Author: Caroline

When I'm not riding in the backseat of my Grandpa's restored vintage car "Mable," I'm doing other things like... rising to most adventure occasions my husband proposes / chasing our toddler around Brooklyn / enjoying neighbors, strangers, and friends / making countless trips to the laundromat / writing for various publications and for personal reflection / loving and serving our local church / cleaning the bathroom / hosting small and big crowds in our home / meeting up with a friend for coffee / thinking Vocation is my strange frenemy. Though I have worked and existed in many stations/places, I am convinced that each day has good work to be done and that I am equipped and prepared to do that good work. This blog explores the tension and the intersection of a constant vocational call - to good work, neighbor love, and living in the kingdom come. My favorite things are coffee and creating and laughing (preferably with company). I love to listen to sermons and read biographies and make tea before going to bed.

pushed to the limit and BLESSED beyond

Wow. These days are cRaZy! Yesterday we spent time at the orphanage and the public school in Valle and then we got ready for the outreach event at night. My heart jumped like crazy seeing kids streaming into the camp from the dusty, dirt road to see what all the hype was about. We played soccer (of course), relays, and then we had a presentation.

I will expand more when I am not sitting on concrete steps and struggling to get a signal. But, I just want you to know a bit of the beauty I felt watching the students push themselves to the limit. All morning we were at the orphanage … it was piggy back ride after volleyball game after more piggy back after laugh attacks. Constant motion and then the night was constant emotion. The students performed two skits like professionals and several shared their testimony with a crowd of 250-300. The most beautiful thing of all (more beautiful than my horrible miscalculations – don’t ever ask me to order you pizza unless you want more than you need!), was truly praying through the belief that God is at the center. We offer up our humble attempts, but it is God who makes any attempt successful. I saw these students give their hearts on that stage (even though several were sick) … because they knew giving their all is the only way God would want them to perform.

Before the final assembly, I overhead a student say, “Oh my gosh! I have to translate for you and now we’re singing and I have to get the props and … how am I going to do this!?!?!” then a breath, “No, it’s okay. I trust God will work through me if He thinks I can handle this.”

THESE are the moments!

OKay – before I get carried away about last night … I have to move on to today to other GREAT, BIG moments. We spent some time de-briefing before we scattered for the night and I got to hear some of the aMAZING testimonies of our team who went out in a little village called San Francisco. None of my students had been there before and only one knew it existed, tucked away in the mountains. The students went door to door and shared the gospel and the effect is still gripping my heart. One group, after presenting the gospel, was told, “I’m rejecting the best gospel presentation I’ve ever heard in my life.” Which was a strange, sure encouragement to them that they were on the right track. They assured the stranger that he didn’t have to reject it, of course, but he could choose to believe.

Well, enough of my stories… here is a word from Lesly (who blesses me at least 10 times a day with her warmth, her smile, and her attitude).

This morning, we did three carnivals at elementary schools in El Sauce and Cerro Grande. The kids came from all over and were super excited to see us. Later, we visited the town of Villa San Fransisco to do a carnival and evangelize through the streets. I had Marielle and Stanley in my group – and they are probably the coolest people to be with.

We met an old woman who shared how sick she was. Stanley got up right there as she was telling us and prayed for her, and I was trembling because I was so moved by what God was doing. His prayer was so beautiful and I started to realize how amazing it is to just reach out and love in this way.

While walking around Villa San Fransisco, all of the people were extremely welcoming and hospitable. I feel so blessed that I was able to meet all of them. We also got the opportunity to share with people our age, Lester and Misiael. They were very open to Marielle’s and Stanely’s testimonies and really wanted to listen to what we had to say.

At the very end, there was this man called Carlos who completely made fun of us while we were praying for him.  Even though we were a little embarrassed for ourselves we have the confidence that we planted the seed in him.  God really blessed us with the opportunity to meet up with people who needed our presence and His presence.

 

Wow. The stories keep coming! Please keep praying that we

let God’s love fly like cRaZy!!

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the crazy ride begins

Wow. Yesterday I thought it almost impossible to gather the team before leaving (4 were coming from San Pedro and one was en route to the hospital after a soccer injury), but somehow we were ended up around a campfire to talk about our hopes and fears for the week. We were all in agreement that God has some pretty amazing plans set out for this time.

