Bread of Life

Tonight I listened to Justin Childers sermon on John 6:30-40. His sermon is talking about how Jesus secures and satisfies. These are just a few of the things that struck me as I listened .

1. The book of John as a display case of God's glory. What an awesome way to picture God's Word.
   
2. A quote of John Piper regarding why we don't hunger for God. The reason we lack a hunger for God is that we are filling ourselves with the stale bread of the world.
3. God not only gave his Son for us, but God also gave us to his Son.
4. This quote from Charles Spurgeon:

   It is always the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus. But Satan’s work is just the opposite; he is constantly trying to make us look at ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, “Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you do not have the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold on Jesus.”

   All these are thoughts about self, and we will never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self; He tells us that we are nothing, but that Christ is everything. Remember, therefore, it is not your hold of Christ that saves you- it is Christ that saves you- it is Christ, it is not your joy in Christ that saves you- it is Christ’s blood and merits.

   Therefore, do not look so much to your hand with which you are grasping Christ as to Christ; do not look to your hope but to Jesus, the source of your hope; do not look to your faith, but to Jesus the founder and perfecter of your faith. We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our deeds, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we are to overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by “looking to Jesus.” Keep your eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercessions be fresh upon your mind. When you waken in the morning look to Him; when you lie down at night look to Him. Do not let your hopes or fears come between you and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail you.

To listen to this sermon in it's entirety click here. It's the sermon from July 13.

Our First Mission Trip

A week from this Saturday Angela and I will board a plane to travel to Managua, Nicaragua along with 8 other people from our church for a mission trip. Once in Managua we will spend the night at the Best Western before boarding a "puddle jumper" (as Angela refers to it) the next morning that will take us into Puerto Cabezas. We will spend a week in the village of Singsin (about an hour outside of Puerto Cabezas) helping to build a typical church building. We will be camping in tents, sleeping on cots and cooking in a field kitchen. Camping out all week will be quite the experience. The closest the two of us have come to camping (well it's been at least 20 years for myself) is the Holiday Inn.

Our missionaries are Jim & Viola Palmer. They have been Baptist missionaries for 24 years. They served ten years in Honduras and then were the first missionaries returning to Nicaragua after the civil war, where they served for nine years. In 1990, they began ministering to the Miskito people of the Atlantic Coast. Jim and Viola have worked with Work and Witness volunteers their entire missionary career. Due to some health concerns, Jim and Viola will not be stateside when we arrive. However, Jim has assured us that we will be in very capable hands.

In preparation for our trip we have been doing research about the area where we will be. Here are some of the things that we found interesting:

1. We will be working with the Miskito people. They are a traditional indigenous people who live as subsistence farmers and fishermen in small villages of the lowland rain forest of Nicaragua and Honduras.
   
2. The Miskito people live across a large area known as The Mosquito Coast("La Mosquitia") which is located on the northeast coast of Nicaragua and the East Coast of Honduras.
   
3. The two major towns of Puerto Cabezas and Puerto Lempira serve as communication centers with the outside world.
   
4. The Coco River (Wangki), one of the largest rivers of Central America, is considered to be the heartland of the Miskito people.
5. Health care is limited or non existent in most villages. Infant mortality is high and life expectancy is low.
   
6. The Miskito people live in close family units in small autonomous villages. Each village has a leader who serves to settle differences. There is little sense of personal property and land is not owned or sold.
   
7. Families plant common field crops of rice, beans, and yucca and gather native grown bananas and plantains.
   
8. There are government schools in larger villages and Spanish is taught after the third grade. Due to economic hardships many children do not attend school.
9. The Miskitos were originally animistic in their religious practices. In spite of several centuries of exposure to Christianity many people have retained their animistic practices. Village shamans serve as healers, diviners and exorcists.
10. The majority of the Miskito people have never heard an appropriate presentation of the Gospel in their heart language. The lack of scripture in the Miskito language has been a major barrier for the Gospel. Although there are several Baptist and other evangelical churches, none has had the sufficient growth or success necessary to impact the majority of the Miskito population.
11. Central American Christians consider smoking and the use of alcoholic beverages inappropriate behavior.
    
12. Playing cards, dancing, and playing pool are all considered to be worldly activities and not appropriate Christian behavior.
    
13. Police are suspicious of anyone with a tattoo (they are seen as tags for gangs).
    
14. Primitive conditions for bathing and restroom practices. Not uncommon to observe people bathing in rivers or urinating by the side of the road.
15. Miskito women will breast-feed or bath without tops and would think nothing of showing their breast but would never show their thighs. In public, men wear long pants.
    
