Sing to the Lord

This evening we finally got to sing!

It was two years ago that we first suggested to the nursing home in our neighborhood that we would like to do something for them. We invited them to the Christmas concert with Listen Up! and 14 came. We suggested then that we could come sing for them as a church choir. Plans were made, a date was set – and then it didn’t go through. Another date was set and we showed up, only to find a different activity director who knew nothing of the appointment. Frustrating, to say the least.

Then I got another email from the previous activity director. She had been sick, had had her baby and been sick again, but now had gotten the courage to contact us and apologize. Could we still come? We set a date, made plans, she put up flyers – and then got sick. But this time we only needed to move it a week. So tonight we finally got to sing!

It was great! Not everyone could be there (because of the moving of the date, Stephan was off in London with his school), but those who were there sang with their hearts. It was great to get the people in the audience to sing along with us as well. It is just so good to sing about the Lord.

Afterwards we sat and talked, got to know the people who live at this home. Some impressions that will stay with us: a couple who had been married 66 years. As they headed back to their room, the husband – who uses a walker on wheels – pushed his walker, lifted his feet and glided along, just like I do when I am in the grocer store driving the cart. You would not have guessed that he was 88! Another woman at the same table sings with the choir in the nursing home. She had never been a singer, she said. But now she sings in the choir – and wouldn’t give it up for the world. Several other ladies also sing in the choir – they sang with us on several of the songs, including “O sacred head”.

We had wanted to do this so that we could get to know some of the people in our neighborhood and so that we could serve. It is so good to give, just because you have been given so much. Thank you for your prayers for tonight. Continue to pray that we can continue to get to know these people even better and that God can use us mightily to show His love and grace.

In His image

We just got back from a great weekend in Haarlem (that’s two a’s). Our theme this weekend was: In His Image. We talked about what God looked like and how we look like Him. The very first thing we did on Friday night was ask what God looked like. 3-year-old Tim (who was present with his parents who were helping during the weekend) was helpful enough to draw God for us.


The rest of the weekend we had fun, talked about God and how we ARE made in His image, sang, ate some great food and deepened our relationships together. On Saturday we went to Madame Tussaud’s in Amsterdam where we got to see all sorts of famous people (“Hey, look over there!”) and got to mingle with all sorts of other people who were also made in God’s image.

- Look! There's Scott Raab! (Who's that other lady?) -

We were glad to be able to take several young people to this weekend. It’s not that often that we get to get together (wow, say that several times and see what happens to your tongue!). The mother of two of the girls who went was very enthousiastic and thankful Sunday evening after they returned home. As she put it, they are always “filled up” after a weekend like this. It is not always easy to get things arranged to go, but it is always worth it!

- Enjoying the sun -

We talked about how we are made in God’s image – by how we act. We were made by God, so we aren’t trash. It doesn’t matter what we look like, because God can use us no matter what we look like. But we want to look like Him – do the things that He does, the things He wants. It was great to see people wanting to help out, encourage one another because that is what God would do.

- Fun! -

Of course the trip home showed us all why we so need the re-creation God gives, the making of our spiritual being in His image in Jesus Christ. A long weekend with little sleep, a long drive home with a packed car, four chatty girls and two reticent guys, and a father wanting to just get home – put this together and you get a real spiritual challenge. Good thing He is making us – WE would probably break us.

Clean

I just got through giving the dog a bath. When we lived in Abilene we had a dog named Shimmy (we name our dogs by what they first do - she shimmied across the floor at every opportunity). She LOVED taking a shower. You had to make sure that the bathroom door was closed when you took a shower or you would find a dog jumping in with you!

Snuffles is another case altogether. You have to make sure that the door to the bathroom is shut - otherwise she will escape. It was interesting to see how she reacted (this was not her first bath with us) when she finally realized why she was allowed in the back (where the bathroom is). She smelled the soap, I think, cocked her head and headed straight for the door.

She doesn't try to jump out or anything, and she is a manageable dog anyway. But she does NOT want to be there. When we are finished, she doesn't want to be dried off (with towels), she wants to be dry - right away- and preferably by rolling on the ground (which doesn't dry anything). Today when we got the hairdryer going, she calmed down a bit more, until we got out the brush and she settled down completely - just stood there and let me comb her out.

