Holy or happy?

One of my favorite parts of each day here in Peru is the time our team spends together in the evenings. We talk about the day, where we saw God at work, what He is doing in our lives, how we can continue to be people of impact in the future . . . And we are also discussing a book we are reading together: Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas.

The premise of Gary's book is, "What if marriage is intended to make us holy more than it is to make us happy?" Certainly marriage has the potential to make us happy, but it has even more potential to develop our character into the image of Jesus.

Sitting for an hour with eleven men, discussing how we can be better husbands, is incredibly important. For many of us, it will not be our lack of leadership skills that will shipwreck our lives, it will be a failure of character--a destruction of our marriage.

We want to stay in the game and finish well!

By the way, this is my third time through Sacred Marriage. Pick this one up!

Then in Heaven

Yesterday I spent the day with Darwin, a nine year old boy Julie and I sponsor through Compassion International. He and his grandfather, Cristobal, traveled 20 hours by bus to meet me. Darwin is one of four children we sponsor (I have now met all four of them).

The day was amazing. We played soccer together, swam, prayed and in general got to know one another face to face.

And at the end of the day we said, ciao. It is hard to leave. I don't know when I'll see Darwin again. If not here on this earth, then in Heaven.

*If you are interested in sponsoring a child, go to www.compassion.com.

Vision becomes reality

I'm writing from Lima, Peru.

I flew down yesterday with ten high power leaders from RiverTree. Some really amazing "young bucks" I've been pouring my life into (and in the process, they're changing me).

We spent the day today at Hannah's Home--a home for young, pregnant, teenage girls who have no place else to go. We were actually digging the hole for the septic system for a future orphanage that will be built on the same property.

Three years ago I was down here when all of this was just a vision from the heart of God. It's absolutely amazing to see vision become reality . . .

. . . But that's the adventure of walking with God.

I trust that you will vote accordingly

I have had numerous requests from individuals urging me to endorse a candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election. When I have declined to produce an endorsement . . . the next question is, "Well, who are you voting for?" Aside from my bumpersticker that reads, Potter and Weasley 2008, I'll give you the inside track as to how I'm making my election decision.

What are the major issues that are being bantered about, debated, assaulted, etc. in this federal election?

Economy
Health care
Taxation/Government spending
Abortion(Sanctity of life issues)
War(specifically in Iraq)
Gay marriage(the definition of the family)

In my travels, listening in on conversations, being included in e-mail loops I wish I could get out of, etc. The #1 issue on most American minds is the . . . ECONOMY.

Let me say it more succinctly . . . In my experience with the American voter, the primary issue that is determining the casting of his/her ballot is (drumroll please): "How will my vote effect my personal financial position? My income, retirement, job security and investments?"

Now, I believe that God is concerned with all of the issues, because God is concerned about people, and that's us. You and me. I believe that God cares.

But what I would love for us to do in this election is to reframe the question.

And before we do that, let me remind you that I am a follower of Jesus. Sooo, I do my best to view things through a Biblical worldview. If you have a different worldview, that's okay--but you need to know where I'm coming from.

As a follower of Jesus, I would encourage every follower of Jesus to ask this question: As I look through God's eyes, with God's heart, what are the issues that He is most concerned about?

I won't answer that for you. I'm simply asking you to ask the question and to pray about it as you seek God's guidance.

In other words, it's not necessarily about the things that bring me comfort and ease, as much as it is about what breaks God's heart or brings a smile to God's face.

I trust that you will vote accordingly.

A nation of slaves

Our national debt (and I use the word "our" intentionally) recently hit the $10.2 trillion mark. The number is so big that the National Debt Clock near New York's Times Square had to elliminate its dollar sign to make room for an extra digit. Our national debt is now approaching the size of the entire U.S. economy!

I don't even know what to say about this . . . Biblically, the borrower is a slave to the lender. Are we a nation of slaves? Whatever happened to the "land of the free?" We CANNOT be free if we are in debt.

