George or Frank?

I know...you're thinking, "My!  That Susie is quite the prolific blogger this week."  Actually, this is a "response" blog.  I wasn't planning on writing one so soon, but you know...the Lord and all.....

We have been in an "asking of the Lord" season here lately.  We are dealing with some financial issues and were busy asking the Lord how He wanted us to handle them.  Meng Juan and I just finished an amazing book about George Mueller.  George was a man who needed lots of money to take care of lots of orphans in Bristol, England.  He felt the Lord telling him to NOT ask any person for any of his needs, but to go directly to Jesus for every need he had.  What wild, crazy miracles George and the orphans experienced!  Then there's Frank, Franklin Graham, another Godly man who needs lots of money to do great things for the Lord in Samaritan's Purse.  Franklin sends out letters letting people know his needs and trusts the Lord to speak to the ones who can and will give.  Hence, our dilemma.  Who are we supposed to be like in this need of ours, Lord?  George or Frank?

Just this morning we feel like God gave us the second of our confirmations in the form of a note of exhortation from a friend.  We took all of that back to the Lord and this morning during out quiet times both Jay and I sensed the Lord's heart in letting us be "Franks" and bringing our need to you, our friends and family, our team.

We are so thankful for those of you who have come on board this ride with us as part of our team.  I think of Luke and football and know that there are many different positions on a team that need to work together for the touchdowns to be scored.  There are quarterbacks, running backs, kickers, cheerleaders, and lots of others.  (A shout out to all of my ex-cheerleader sisters!  I'm typing this while doing the splits, by the way....not really.)  We couldn't do what we've done without you.  You are such blessings!

As we've been moving toward Papua New Guinea (PNG), our leaders have been doing their best to get our tickets priced and purchased.  It has been a challenge, but finally we have our tickets and we're set to leave June 23.  The only little glitch in the system is the price of tickets.  Our budget and the price do not match.  Airfare is crazy!  So, team, this is where you come in!  We are needing $6500 by June 1st to pay for our whole outreach.  Here's what we're asking:  Prayers, Pray!  Givers, Give!  Watchers, Watch and see what the Lord does!  He is an amazing  miracle working God!

We know God has us here and wants us to finish the race he has set before us.  We're not sure how that will happen, but we wanted to be obedient and let you know our need and let the Lord take it from there.  Faith is a-risin'! :)  If sowing into this is what you hear the Lord saying to you, send your check to Rally Point Ministries at PO Box 320  Chewelah, WA 99109

Aloha and blessings to you all!  You are the peanut butter to our jelly and we love you all very much!  

The Honu Challenge

There's something happening here June 2 called the Honu Triathlon.  Lance will be here and other great athletes trying to secure a spot in the Ironman race in October.  I think I'd like to do an Ironman triathlon.   (Even though I can't see you, I know there are two responses  happening right now.)  Some of you loving, encouraging friends are saying something like, "You go, Susie!  I know you can do it!"  Others of you are laughing your heads off because you know me too well....I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.....
I think I'd like the swimming portion, at least for part of it, unless the water's too cold.  The whole running a marathon thing?  Nope.  Biking?  Well, I can't seem to find the perfect bike seat, so I guess I shan't do that part either.  Okay, so I don't want to do an Ironman at all.  And anyway, I'd rather do a race that's called IronWoman...unless it has to do with ironing.  (Consider the rambling done, but there was a point, in a way.)

Have you ever heard a message that was really good, but the part that really stuck out for you was some wacky little detail that was said in passing?  That happened for me this past Sunday at church.  Pastor Tex was sharing about families and how to build up strong, healthy discipleship centers in our families so the next generation would be thrust out in confidence.  "Did you know," he said, "that the Honu (green sea turtle) cannot go backwards?  It can only go forwards."  Huh!?  He lost me for the rest of the sermon.  I had green sea turtles on my mind and wondered what the whole "no going backward" thing was all about.
Here's what came to me as I pondered (dare I say meditated?) on it for the last couple of days.

 We have little Tommy Turtle swimming around in the deep blue sea off the Big Island of Hawaii.  He is a beautiful animal created by God and has a purpose and reason for being who he is.  He decides to come ashore to rest and get warm.  He is a cold-blooded animal after all and the water can get chilly.  (See why I don't want to do the whole swimming portion?)  Tommy gets to the sandy beach and starts to crawl.  He...is....v e r y....s l o w....But, because God created him in such a way, Tommy cannot back up.  He can only go forward.  No retreat, no surrender is his motto.  Also, unlike other turtles, Tommy the Green Sea Turtle cannot retract his head, tail, or limbs into his shell.  He's all out there all the time.

