Friendship, Change & Letting Go

Change can be challenging and exciting at the same time. I'm thinking about this today because we just dropped off our good friend, Leah, at the airport this morning as she headed to Guatemala on a one-way ticket.

While we will be directly connected to Leah through our work together with Lemonade International and our common hearts for the people of La Limonada, she has become like a member of our family over the past four years so it will be strange not to have her popping over our house on a regular basis and sharing life together here in Raleigh.

Letting go and moving on is such an important part of friendship. This can be difficult, but I think we can make it a lot easier by holding onto our friends loosely and by encouraging them to spread their wings and fly when they have something new and different on their hearts... even when that means they will not be a direct presence in our lives like we had become accustomed to.

It's not easy, but it feels good to let go. Spread your wings and fly, Leah... and grow in ways you never would by staying here!

A Thousand Questions

This is definitely worth watching! Thanks to Jeremy Copeland... for posting this.

True Evangelical Faith - Menno Simons

For true evangelical faith
is of such a nature that it cannot lay dormant;
but manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love;
it dies unto flesh and blood;
destroys all forbidden lusts and desires;
cordially seeks, serves and fears God;
clothes the naked;
feeds the hungry;
consoles the afflicted;
shelters the miserable; aids and consoles all the oppressed;
returns good for evil;
serves those that injure it;
prays for those that persecute it;
teaches, admonishes and reproves with the Word of the Lord;
seeks that which is lost;
binds up that which is wounded;
heals that which is diseased and saves that which is sound.
The persecution, suffering and anxiety which befalls it
for the sake of the truth of the Lord, is to it a glorious joy and consolation.
(Menno Simons, 1496-1561)

Missing History

I will be in Guatemala next week and will miss being here in the States for one of the biggest days in our nation's history... the inauguration of our first African-American President.

While Guatemala has become like a second home to me, it will be tough to know I am missing such an historic event. I should be able to watch it online on Tuesday night, but just the thought of missing it live on American television is a little tough to take.

Now, don't get me wrong, if I had to choose between being in La Limonada on Tuesday or sitting in my living room watching history in the making I would still choose La Limonada. But, if I could be in two places at once that would be nice too.

What are your thoughts as we approach such a big day here in the US?

Business & Non-Proift Leaders - Together To Fight Global Poverty

The past couple days I had the privilege of meeting and sitting down with about 20 business and non-profit leaders to discuss issues of global poverty. While it is easy to be intimidated among some "heavy hitters" who lead companies with revenues of over $1 billion, but there are some incredible people out there who have great financial success in the business world who want to make a huge impact in the lives of people who are living in extreme poverty, the oppressed, orphans and widows.

James 1:27 says, "Real, true religion from God the Father's perspective is about caring for orphans and widows who suffer needlessly and resisting the evil influence in the world."

One of the people I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with was Tom Davis, who leads an amazing organization called Children's Hopechest. The programs of this this organization help bring thousands of children in Russia, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Uganda out of the isolation of orphanhood and into the joy and warmth of family programs.

The last couple days have served as a great inspiration to me that there are great people doing incredible things around the world!

Check Out This Book

It has been a slow start to blogging for me this year... which means I am already failing at one of my New Year's "Resolutions". But, I will start by plugging a book that I highly recommend. I have had the privilege of exchanging emails with the author, then had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with him when I was in Cincinnati this past summer.

Take some time to read "What Is Church?" by Mike Bishop in the coming weeks!

"What is Church? Shouldn’t we know the answer to that question? Yet there are people all around the world who are wondering if church should be something more than what we have experienced. Perhaps Jesus had something different in mind from our typical answers to the question, “What is church?” There are many books being written about why the church should be different or how it should be changed, but where are the voices who have lived this transition? For the past seven years, Mike Bishop and his friends have been living change among small communities of faith. Their story is not about the next great North American church movement, but rather the simple-and revolutionary-discovery of God’s Kingdom in a changing world." (from Publisher's Website)

Mike Bishop is a husband, father of three, thinker, trying-to-be-apprentice-of-Jesus, ecclesial trouble-maker, and wanna-be engineer. His wife Amber and family have spent the past seven years in South Florida with a rag-tag community of saints called The Well. Mike’s passion is to see normal people fall in love with Jesus and be able to realize their kingdom-born dreams. His blog, other writings, and contact information can be found at www.whatischurch.com.