She reminds me of others. Sometimes getting clean doesn't sound too great. This summer we have the "Benjamins" at camp (the 8-11 year-olds). During this week we usually have to force the boys to take a shower at least once (before they go home and have to have the dirt chiseled off them by their parents!).

I think I'd rather be like Shimmy - running to get clean at every opportunity, but I am afraid I am more like Snuffles at times. It can seem like a hassle getting clean, but it sure feels good once you're there!

Grace in excess

Another one came the other day. It’s always exciting. Your heart beats a little faster, you can’t wait to get started and you wonder what it will be like this time. This time it was literally like Christmas three months later.

We received a package (thank you Muscatine!) with all sorts of goodies. There are so many people who want us to know that they care for us, that they are thankful for what we are doing and that they are thinking of us. This is one of the ways that they can show this. A box with jello, brownie mixes, ranch dressing and other goodies (like candy canes!).

This comes on top of the special attention given to Shirley during the Ladies Retreat (thanks to the members in Heidelberg). So now we have all sorts of special things tucked away for special evenings. Of course we have already worked through some of the goodies – sometimes you just can’t wait.

We are given so much – and I really don’t mean these special things that we are sent. God has given us so much already. We feel extremely blessed with a good home in a wonderful neighborhood, good neighbors in a safe country, more than enough to eat and more than enough clothes to wear. We have a wonderful family and are part of a wonderful growing family of God. And still there is more!

Sometimes people ask us what they can send us. “What do you miss?” That’s a hard question. We don’t really miss anything. We have so much. And to be honest, the things we are sent in the care-packages are not things we need, or even miss. But I don’t think that is how they are meant either. They are the hugs that can’t be given just now, an extra above-and-beyond show of love and care.

We are spoiled. Thank you. That’s all we can say – from the bottom of our hearts.

But it is exciting to see how you help us learn to do the same for others. I hope that you were just as excited when you were packing the box, sharing in the excitement that you knew would come when it was opened. That is what we feel too as we think of how we will share this excessive grace – and now I’m not only talking about the goody boxes. Isn’t it great how God continues to shower so much on us, more than we really need? Simply because he loves us and wants us to know this.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurabely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

Sorry

I have been having trouble with my browser or with Blogger. In any case, I haven't been able to load for a week. Check back again soon. This one seems to have gone through.

The difference between dogs and kids

Okay, so this won’t come as a surprise to some of you, but dogs and kids are not the same. I know, I know – they may seem pretty much the same when you look at certain aspects. Neither one can pass up a puddle in the middle of a dry road. They both have that look that can get you to give them just about anything they want. An irritating ability to wake you up in the middle of the night or to suck up anything that falls on the ground at your feet (yes, I’ve seen kids do this!) is included in the similarities. But there are some significant differences. I thought about these the other day as I was walking Snuffles (our dog).

Dogs are animals and children are people. Again, this may seem to be an astoundingly simple conclusion, but it is very important. We are not animals. Dogs are. And the difference is in why we do certain things. Snuffles may be able to whine until I give her what she wants, but she is not being pathetic and manipulating me. I interpret her whine as sad. She simply learns that whining gets her what she wants. She also know that doing some things will bring a punishment. So she does them when she thinks we are not around – then we cannot punish her. She doesn’t do these things to get back at us or to be mean. She simply wants what is in the trash can (or what MIGHT be in the trash can). She wants that more than she fears the punishment, especially if we are not around. That is why it doesn’t make any sense to punish a dog two hours later when you get home and find the toiletpaper all over the house (thankfully that is not something that has happened to us. We just find the trash all over the kitchen!).

A child comes to a point when things are very much different. A child will do things not only because of the consequences, but because he or she really wants to, because he or she loves someone and wants to please them, or dislikes someone and wants to hurt them. Animals have instincts. People have motives. Kids can, at a certain point in their maturation, not only know why they are doing something, but also assign a reason to it. They make a mess in the kitchen because they wanted to make breakfast for Mommy, they love Mommy. Or they can make a plan to get revenge on a brother for having gotten them in trouble.

This thought led me off into lots of other thoughts about how we come to understand what sin is, and grace, and love. We are so wonderfully made. The very thought that I was considering all of this was amazing. But mostly it helped me not to get too angry at Snuffles when she barked at the bicycle going by or walked in the puddle. And it made me think about how important my motives in loving my wife and kids are. Some pretty motivating thoughts for a simple walk with the dog.