Five Minute Friday ~ Common

I've NEVER written a FMF post this way before, but when I saw the prompt... remembered this photo taken just a few weeks ago... thought about the past few weeks...

I knew I had to at least give it a try.

So, I'm tapping away on my android, in a dark room, in the home of people I'd never met before last night... after flying all day Wednesday and then driving 500+ miles Thursday to bring my third child on a college visit (HOW we can be at this point with THIRD child is a fact that leaves me a little dizzy from all the spinning).

But that's  all superfluous stuff.

Last month, Tim and I had a day-long date. We were in the States for two different training conferences, with a day off in between the end of one and the beginning of the next. So we took that day and drove to the outskirts of DC, rode the Metro to the station nearest the "Mall" and spent all day discovering our nation's capital. On an October day warm enough for shorts and sleeveless shirt, we spent the entire day outside... traversed over 14 miles on foot - from the outside of the White House, to the Marine service monument pictured above, to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, to Jefferson's Memorial to the Capital Building... and just about EVERYTHING in between. Exhausting, and we were oh-so-sore the next day, but? Oh so worth it! The time together and the experience of who and what we are... at least pieces... as Americans was pretty special!

It was standing at the monument above, though, that I was most "bouleversed"  (that's the English-ified way of saying bowled over), in the midst of snapping pics, to just experience that blown away feeling. For THAT quote -inscribed on the pedestal- should, ESPECIALLY in this season...

give us all pause.

For right now, in such a time as this, we need 

uncommon valor to be, perhaps, the MOST COMMON virtue.

We need to recognize the "valor" exhibited by both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as they chose to place themselves under unbelievable scrutiny, all for the opportunity to serve us and our country (regardless of whether I agree with idealogy, past actions or future plans... I think that took courage). 

We need to see the valor in those who voted or didn't vote, uncompromisingly living their personal convictions. 

We need to choose valor TODAY, in this moment, as we seek to live next to, interact with, build bridges and relationships, with ALL around us - speaking truth in love, learning to listen and understand first, standing firm on truth.

Like other Americans before us, who faced challenging times although different circumstances... like our current fellow Americans who face this present challenging time with different understandings of our current circumstances...

We all need to choose, by God's grace, this uncommon valor as THE common virtue.

It is a heritage we can and should live up to...

Five Minute Friday ~ Friend ~

Did you know that the Bible contains the word friend 139 times... at least according to this online concordance search.

 Abraham e Isaac. Salterio de San Luis, siglo XIII (Biblioteca Nacional, París)

Many famous friendships are described within the pages of our holy book...

• Ruth and Naomi
• Jonathan and David
• David and Hushai
• Elijah and Elisha
• Paul and Timothy
• Jesus and His disciples
• Moses spoke face to face with God, as with a friend

But I think my favorite has to be Abraham... for Abraham was called the friend of God. 

"The" particularly when used directly before a noun - "friend, in this case - specifies and identifies, particularly. It becomes part of a title and can mark a noun for the purpose of indicating the best-known, most approved, most important, most satisfying, etc. (Dictionary.com). Arabs and other Muslims, who consider Abraham to be one of their key ancestors, rarely use his name. Rather, they use the expression Khalil Allah, which means “Friend of God,” or El Khalil, “the Friend.” 

Thus, there was something about Abraham that first distinguished him from all the others. Look at the verbs that describe Abraham's responses to God: 

• went forth, built an alter, pitched his tent, journeyed on... but then he went down to Egypt; 
• went up, called on the name of the Lord, sought unity with Lot, gave preference to Lot, separated from one who lifted his eyes-saw-then chose for himself, settled in the land, lifted his eyes and saw what was given to him, rose up, walked the length, moved his tent, came and dwelt, built an altar;
• lived in peace with his neighbors, listened to relevant information, heard that his nephew was taken captive, went in pursuit of his nephew, defeated his nephew's captor, returned him, received Melchizadek's blessing, honored God over the King of Sodom;
• questioned God, reminded God of His promise, believed in the Lord, asked for confirmation, brought and prepared animals for sacrifice, received God's covenant - even through terrifying and dreadful moments;
• gave Ishmael the name that means "God hears;"
• fell on his face before God, allowed the Lord to change his name, allowed the Lord to change his wife's name, laughed when belief was hard, pleaded for Ishmael to live under God's blessing, believed and obeyed - Abraham, Ishmael and all males 13 and over were circumcised as a sign of God's covenant;
• hospitable and honoring to holy guests, pleads for Sodom, returned home;**
• returned to the place where he'd stood before the Lord and saw the smoke;
• admitted responsibility to Abimelek and prayed for him and his family; 
• named son Isaac, circumcised his son on the eighth day, listened to God in regards to Ishmael, planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, called upon the name of the Lord;
• was tested by God, answered "Here I am" when God called, obeyed, willing to sacrifice his beloved son, took the knife to slay his son, answered "Here I am" when God called a second time, looked-saw-took-sacrificed the caught ram instead of his son, returned to servants, stayed in Beersheba;
• mourned and wept for his wife, purchased land for Sarah's tomb; 
• secured a wife for his son from his family; shared his trust in God wit those who worked with him - looking at Elimelech;
• left everything he owned to his son, sent away the sons not of promise, left God to bless his son.