I won’t blabber much, because Carlos wrote up a little reflection to share… but I do want to mention that I was the brave one to hunt out a mouse this morning in our dorm, which sprinted up my leg. We still haven’t found it, so I might have a sleeping buddy. Today, we gave a cultural seminar and the PCA staff/students spoke in chapel. Then we went to admire the city from a lookout point on the way down the mountain before we headed to the orphanage for the afternoon. Okay – enough details. Here’s Carlos and his reflection:

God calls his servants to aid others in any way we can. There are numerous ways we can do this. For example, we can donate to good causes, give money to our church, go to orphanages, give food to the poor, go on mission trips, and many more. This week our school, Academia Los Pinares, has joined Prestonwood Christian Academy, for a second year in a row, to do a mission trip. A mission trip is defined as a trip with specific plans to benefit specific people or groups, outiside your culture.

So, we, the ALP students, are on an outreach project or service project in our country, Honduras, while the students and staff from PCA are on a mission trip; they are serving outside American territory.  Anyway, whether you participate in a mission trip or outreach project, the goal is to spread God’s Holy Word, the gospel, to others through acts of service. Also, another goal is to help the individuals, spreading the gospel, to draw closer to God by sacrificing their commodity, work, money, etc. and just focusing on what God has planned for them. For example, sacrificing luxuries (hot water, good food, cozy bed, etc.) allows you to see that earthly things are not essential to your spiritual life. Sometimes, it is easier to see God’s work in your life and how He is working in it. Also, it lets you realize that all the things you have aren’t your,s but are from the Lord. The things you have, are lent to you by the Lord, who can take them away whenever He wants.

During the week of the mission trip, both ALP and PCA students and staff have decided to give up many things, such as luxury, to be able to come to Valle de Angeles and Tela to preach about God’s free and eternal gift of salvation.  Finally, by sacrificing ourselves to serve others, we show love. In John 15:13, it says “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

So, that’s the first of many students to share. I hope you are encouraged tonight! Tomorrow is a big day, so keep us in your prayers.

May the Lord strengthen us in His WORD and guide us in His light!!

let LOVE fly like cRaZy!

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Saturday CLICKS

I’m trying to take it easy this morning… gathering last minute details, watching a sermon, getting a workout in, and some intentional time set apart for reading after my bags have been packed for the week. So, instead of writing a monstrous post about last-day preparations for the mission trip next week, I just wanted to post some links. Have at it and enjoy your Saturday!!

Most typical person – I am still not sure how I found this, but it was interesting to read. Somehow, the National Geographic has come up with the “most typical person” … but they project this person will change in the next few years. Apparently, he will be from India instead of China.

Libya and migrant workers – I am trying to keep up on the conflict in Africa, but with every news story I just feel more frustrated or sad or helpless. This is an article about the migrant workers who have no place to go (because they likely fled a country where they were in danger).

Keller on the Importance of Hell – Of all the posts that are flying around about Rob Bell’s new book, there are many I would suggest. I like Keller’s writing because I think it stands solely on the Word. He very reasonably and calmly lays out the importance of hell in the Gospel message and Who says it is important.

Newest Late Night Snack – This is just random… apparently Ben and Jerry’s unveiled a new ice cream flavor in honor of Jimmy Fallon’s late night show spot. Get this: it has potato chips in/on it! They have heard the desperate cries of those who can’t choose between salty and sweet! Haha.

Adjustment Bureau review – I just appreciated this review of an upcoming movie. I don’t see a lot of films, but I like to think critically about them when I do.

Reviews of Children’s books – This is such a cool site that helps us weed through the massive amounts of children’s literature these days. I am not a teacher, but I hope to be a very aware mom someday. I think I’ll be using this site a lot!

PJ Cockrell writes about Keller’s book, “King’s Cross” – How many times have you gone to church and walked out with a good helping of moral advice? That’s the problem… Keller says the Gospel is not advice – it’s NEWS. Partly because I wish I was reading this book and partly because I love where Cockrell takes his thoughts, I really appreciated this post.

Gospel Coalition Conference 2011 – I am really, really struggling with how much I want to go to this conference. I scrounged to find cheap tickets and now I’m at the pros/cons place of decision-making and I don’t know where I’ll end up with that. All I know is, this is going to be unbelievable! 70+ speakers of the highest quality, a hymn sing from some of the best musicians, and two additional seminars (one on hell and the other on being missional in cities)… this is an event I want to be a part of!!

alright now,

let LOVE fly like cRaZy!