Faith And Doubt

I'll start off by saying that I am a HUGE John Ortberg fan. His teachings and writings have impacted my life.

In my opinion, John's new book, Faith And Doubt, is his best so far. And I've appreciated every book he has written.

Here's an excerpt from the book's introduction:

I will tell you my secret: I have doubts.

I have spent my life studying and thinking and reading and teaching about God. I grew up in the church. I went to a faith-based college and then to a seminary. I walked the straight and narrow. I never sowed any wild oats.

And I have doubts.

I'll tell you more than that. There is a part of me that, after I die, if it all turns out to be true--the angels are singing, death is defeated, the roll is called up yonder and there I am--there is a part of me that will be surprised. What do you know? It's all true after all. I had my doubts.

Is it okay if we ask questions and consider objections and wonder out loud?

Is it okay if we don't pretend that everybody is split up into two camps: those who doubt and those who don't?

Is it possible--maybe even rational--to have faith in the presence of doubt?

John Ortberg's latest release will be one that I give numerous people as a Christmas gift this year. It is an authentic, rational, readable exploration of our faith even in the presence of honest doubt.

When it comes right down to it . . . can there even be faith if there is no doubt?

The 13th flag

At our Portage Campus of RiverTree we have 12 flags out front raised to represent the countries we have adopted from . . . 12 until today. This afternoon I had the privilege of being part of another flag raising ceremony. The Ethiopian flag went up the pole.

Mikki and Thomas Hicks, their daughter Lilly and their newly adopted daughter, Bayoush, gathered with friends to raise the 13th flag.

We circled in prayer, sang "Jesus Loves The Little Children" and raised the banner!

Yeah God!!!

No takeaways. No returns.

It's official. Baby Elijah John is now Elijah John Nettle! Done deal. No takeaways. No returns.

Yeah God!

That's all that matters

Tomorrow morning at 10, Julie, Tabs and I have our permanent custody hearing for Elijah John. There shouldn't be any surprises . . . but we'll feel a HUGE weight lift off our shoulders when this is completed.

Six months has passed. It seems like yesterday when we were agonizing over whether or not God intended to bring this little boy into our family . . .

I wonder what God felt like the first night before any of us would be adopted into His family?

Will they love me?

Will they understand the depth of my love for them?

Several people have said to us, "Wow! This little boy has hit the jackpot being adopted into your family." And I understand that thinking/logic. However, being on the other end, the end where you have a child to raise in hopes of loving God and loving you . . . We feel like we have hit the jackpot.

And I wonder if God feels the same?

We get eternal life. A restored relationship with God. A new Earth forever!!!

But . . . . . . . . . . .

God gets love from His adopted child. At least I hope so. Or He hopes so.

And in the end . . .

That's all that matters.

Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase is Mark Batterson's most recent book release. You might remember Batterson as the author of In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day. Though I think Mark's first book was a bit stronger, Wild Good Chase is definitely worth reading!

A few excerpts:

*I'm not convinced that your date of death is the date carved on your tombstone. Most people die long before that. We start dying when we have nothing worth living for. And we don't really start living until we find something worth dying for.

*One of the great mistakes we make is asking God to do for us what God wants us to do for Him.

*In the words of Andre Gide, "People cannot discover new lands until they have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

And, in case you were wondering . . . Wild Goose is a Celtic reference to the Holy Spirit.

Pick this one up!

What's in your ipod?

One of the things that several of us did as we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro was talk about our favorite music. Not the greatest releases of all time but the ones in our ipods that we keep coming back to. The ones we listen to over and over again.

Here are a few of mine:

Acoustic--Everything But The Girl
Hits Of The 60s--The Nylons
The Complete Greatest Hits--The Eagles
Daughtry--Daughtry
Songs and Songs 2--Rich Mullins
Complete Live At San Quentin--Johnny Cash
Come Away With Me--Norah Jones
Pretty Blue World--Billy Falcon
Lucky Town--Bruce Springsteen
Horse Of A Different Color--Big And Rich

What's in your ipod?