JAM Week. Basically VBS, but not cheesy. The theme is "Toy Story" as in the disney movie. Its cool, they've got people playing all the characters on stage for the skits. And the songs are simple, normal worship songs, Friend of God, Undignified, like that. I'm helping out with crafts. I don't really have any huge insights from this week yet, except that 120 screaming kids in one room= I am very tired by the end of it.
I'm also crocheting like mad. I found out how to make "yarn" out of plastic bags (real simple) and am making a purse out of plastic bags. My mind is churning with how this can be used to teach people to clean up their area and recycle and make money all at the same time... I have way too many of these ideas where if I had some place to sell things that people in third world countries make, then I would be able to teach them all sorts of crafts to support themselves.
23.7.08
20.7.08
Human
Wash the darkness from their skin
They’re not human yet
So poor like dirt from the earth
To be a little more than a charity case.
Is the earth alive?
All the people, all over the world?
If yes, Julia, they are, then why
Why do we treat such pigs as human
And humans as such less than that?
If we played the same hunger games,
If we always remained the same,
Then we’d all be inhuman.
For what makes us human?
Ability to talk, to walk to reason?
For those who can’t, are they naught?
Are they really inhuman?
The dark, the mute, the deaf, the lame,
The slow, the blind, the old, the weak?
We are more than the words we know how to speak.
We are more than the angels we reason fly above us.
We are more than the gravel we walk
Whether dry or wet beneath.
We are.
We are.
With skin as dark as pavement
We walk.
Into the sun to bleach our hair
We walk.
Burn our faces,
All human.
As we move,
All human.
We can learn these truths.
From little ones we learn these truths.
This is one of my poems I wrote in the fall of 2007, probably in October. Julia sometimes asks things that we can't understand, she words questions odd. But this one "Is the Earth alive?" puzzled me and her dad. So we asked "You mean all the people?" and she goes "yes." So, yes, all the people are alive. As I am faced with the possibility of going to Africa for a few months, my mind goes back to this and to the painting I did, of two girls from the DRC. "Wash the darkness from their skin" goes Jars of Clay's song. That may be the only response some people have to the poverty that is so deep there. But its not about racism or skin color, its about justice and everyone all around the world being equally as human and alive.
They’re not human yet
So poor like dirt from the earth
To be a little more than a charity case.
Is the earth alive?
All the people, all over the world?
If yes, Julia, they are, then why
Why do we treat such pigs as human
And humans as such less than that?
If we played the same hunger games,
If we always remained the same,
Then we’d all be inhuman.
For what makes us human?
Ability to talk, to walk to reason?
For those who can’t, are they naught?
Are they really inhuman?
The dark, the mute, the deaf, the lame,
The slow, the blind, the old, the weak?
We are more than the words we know how to speak.
We are more than the angels we reason fly above us.
We are more than the gravel we walk
Whether dry or wet beneath.
We are.
We are.
With skin as dark as pavement
We walk.
Into the sun to bleach our hair
We walk.
Burn our faces,
All human.
As we move,
All human.
We can learn these truths.
From little ones we learn these truths.
This is one of my poems I wrote in the fall of 2007, probably in October. Julia sometimes asks things that we can't understand, she words questions odd. But this one "Is the Earth alive?" puzzled me and her dad. So we asked "You mean all the people?" and she goes "yes." So, yes, all the people are alive. As I am faced with the possibility of going to Africa for a few months, my mind goes back to this and to the painting I did, of two girls from the DRC. "Wash the darkness from their skin" goes Jars of Clay's song. That may be the only response some people have to the poverty that is so deep there. But its not about racism or skin color, its about justice and everyone all around the world being equally as human and alive.
Hear Him You Deaf
This week we found out that little David has a hearing problem for sure. That is probably why his speech is not so good. Its probably more his hearing than the CP that affects his speech. Poor lil guy, he has to see yet another doctor. However, the doctors say that they don't know what to do first, and hearing aids might help, might not. Cochlear implants might help, might not, they don't know what to do. I'm praying that God heals him. I know God can.
I've been reading "Red Moon Rising" about 24-7 prayer, and "Expecting Miracles" by Heidi Baker about their ministry in Mozambique. In both books, there are so many stories of God healing people, healing sick people, lame people, deaf people, blind people, mute people, even raising people from the dead! If all that is happening right now around the world, I want that. I want God's power right here so that little David can be healed! I want God's power in me as I pray for him, and as I work with him. He's come by leaps and bounds in so many other ways, just not speech.