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sweating cinnamon

How is the baking business, you ask? I just got back from the gym and I’m pretty sure I sweat cinnamon, if that’s any indication.

I know it’s a stretch, but it made me think about the fragrance of Christ. As a creative writer, I know smell is the sense that best captures a reader – the sense that will take the reader directly to the place in the story where all the action is because we remember smells. I can be lingering in a play room and instantly be transported to my childhood by the smell of a toy. Maybe you have passed by someone on the street and you can’t help turning around because you almost feel like you know him… because of the cologne he’s wearing.

I love that our sense of smell is carried on the invisible wind, but the proof is in the vivid images that rush our minds at the slightest whiff. This thought led to my remembering this verse from 2 Corinthians,

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

We are willing captives in God’s triumphal procession, spreading around the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. Wow. I sincerely wonder if the fragrance of Christ lingers when I leave a place. When people are around me, does their mind have a vivid picture of Christ front and center? It’s way more eternally significant than leaving cinnamon in my fragrant wake.

Anyway, these were my thoughts while on the treadmill tonight… when I wasn’t watching the BYU volleyball game (thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, BYU international television accompanied my workout… which reminds me – I should get Hope College to televise some sports action down here!).

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Mission 2011: Here I am. SEND ME!

Our theme verse for our week of focused mission service comes from Isaiah 6:8,

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Our preparation has a beautiful, frantic fragrance this week. We are running around arranging, buying, planning, and chasing details like one chases a beach ball across a lake on a windy day. One thing is for sure: God is completely sovereign. Even in the foibles, I can claim this as true. I thought some of you might be interested in reading through the short devotionals for each day this week. I’ve included the passage (taken from The Message Bible) and the few questions I’ve asked the kids to ponder. Pray with us as God humbles our hearts and uses broken vessels to reveal His great Light of salvation!

Throughout the week, students will be updating on my blog to give direction to your prayers/praises and most importantly to give God the glory for the overflow of love. So stay tuned this week!

Continue reading →

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Costly Sacrifice

As I was preparing for Monday’s mission trip meeting, this passage from 2 Samuel 24 came to mind. We are a team with an interesting combination of backgrounds, skills, and testimonies. Some of us can give the “Christian all my life” story and some of us begin with, “my parents didn’t care what religion we chose.” One thing God has really put on my heart for these students (and myself) is that we must all be challenged as David was when it comes to sacrifice:

But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.”

When God spoke through Gad to tell David to build an altar in a certain field (not coincidentally the same field where Abraham brought Isaac all those years ago), David was more than ready to do so. He went to the field and inquired with the owner. The owner was like, buy it? No, you can just have it! I can’t really blame him…. David was the king and a pretty powerful one at that. But David refused. He couldn’t stand the thought of his obedience costing him nothing. He refused to offer sacrifices to the Lord without paying for it.

I love this.

We, as Christians, are constantly on the hunt for sacrifices that are easy. We’ll even do a lot of them – join a lot of clubs, movements, shoe drives, fundraisers, trips, camps – you name it and we’ll do it (as long as there is something in it for us and it doesn’t hurt too badly). We do want so much to help, serve, love, and give … but our ‘between the lines’ prayer is always, “Lord, please don’t make it hurt too much. Please, let it come easy and be good and obviously victorious… and Lord, most of all don’t let people laugh at me while I’m doing it.”

Really? Yes, really. Of all the things we are afraid of, I really think embarrassment tops the list. The people who are facing death (in my opinion) are more bold in their efforts than those of us facing a few sneers or rejections.

What can we learn from David’s response to God’s request? When God calls us to do something we should be surprised if there is no cost involved. We should question our obedient actions if we aren’t feeling discomfort. If we are presenting our lives as sacrifices, then we might just expect to feel the sacrifices crowding our everyday ‘normal.’

But, you know what we can also expect? God’s presence.

After David built the altar in the field he insisted on buying, God responded to the needs of the land.

Not that we need more reason than God’s gracious dealing with us, but God gives more reason – He shows up. He welcomes a broken and contrite heart and refreshes a weary spirit. When we put everything on the line (even our expectations of His response), He will never disappoint.