 I think that's who we're supposed to be in the Kingdom, little Tommy and Tammy Turtles.  We are no retreat, no surrender folks who are so excited about who God is in our lives and how much he loves every one around us that we can't imagine heading backwards.  When we're weary, we rest, but we don't give up.  We are "all out there" people, sharing the love of Jesus by being who he created us to be in joy and transparency.  Are you retracting into your shell?  Are you trying to back down the beach getting all confused and mixed up because it's not going so well?  I know I've been there...and not "back in the old days," but fairly recently.  Sometimes retracting and retreating feels so good and safe, but we all know it isn't.  We vaguely remember a verse in Philippians 3 that says, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
  This week I'm committed to pressing on, to looking ahead and not back, to being "all out there" in peoples' lives as I live fully in each and every moment with them.  Come with me, won't you?  Maybe we won't win the Honu Ironman prize (It's $15,000 by the way, which doesn't seem anywhere near enough for all that work!), but what a grand life we'll live.  What a well-spent life we'll share.  I think the world, your world, the world in which God has placed each of us, needs Tommy and Tammy right about now.  Move forward, be all out there, rest and be who God created you to be and see what he does through you and in you!  Have a super week!

Jesus Details

Many of you who know me realize that the words "meditation" and "Susie" don't normally go together.  I don't think it's a lack of intelligence on my part; I think it might be a lack of the resting gene.  You see, my mom has no resting gene.  My dad says that somewhere she has a little button to turn her off, but for the life of him, he can't find it! :)  So, my Martha-ness comes very naturally.  It's a bit odd, though, because my first name is really Mary....
So, here's the story. Part of what we are learning here is scripture meditation.  Quite the scary sounding phrase for me when we first arrived.  Yikes! I thought.  Meditate on scripture?!  How long is THAT going to take?  Can I eat when I'm doing it?  Can I sleep when I'm doing it?  Can I do it with a friend?!  Well, whatever my fears, no one cared.  We keep a very well thought out, prescribed journal for our class and two of the pages are for scripture meditation...two very large, very blank pages, just staring at me.  My first attempts at this "discipline" felt like...well...they felt like Discipline.  It was pretty foreign to me to sit down and read a verse slowly and deliberately--out loud--and then to "write out my understandings or impressions of the verse."  Needless to say, they were...ummm....not lengthy.  Some might even call them short.
But here's where it gets good!  Today I meditated on John 12:1-8, "Jesus anointed at Bethany" my Bible calls it.  I read it out loud, slowly and thoughtfully.  I asked the Lord for understanding and some insights.  He's such a sweet teacher, isn't He?  He was probably thinking, "Well, here's Susie again, trying to figure this meditation thing out.  She's trying so hard to rest (smile).  I think I'll blow her mind and see what happens!"  
  Here's what I think the Lord wanted me to know for today.  Here's what I think He wants all of us to know for forever.
The story centers around Mary anointing Jesus with her pint of nard (ooo-la-la, sounds French) which is very pure, expensive perfume.  I know. You're wondering what Mary is doing with expensive perfume...me too!  Anyway, she anoints him and the whole house is filled with the fragrance...the whole house!  Can you smell it?  I get this kind of picture/story thing going on in my head now:
"Martha! Can I borrow some of your perfume for the dinner party for Jesus tonight?  I'm tired of smelling like dust."
"Sheesh, Mary," Martha says, "You have your own!  Use that for goodness sake!  You've been keeping it for a long time.  What's the deal?"
"I don't know, Martha.  I just can't seem to open it up and use it.  Every time I want to, something seems to stop me.  It's kinda weird!"
Stay with me here for just a few more minutes.  Verse seven says, "Leave her alone," Jesus replied, "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial."  Did you catch it?  The word "intended?"  Jesus had a great plan in place all the way down to the bottle of perfume!  A seemingly small detail that was really a huge part of this story of his, of Mary's, of ours.  Here's where my thoughts went.  If Jesus is thinking and planning and putting small details into place like perfume, what is he doing in MY life?  In YOUR life?  In the BIG picture of the world?  What details has he been putting in place for you?  Do you notice them?  Did Mary notice after that night when she had no more perfume, when she was cleaning up after the party and the house still smelled lusciously sweet?
Today, just for today, look, listen, smell...What are the Jesus details in your life?  I know I'm going to look for them a bit more today.  I'm going to look for the small parts in my day that are Jesus Details.  When I see them, smell them, bump into them, do you know what I'm going to do?  I'm going to say, "Thank you, Jesus!  Thanks for loving me so much!"
I picture him saying, "You are very welcome, Susie.  Keep looking. There's a lifetime more."