So many of these are powerful, but the one that jumps out: he "believed in the Lord." It doesn't say Abraham just believed the word of the Lord, or trusted what He said or hoped that He'd follow through on promises made. 

It doesn't say that Abraham believed the promise. 

Rather?

He believed in the Promiser.

And God called Abraham, "Friend..."

"Friend" is, as Spurgeon said: 

1. "...a title to be wondered at... Friendship cannot be all on one side. In this particular instance, it is intended that we should know that while God was Abraham’s friend, this was not all, but Abraham was God’s friend. He received and returned the friendship of God! From one point of view, Abraham was always the object of God’s pity and mercy, but, by His Grace, the Lord also lifted him into another condition in which he became the object of the Lord’s complacency and delight..."
2. ...a title "vindicated [because]... Abraham’s trust in God was implicit...  joined [with] a practical confidence as to the accomplishment of everything that God had promised... unquestioning... [his] desire for God’s glory was uppermost at all times... [his] communion with God was constant."
3. "...THE title to be sought after" after full reconciliation to God, including the "mutual exercise of choice - in that the God who has chosen [me] must be chosen by [me]..." characterized by a "conformity of heart" and "continual communion... that breeds mutual delight" as I "copartner with Him."
4. "...THE title to be utilized for practical purposes... as a great encouragement to the people of God..." and as a warning to "delight in the responsibility... thirst[ing] to be well-pleasing... aspir[ing] to dwell in Him... willing to bear anything which will make [me] one with God!"  (A sermon titled The Friend of God, #1962 - delivered on Sunday, May 8, 1887 by CH Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington.)

Genesis 15:6

Abram believed in the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

2 Chronicles 20:7

Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?

Isaiah 41:8

"But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, 

you descendants of Abraham my friend...

James 2:22-26

You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, 

faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 

"AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED IN GOD, 

AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS," 

and he was called the friend of God. 

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 

In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works 

when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, 

so also faith without works is dead.

*************************************************

Technically, ** (in the text above) is where 5MF stopped, so this wasn't a genuine 5MF... Once I started looking at the topic, 

I wanted to study further than five short minutes would allow.

If you want to join in, head on over to Lisa-Jo's.

In the Face of Deep Disappointment

“Men and women enter ministry for various reasons.  ‘Because I want to be a deep disappointment to others as well as to myself’ is rarely listed among them.”

~ Jeff Manion, The Land Between

Why are you, as an international worker [or anyone, really], doing what you are doing?

And do you feel as though you are accomplishing what you’ve set out to do? Or do you fear you are not only disappointing yourself, but others as well? Why?...

---------------------------------------

Please join me today at a life overseas: the misions conversation where I discuss a common pitfall, at least for me - trying to make sure I "measure up" to some impossible and idealistic standard. 

And be sure to hop right in to the conversation. Hope to see you there!

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 28} ~ He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us ..."

"We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers.... We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..."

The Apostle Paul wrote those words to the church at Corinth. He and Timothy had walked an impossibly difficult season, so hard that they considered death more probable than life. I've had some challenging moments in my life ~ but I've never actually despaired of life itself.  

I thought immediately of this verse as word by word I've made my way through the verses in 1 Peter I've been studying this month... wondering if the expression "set our hope" was the same one as "put their hope."

They have the same Strong's Concordance number... but I don't want to dwell on the Greek today. I was just curious to see if both English expressions came from the same original word, and they do. That'll probably come up again, later!

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear." I Peter 3.3-6

For this is the way
I think a good synonym for this phrase, in this verse, would be thus, even though it makes the sentence a bit awkward. Thus works like some sort of combo adverb and conjunction; it includes the idea that a woman's present behavior should result from the knowledge of God's pleasure first, but also because other women have walked well this same path. Not only does God value this behavior, it is one of those things for which God enables and empowers women - otherwise we wouldn't have the examples set before us of Sarah (or Ruth, or Naomi, or Rahab, or Esther, or Hannah, or Elizabeth, or Mary... to name a few). Peter reminds all women - two mitigating factors are undeniably present: 1) God's Spirit, and 2) the faithful example of those who've walked before. Therefore any other choice or behavior reflects clearly a spirit desiring neither quietness nor gentleness. Another way to state this phrase might be "in the manner now being indicated and exemplified..." Today's women have an amazing heritage to consider - and both a challenge and an encouragement.

the holy women 
Holy refers to set apart or otherness, encapsulating the idea of a likeness in nature to the Lord evidenced by a nature clearly different from that of the world. One other definition was distinguished - because identified as special or unique by God. Isn't it neat how this idea ties right back into the idea that God esteems women characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. I can't forget, either, that these women would have had no native tendency in themselves to holiness; they were holy because God had called them and then declared them so.