Wow.

that’s reason enough to

let LOVE fly like cRaZy

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Out of Your Heart… and little steps

Churchill College Chapel - TtV of the John Pip...
Image by dumbledad via Flickr

This past weekend we had a teachers’ retreat at a lake a few hours from the city. I split my time between staffing the snack shop, playing a few rousing card games, climbing trees, playing soccer, and taking one somewhat risky solitary run through a field and up a small mountain. Most of these activities involved much prayer, but I’m thankful for that, too.

I came back less refreshed, but very ready to tackle this week of pre-mission trip planning. Sunday night after a bit of baking, I tried to settle in to watch a sermon, but your bed is no place to take serious notes and stretch your mind. So, Monday morning I finally finished this sermon by John Piper. I’ve heard and said, “Come to Jesus” many times without grasping exactly what it means.

This sermon works through John 7:25-39 and examines that very question – what does it mean when Jesus gives this invitation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

I love this breakdown. It is so beautiful to try to understand why we thirst and why the person of Christ is exactly and only what will satisfy. Beyond satisfaction, RIVERS wil flow from us… rivers of living water! It’s Tuesday night and I still can’t get over it.

Well, yesterday afternoon I felt a bit of the living water flooding my living room, as the mission trip gathered to pound out some last minute details. I am continually blessed by the hearts and minds of these students. “Little steps,” they tell me, “Miss, you can’t expect us to change all sudden, but little steps.” It takes everything in me to keep from wrapping them in a crazy hug and singing one of the uber-embarrassing songs my mom would throw my way whenever she was proud. Because, friends, if you could see these little steps they are taking your heart would SWELL.

Today, the students spoke in chapel in front of their peers and I am still praising God for their courage. These “little steps,” they may not realize are HUGE leaps for the faith they have hidden deep in their hearts! These “little steps” are how they wear resolve so beautifully when classmates give them trouble for being involved in something so obviously, “Christian.” After our devotional on Monday (more on that in tomorrow morning’s post), I can now ask them, “Is it worth it? Is what you are doing worth those little comments?”

I wish you could look in their faces to see their response, “There’s no question, Miss.”

I believe God is working and He is gracious enough to give me reminders of His sovereignty and His mighty hand. I am humbled, humbled, humbled to be a part of this process!

Tonight, with a cake stashed in the fridge and cookies all packaged, I am literally on my floor in my bedroom typing this out and I can’t tell you why. I just know that daily God is calling me to

let LOVE fly like cRaZy!

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Click on THIS

Today seemed like a good day to come across random (but extremely useful) information. I can’t help but share it with you!

  • Here is a very good article that showed up in the Wall Street Journal titled, “Where Have the Good Men Gone?” I could write endless posts about this and all the irony I find subtly peeking out from behind the words. Really? Women are asking this question after fighting so hard to have incredibly lower expectations for the opposite sex? With the popularity of Knocked Up and Sex and the City, are we really surprised?
  • This video is a clip from the film “Expelled” with Ben Stein. I wrote about this film when I first found it, but I like this clip for how it reveals the confusion we face today in the academic arena.
  • This article reminds me of the good old days at Hope College with Professor Herrick and the Rhetoric class I loved so much! Here, Tim Challies writes a short history of communication and directs our thoughts to critically examining the development of sending, receiving, and storing messages through language.
  • I like to hold a book in my hand. I’m sorry for those who have tried to convince me to go the way of the digital… you will always fail. This author had a, let’s just say, “come to pages” moment where she realized how flipping a page is an experience. Go ahead and read it, all you haters of the old fashioned book. 🙂
  • This article from freakonomics is too good to pass up. If any high-brow coast dweller ever questioned the intelligence of those living in the breadbasket, this is proof positive we can hold our own…. well, in Kansas…. in 1895, that is. This is an 8th grade test. See how well you do!
  • I was baptized as a baby in the Lutheran church, but in 2nd grade my family moved to the Evangelical Free denomination and by 20 I wanted to make my own decision to be baptized. So, I was baptized twice. Some denominations won’t even perform the second baptism. For these reasons and others, I am glad to read do a little research. I want to know where I stand so I will be able to make informed decisions about what I believe about baptism. Here is a great article I found over at The Gospel Coalition blog called, “Should We Baptize Small Children? Yes”

I am so, so very tired right now. It’s one of those tired feelings that I should have shaken hours ago by BEING in BED. So, with that I’ll sign off tonight!

let LOVE fly like cRazY

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