    

We covet your prayers as we embark on this wonderful experience. Although we at times are apprehensive about the trip, we are looking forward to the opportunity to work and meet brothers and sisters in Christ in Nicaragua, as well as experience a lifestyle and culture different from our own while sharing the Gospel. At times of apprehensive we remind ourselves that we have nothing to fear because we know that God has promised to be with us and to supply all our needs.

Beach Birthday

To celebrate David's birthday we drove back over to Siesta Key for the weekend. With David's work schedule he doesn't get many weekends off, but he swapped hours with a co-worker so he would have this past weekend off. We had a blast with Jim, Phyllis, Linda and Annie this weekend playing in the ocean and riding the jet ski.

Happy 19th Birthday

Today is David's 19th birthday! It's hard to believe that the little 7lb 6oz baby boy that I held in my arms 19 years ago has grown, so fast, into the young man that he is today. Each day has been a joy as I've watched you grow and mature. I pray that as you continue to grow older that you will grow to love the Lord more and that your life will be one that glorifies him!

A Weekend at Siesta Key

On Thursday evening Angela and I loaded the van and drove to Siesta Key to spend the weekend with at Fisherman's Cove with Jim and Phyllis. Our time with Jim and Phyllis is always wonderful, but this weekend was especially nice being at the beach with them. Thank you guys for having us.

My Life in a Picture

Friday Feast

• Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed? I think it was in May.

• Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child. Spending time with my Ma-Ma and learning so many different things from her.
  

• Salad: Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil. Butter. . . the most fattening and non-healthy.

• Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why? Something about a southern girl's drawl that just doesn't do well speaking any other language.

• Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be… a empty nester.
  

Chinese Proverb

I was reminded today of a Chinese Proverb I once heard. . .

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Baking 101

We went out to Jim & Phyllis' this afternoon to enjoy a delicious meal and fellowship with other friends (the Stacy's, the Scheffler's, and the Ramer's). As usual the meal was awesome and laughter filled the room.

After dinner, Angela and Jeri Lynne looked through cookbooks and found a recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms. Of course that meant a trip to the grocery store before coming home to get the ingredients they needed to bake them. After all their hard work the Peanut Butter Blossoms were ready to eat!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Prep: 25 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees
Bake: 10 minutes per batch
Makes: about 54 cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
milk chocolate kisses or stars (about 54)

Preheat oven to 350. In large mixing bowl beat shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie center. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

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Happy Birthday, America!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Declaration of Independence as originally written by Thomas Jefferson, 1776.

Sonny's Burns

This morning one of our favorite restaurants in town caught on fire. No more baby back ribs.

What's Up with That ?

Our community was shocked this week as Governor Crist and US Sugar (the major employer in the city) announced a $1.75 billion deal with US Sugar to sell its nearly 300 square miles of land (along with other assets) to Florida for Everglades restoration. Many residents and workers are pondering life in a company town without a company and wondering how the community will survive.

The sale of the nation's largest producer of cane sugar means 1,700 workers will be left jobless, not to mention the spinoff effects on Clewiston businesses that depend on them as customers. U.S. Sugar is the heart of Clewiston, literally -- the town is built around the company's two-story red brick headquarters, and the mill is just down the road.

The mood around town is a mixture of anxiousness, anger and fear. We are facing the unknown. There are those that are looking on the bright side and I guess that is a good thing. I worry about the 1,700 people that will be without jobs in 6 years and those of us that do not work directly for US Sugar but will feel the effects in some way or another.

My biggest question (aside from where will these people find jobs and how will this town survive) is how does Crist justify cutting our education budget and then make an announcement such as this. What's more important Charlie our children or the everglades?

Know & Tell

• If a five dollar bill magically appeared on your door step at the beginning of the day, every day what would you do with it? Put away for emergencies.
  

• Tell us about your favorite teacher from elementary/middle school/high school. You expect me to remember that far back. . . for the life of me I can't recall a favorite. I do remember my 9th grade English Literature teacher as being funny due to the brandy she put in her thermos of coffee every day. By the time I had her at the end of the day she was pretty lit.
  

• If you could make one person disappear for good, who would it be? I'm drawing a blank. Someone like Hitler.

• Do you believe in fairies? No.

• What era is your favorite for music? The 60's - 80's.

• Have you ever, or would you ever, have cosmetic surgery? Have never had it nor do I think I ever would unless medically necessary.
  

