips to the area where the ministry was gifted land by the government. As I have stated in the past, the land lies across a channel from the main city of Mwanza and is accessed by a ferry. He was shown two different plots of land and given a choice. He says the land he chose is very beautiful and is located right on Lake Victoria. We have been told that it is approximately 30 acres. In Tanzania, the majority of people do not own property. Rather they find an empty spot to build and build. They are, in effect, squatters. In the year 2006, the Tanzanian government passed a law that says any entity taking ownership of property must reimburse those currently living on the land so they can rebuild elsewhere. The first number we were told was $1000 per acre. Pastor Richard has talked to someone who has lowered that down to $500 per acre. Pastor Richard is still negotiating with the powers that be over there for the property. What we have discovered is that free doesn't exactly mean free. So we continue to wait on the finalization of that.

In the meantime, End Time Glory Ministries has filed an application with a ministry here in the US that provides architectural and designing help for Christian organizations looking to start ministries overseas. If they approve us as someone they want to help, they would travel to the property possibly as early as this fall to look it over and come up with a culturally acceptable layout and architectural designs for the property. They would also provide cost estimates and fund raising brochures for the end project.

The directors and board of the ministry and Shannon and I are currently thinking that we could be looking at a move sometime in 2009, possibly as early as spring. We are all aware that there is a lot to be done before we could move including selling our home and fund raising and of course the exact move date would be affected by those factors as well. None of us feel comfortable putting too much else into process until the details of the land get worked out.

All of this to say, we need prayer. Please pray for the property, for the approval from the other ministry that may help us and the other details involved. We so appreciate all of you who just continue to pray with us for God's will in this entire project and we look forward to seeing how God continues to work.

Statement of Faith #8-Speaking in Tongues

Official Assembly of God Statement of Faith #8-The baptism of believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance. The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but it is different in purpose and use.

As I stated in lesson 7, the gift of tongues is one of many gifts from the Holy Spirit. In our church, we believe that at the time of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the believer, now filled with the Holy Spirit, will begin to speak in unfamiliar words. This is the initial physical evidence of infilling of the Holy Spirit.

We also believe there are a couple of other situations when tongues will be spoken. The first, as stated above, is as the initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Another is during an individual's personal prayer time.(Romans 8:26,27) It is a time when the Holy Spirit, prays through our mouths in a language we do not know. It is a submission of ourselves to service and the Holy Spirit prays what He wants prayed because our minds and thoughts are removed from the prayers. One could wonder then, what the purpose is in allowing the Holy Spirit to do this when the Holy Spirit can do it without us. That gets back to the original idea of why we pray at all. It is because it is something God asks us to do, it is an act of submission and obedience and love to Him.

The third situation where tongues are spoken is when, on occasion, the Holy Spirit will speak through someone in the church to minister to the entire church(1 Corinthians 14:26,27). It is when this is done, when a message is given in tongues to the church body in attendance, that an interpretation in a familiar language will also be provided, often through a completely different person. This is done to edify the people. I will never forget the first time I experienced this. We were standing in a church service during praise and worship when a loud voice came from the balcony. I looked up to see a friend of ours speaking, but it was obvious it was not of himself. His voice was a bit different and he was not speaking in English. After he was done, the church attenders waited in silence for several moments and then, from across the building, another member spoke in English an interpretation of what had been said. Also, On Monday evenings we used to get together with a small group of believers for praise and prayer. It was a mixed group of people and some spoke only Spanish. A friend of mine was ministering and praying in tongues over a Spanish speaking believer. There was another there who spoke Spanish that was interpreting my friends tongues into Spanish for the person being ministered over.

It is important for us to remember that God still works in the Christian church today in the same ways He did in the early church. God would not take away a gift for the early church from us now. In 1 Corinthians 14:39, the bible warns, "Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues." This is one of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, not more important than any others but just as important. It should be welcomed and encouraged.

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. " Acts 2:4

Statement of Faith #7-Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Official Assembly of God Statement of Faith #7-All believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth. With the baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as:an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, a deepened reverence for God, an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, and a more active love for Christ, for His word and for the lost.

In Joel 2:28 it states,"I will pour out my spirit on all people...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Then in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4, Jesus tells his followers(those who are already saved) to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit to come and give them power. We can read over and over in the bible, in the early days of the Christian church, of the Holy Spirit coming upon believers and as a different and separate event than salvation.(Acts 11:15, Acts 15:7-9, Acts 8:16) In our church we believe that, at the time of salvation the Holy Spirit comes into the believer to help guide them and change their life. We call it an indwelling of the Holy Spirit but we also believe that, sometimes, at the time of salvation, but more often at a later time, the Holy Spirit fills the person to give them a greater power for living and ministry, an infilling of the Holy Spirit.

With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit come the fruits of the spirit into the person's life-love, joy , peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control(Gal. 5:22). With the infilling of the Holy Spirit come the gifts of the spirit-wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and interpretation(1 Cor 12). Those gifts of the spirit provide the believer a certain power not only for daily living but for ministry as well. Not all who have been filled with the Holy Spirit will receive all of the gifts. According to 1 Cor. 12:7-11, and 13, the Holy Spirit gives the gifts to each as he sees fit for the betterment of the church.
It is important too, to remember that the Assembly of God church believes we have an unchanging God and that He still works the same with Christians today as He did with them in the early church days. This is why we still believe that healings, miracles, prophecy and other gifts of the Spirit are still for today. More will come about that in later statements of faith as well.

Although this is a main doctrinal statement of our church and most other churches do not teach it or even believe in it, I have seen people from many other denominations receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Often, they do not know what it is or what happened that changed them and often they know exactly what it is. I also know many people in my own denomination that have not yet received it or are not even seeking it. I just know that I do believe in it, that I have experienced it(as have Shannon, Collin and Molly) and that I desire all to receive it.

To receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit one must first be saved(John 14:16,17). The person should be obedient to God(Acts 5:32), ask(Luke 11:13) and believe(Galatians 3:14).

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8