Not too Different...

Leadership, Discipleship and just plain having a large family is not just unique to Haiti but lately has shown me would be really similar if we were in the U.S. with our bunch...
  
Okay, honestly I've been working on these two blogs from last week's very inspiring experiences.  I've been working on the perfect, eloquent ways to share the way God moves among us and in the House of Moses... And then, today happens and right now I am humming, "Mama said there'd by days like this; there'd be days like this Mama said" in my head!

     Last week was my first week home after the amazing experience of dropping our first HoM graduate off at college in the U.S.  I missed our family so much and came home to an incredible reunion week of not only seeing God's mighty hand at work but also getting some sweet time with our board president and friend.

     The start of this week has held a different scene.  You see, every day in Haiti holds new adventures and experiences.  Today reminded me that we not only have 13 children but 10 of which are in high school and these hold new "opportunities for growth."  First, Home school was L--O--N--G today.  Focus for one of my kindergartner's was a challenge and it's getting hotter by the day here so it's easy to feel tired.  Then, a police car shows up at our house, which is not an uncommon occurrence since our brotherhood birthed from jail ministry.  I went down to say hello to the officer only to realize that it was not a social call but it was one due to our son causing a moto accident.  Well, mom freaked out, and as we waited for our son to get home John calmly reminded me that this is what having grown boys includes.  I thought about this through dinner and by the time family night devotions started God had spoken not only peace but joy into my heart.

     You see, the biggest issue I had with the accident was not the poor decisions because an accident is just that...AN ACCIDENT and I was just thankful that everyone was okay.  BUT, he did not stop to check on the other driver he swiped by AND the irony was that they were just coming home from taking medicine and praying with a sweet employee and a sister of one of our students who was in a moto accident yesterday without the man who caused it having any regard or care to her well being.  So as after John had spoke with him, I also expressed my disappointment in his choices and how long it would take to pay us back for the man's hospital bill and broken moto. I was probably also disappointed that the $20 it cost to settle the issue was what John and I were going on a date with Saturday (Hee hee!)
    Then, as we sang precious creole songs and I looked at our full living room of full bellies, Ava's fresh beautiful braids from one of her big sister's and truly beautiful family, I was humbled.  Then, God made us all laugh because our Haitian director and Bible College student that John disciples shared during family devotionals that he needed to confess before his family (us) that he accidentally drove by a man coming home from seminary and made him fall down and he was soooo convicted that he did not stop to see if he was okay!  I cracked up! Maybe our boy wasn't the big heathen I made him out to be after all... We all prayed for each man "hit" by an HoM member today and then prayed for our sister healing from her moto accident.  As devos closed I couldn't help but smile knowing I am learning how to be a mom of high school students and I'll take the foolishness and problems that come with them because the blessings far outweigh them.  Writing this line, one of our girls asks to make a copy of her church chorus songs, and another turns in her weekly English worksheet as Terah and John go to the porch for their nightly Bible time.  Life is Good.

     I have to giggle though because two weeks ago one of our boys got scammed by a digicel phone scheme.  That cost him and he learned a hard lesson and then today's incident both could have very well happened in the states.   High school students get their first tickets, first accidents, cost their parents because of foolish use of their cell phones, and you know what...I'm just glad that we have the family we do to learn, grow, and share these times in.  That's what family does and the peace and love here is consuming.

Overhearing from what is being told to me!

Okay...just a spill over of what God is talking to me about today.

Paul talks about in Philippians 4 that he learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed, or hungry, living with plenty or in want...

Do you want to be there?  Do I want to live in this kind of peace?

Contentment is defined by the ability of not "losing it" or being "still" internally, no matter what is going on in the external environment you live within.  We want that, right?  I mean who likes the roller coasters of the ups and downs based upon the peaks and valleys we experience.  

How do we do this?  How do we rest in this?

A great friend has reminded me often, that if you are follower of Jesus, you are already in that existence, just rest it in.  (THANKS TED)  Learn what it is to "let go" of control and rest in the PEACE that is given to us.

A little hint on how to continue to walk in it.  Paul sheds some light in Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

One YEAR

As I awoke at 4 am this morning to send Christi, Jordan, TK, and Vanah to America, floods of emotions rushed over me...

Has it really been one year since we said hello to the obedience God had for us in Haiti?

Has it really been one year, when we said our gut-wrenching goodbyes to friends and family?

Has it really been one year since we boarded a plane to our physical destination?

The last year has brought so many ups and downs.  We have had to say hello and goodbye to some very dear friends in Haiti.  For a moment in February I thought that I was going to see my wife pass on directly in front of my eyes.   We experienced some miracles in medical bills being paid for and a village of encouragers come alongside us.

There is so much to process when I think about the last year.  So instead of boring you with stories that I think are important and powerful only for you to think, "Why is he telling me this?"I will share what we have learned through the beauty of our Jesus on this journey we stepped out on one year ago today.

1.  God is sovereign (in control).
-  I tend to hold things tightly and to worry about stuff that are out of my control.  In the last year through physical and spiritual sickness, God has shown me that HE is powerfully in control.

2.  God answers prayers either way!
-  By saying either way, I mean HIS WILL be done.  Some of the prayers I offered desperately before Him turned out to be exactly opposite of my request.  Only for me to find out that in His answer was His perfect will.

3.  God is intimate.
-  To often we share the GREATNESS of GOD in the big things, but leave out how intimate HE is in love with us.

4.  Obedience brings blessing.
-  Through the sickness, goodbyes, trials, etc. we have seen a huge pour out of blessings.  If I had to pin it down to ONE, it is my TK and her ability to walk intimately with Christ through the Holy Spirit.  Decisions you make today do affect those that are following you.

5.  I am so deeply in love with my wife!
-  Christi amazes me.  She is truly favor from God on my life.  Her love and joy overwhelms those she comes in contact with.  I cannot imagine walking this journey with out her.

So as we walk into the new year as a family we give THANKS to GOD for the past year.

Would I change anything?

That is a loaded question, but my response is this...

If changing hurts, pains, etc. from the last year would remove even the slightest variance of where we are today, then I would say NO, I would change nothing!  

To HIM be the GLORY FOREVER!  


Check out one of the coolest stories that we have been able to be a part of at www.houseofmoses.tv

Refusing to stand is sitting with them

Cries of a little girl filled the rooms of the House of Moses.  The cries came from an 8 year old out in the street in front of our house.  I ran to see what the intense cries were about and I saw a mom with a switch beating her little girl.

Inside, my heart began to race and as quickly I ran down the stairs out in the street and stood between the girl and her mom.  A few minutes of talking revealed that the reason for the beating was because the mom

"didnt have money to send to school with the little girl." 

So out of anger, she beats her little girl with a group of people standing and watching.  

Poverty is ugly, but so is tolerating injustices.  I am no saint which many who will read this can attest to, but we have to stop the violence.  We have to stand up for those that have no voice.  If we do not, we are as worse as the ones doing the beatings.

Standing up is important but educating is just as important.  

Be a voice.

In agreeing to the manger He accepted the cross.

In a just a few days we are going to celebrate the birth of Christ.


At  Christmas time we tend to look at the birth of Jesus through our own eyes, but what if we take the perspective of what this "coming" to earth meant to Jesus.  Have you ever thought about this...

Paul in Philippians 2 gives us insight into this perspective of Jesus:


6Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
                                                   -Philippians 2 


As we all journey the upcoming weeks of celebrating the birth of Christ, let us remember to reflect upon the great reason for His birth.

In agreeing to the manager He accepted the cross.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  2 Corinthians 5:21