• If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? I'm satisfied with my name. The only reason I would need to change it would be if I got re-married and I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon.
  

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What is the weather like today where you live? We are currently in our rainy season. . . afternoon thunderstorms almost every day.

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you? My family is much more important to me than any career so I'll say a 4.

Salad: What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.? Blinds

Main Course: Name something that instantly cheers you up. My children and e-mails from my best friend.

Dessert: How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning? At least once, depends on how well I slept the night before.

Know & Tell

• Which is your favorite season? Why? I love summer and the freedom it brings to our schedule. Not to mention that is when we are more likely to do spontaneous things.
  

• Are you a bikini or one piece gal? Do the same rules apply to your daughter, if you have one? One piece gal. I haven't worn a bikini since I was my daughter's age. As for my daughter, she prefers a bikini. She is very good about the modesty issue and will find one that covers her body.



• What is your favorite summer getaway? Beach? Lake? Mall? Indoor ice skating? Why? The beach, but unfortunately we live 2 hours away from one so we don't get to go very often.
  


• You're on a sandy beach, looking out at a perfectly blue ocean. The weather is perfect. What's on the table next to you? What book are you reading? Who is sitting next to you? What are you drinking? On the table next to me is sunscreen. I'm reading the latest James Patterson book. My daughter is sitting next me and I'm drinking sweet iced tea or water.



• Do you tan? If so, are you an all-natural tanner or do you go to a salon? I go to the salon otherwise I burn and peel.



• What is your favorite summer clothing? Flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt.



• You're suddenly able to transport yourself to any summer in your past. What year would you choose to be in? 1998. That summer will always be special to me.
  

Friday's Feast

Appetizer:If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose? Europe

Soup: Which browser do you use to surf the Internet? Mozilla Firefox.

Salad:On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country? Not as much as I should know, 5.

Main Course: Finish this sentence: Love is… patient, kind, it doesn't envy, it doesn't boast, it isn't proud. It is not self-seeking, it is not rude, it keeps no record of wrong doing, it is not easily angered. It doesn't delight in evil, but rejoices in truth. Love protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres.

Dessert: Have you ever been in or near a tornado? I've seen funnel clouds but thankfully I've never been in or near a tornado.

Vacation Bible School - Day 3

Tonight is our final night of Vacation Bible School. It has been a fun, exciting, and at times tiring week. It has been awesome teaching have enjoyed having the the 2nd grade about Jesus this week. Tomorrow we will take down all the decorations to pass on to another church and pack away all the supplies.

After I leave work, Angela and I are headed to Miami to spend time with Tom. We are looking forward to the time we will have with him. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Vacation Bible School - Tuesday

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Vacation Bible School

For the first time in 11 years our church is having Vacation Bible School in the evening. This has given me and others that work the opportunity to serve in this area of ministry. I am having a wonderful time helping in 2nd grade. Angela is helping with the 3-6 grade crafts and David is helping out wherever he is needed on the nights he is not working. Angela and I went down on Sunday afternoon and decorated the craft room along with Dusty, Ken and Heather. After we got the craft room decorated we helped Heather decorate the 5 & 6 grade classroom. Thankfully, Lori had already decorated the 2nd grade classroom earlier in the week.

Monday night was our first night. Considering that most of the workers and children are accustomed to a 4 hour schedule and we are on a 2 and 1/2 hour schedule things ran very smoothly and the children enjoyed themselves.

As the week progresses I will post more pictures, but here are some from the first night.
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Another Thought on Father's Day

As I have thought about Father's Day today it occurred to me that my children have sadly, due to divorce, not experienced the same type of relationship with their father as I have with mine. As I reflected on that today I thought of men that have in some way contributed to being a male role model to them throughout their life. While thinking of men that have been a part of their lives, I thanked God that in the absence of their father he placed men in their lives to teach them things that as a woman I could not possibly teach them and I also praised God that both my children know Him as their heavenly Father.

A few of those that come to mind are: Granddaddy J.M., Uncle Andy, Uncle Lamon, Uncle Robert, Uncle Ken, Tom, Jonathan, Tim, Brian, Joshua, Bubba, Jim, Sean, Don, George, Larry, Jason, Richard, Bill, Hueland, and Frank. These men have at various times and in various ways touched their lives for the better.

So to these men and all those in the world that touch a child's life even if they aren't their father, I say thank you. You may not realize the time you invest in a child's life makes a difference.