"Hear him you deaf; his praise, you dumb, your loosened tongues employ. You blind, behold your Savior come, and leap you lame for joy!"
I've been reading "Red Moon Rising" about 24-7 prayer, and "Expecting Miracles" by Heidi Baker about their ministry in Mozambique. In both books, there are so many stories of God healing people, healing sick people, lame people, deaf people, blind people, mute people, even raising people from the dead! If all that is happening right now around the world, I want that. I want God's power right here so that little David can be healed! I want God's power in me as I pray for him, and as I work with him. He's come by leaps and bounds in so many other ways, just not speech.
"Hear him you deaf; his praise, you dumb, your loosened tongues employ. You blind, behold your Savior come, and leap you lame for joy!"
Fire burns up Stuff
As I sat outside this evening, with a small campfire blazing before me, I came to the realization that God is not a campfire. No, no. When we say he is a Consuming Fire, we are not saying He is a campfire that is pretty to look at and burns down kind of quickly. We are saying he is a HUGE wildfire that consumes everything in its path. Sometimes we see footage of huge blazes out in California on TV and the firefighters are helpless to put the fire out. This is the kind of fire God is. He is a huge fire that threatens to take over our whole life if we will let Him. He cannot be contained or put out, once the fire in us is started. The things we do for him will become crazier and crazier as time goes on and He consumes more of us.
Lately I have been wrestling with issues of materialism that creep up on me so easily. I moved to Georgia less than a year ago with 2 suitcases, albeit, one was a very large bag, plus a backpack. I now have a small moving truck of stuff here. I am working on paring it down, bit by bit, so that in a few months, I can take off, unburdened by all the stuff that keeps us tethered to one place. I intend to live life with just a few bags, not rooms of stuff. I will leave behind what I cannot take, because, I cannot take any of the stuff I "own" to my final destination.
When I was twelve, the first mission trip I went on was somewhat of a disaster. I went to Paterson New Jersey with a group of 10-13 year olds to lead a VBS for kids not much younger than us. We went with a bunch of other teams and had tent revival meetings every night. It was cool and we were in a pretty spiritually dark place. While on the way there, the bus carrying all our stuff burned up. We watched it go up in flames. No one was hurt, but it was a bit traumatic. What came out of the fire were Bibles, my cameras, hair things, some clothes, burnt puppets, just remains of what had been. All the "stuff" we had packed for this trip-- and the packing list was huge-- burnt up and we had nothing. We were the recipients of some churches' kindness and we all got sleeping bags, clothes, pillows, and toiletries from their generousity. A bunch of parents (including my Dad!) came and brought some clothes from home to last the 10 days.
I guess what I am saying is that God burns up what we don't need, literally, if we hold it too tight. He is a consuming fire, sometimes literally, and will burn up everything to get our focus back on Him. That trip was the worst ever, but in retrospect, it was the best ever, since it made me so much stronger. It made me realize that "only what's for Christ will last, and nothing else really matters."
Lately I have been wrestling with issues of materialism that creep up on me so easily. I moved to Georgia less than a year ago with 2 suitcases, albeit, one was a very large bag, plus a backpack. I now have a small moving truck of stuff here. I am working on paring it down, bit by bit, so that in a few months, I can take off, unburdened by all the stuff that keeps us tethered to one place. I intend to live life with just a few bags, not rooms of stuff. I will leave behind what I cannot take, because, I cannot take any of the stuff I "own" to my final destination.
When I was twelve, the first mission trip I went on was somewhat of a disaster. I went to Paterson New Jersey with a group of 10-13 year olds to lead a VBS for kids not much younger than us. We went with a bunch of other teams and had tent revival meetings every night. It was cool and we were in a pretty spiritually dark place. While on the way there, the bus carrying all our stuff burned up. We watched it go up in flames. No one was hurt, but it was a bit traumatic. What came out of the fire were Bibles, my cameras, hair things, some clothes, burnt puppets, just remains of what had been. All the "stuff" we had packed for this trip-- and the packing list was huge-- burnt up and we had nothing. We were the recipients of some churches' kindness and we all got sleeping bags, clothes, pillows, and toiletries from their generousity. A bunch of parents (including my Dad!) came and brought some clothes from home to last the 10 days.
I guess what I am saying is that God burns up what we don't need, literally, if we hold it too tight. He is a consuming fire, sometimes literally, and will burn up everything to get our focus back on Him. That trip was the worst ever, but in retrospect, it was the best ever, since it made me so much stronger. It made me realize that "only what's for Christ will last, and nothing else really matters."
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