I searched for other verses containing the two words holy and women - and found 16 references. Several of those verses, Old Testament references, referred to men consecrating themselves and therefore abstaining from relationships with women. In other verses, the words were not at all  specifically linked. But check out the following verses: 

• But you speak the things which become sound doctrine:  That the aged men be sensible, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becomes holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things... (Titus 2:1-3)
• To the Church of God in Corinth, men and women consecrated in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord as well as ours. (1 Corinthians 1:2)

of the past 
The original Greek word here in a word for word translation is "formerly;" it can also mean in the old time, in time past, once, when... My favorite? Once upon a time... just like all the princess stories start. I think I like that because it reminds me of three things: 1) princess stories always have happy endings, and the princess ends up delighting her prince;  2) those women fought their battle, were declared victorious and are now resting, redeemed and always beautiful;  and 3) their stories are there to encourage us

who 
I can't think of the word "who" any more without thinking of the Dr Seuss inspired movie, Horton Hears a Who! and the line "a person's a person no matter how small." That thought sent my mind down a path - these women might seem unreachable or so good that their standards are far and above what I could ever achieve. If I say that, I'm just making an excuse. Each one was a person, an individual who mattered to God, just like me. The similarities between us most likely outweigh our differences. Their struggles may have been different, but they had struggles. Things and circumstances and imaginations tempted them to fear, just as they tempt me to fear. They had to fight and cling to hope, just as I do. Yet who were these women? They were holy women, putting their hope in God and making themselves beautiful as God had directed - in gentleness and quietness and trust.

put their hope  
There are two common connotations of the word hope: a confident expectation or a desire one would be delighted to see realized. And those two are very far apart. Hope in this verse is much more the first: an active waiting for fulfillment. It is not a question of if, but rather a question of when - and the waiter is so sure of the eventual outcome, she stands at the window, watching continually, preparing and readying herself for the imminent arrival.

I also love the intentionality of these words. When I tell my kiddos to "Put their toys away," or to "Set the table," or "Put your book bag in the car," I mean for them to deliberately and usually carefully place something in an exact, pre-specified location. Women are to intentionally, deliberately, precisely, specifically and carefully place their hope in an exact, very specific location....

in God 
...and this is the exact, very specific location: God. It is good that this is specified. So often, the temptation is to place hope in a husband, or a marriage, or kids. I often struggle with this because I can't "hear," "see" and  "feel" God as readily as I hear, see and feel my husband. I have to work at and practice the presence of God. His still, quiet voice is easily drowned out in the raucous world and family in which I live.

used 
I love the two connotations possible with this word. The first directs minds towards the past, looking at history (or "His"story)  and what has happened before. But is also includes the idea of a tool employed and put into service for a reason. It intimates that a person is availing oneself of what is obtainable and accessible. That thought amazes me. Working towards the unfading beauty of a gentle, quiet spirit, putting hope in God - those are the tools available... obtainable... accessible as we seek to make ourselves beautiful in God's eyes.

to make themselves beautiful.
Here, we return to the idea of adorning... or decorating. It is not those things we hang all over the outside to cover up or distract from the imperfections and faults that give a woman a lovely appearance. Rather, it is the presence of the Spirit within, shining through unfettered and unhindered that pleases God.

Entering a 31 Day Grand Prix {day 1}

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 2} - the wordless book, a flute and a song

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 3} - "Aw Dad! Stop ruining my life!"

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 4} - gentleness on deck

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 5} - Five Minute Friday ~ Welcome
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 6} - Is there time to {gently} home school and be a missionary, too? Pt 1

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 7} - Is there time to {gently} home school and be a missionary, too? Pt 2

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 8} - A photo titled Afua's Hands

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 9} - Go-getters can be gentle, too!
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 10} - Gentle Joy
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 11} - such a genteel gal... from way down South

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 12} - Five Minute Friday ~ Race

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 13} ~ On a Mission

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 14} - pictures of gentleness
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 15} - Multitude Monday ~ all Greek to me!
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 16} ~ she came from the Land Down Under
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 17} - Walk with Him Wednesday ~ How did you answer my question from last week?
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 18} ~ that fictional frontier lady who inspires me ~ 
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 19} - Five Minute Friday ~ Look 
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 20} - should not come from
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 21} ~ Why do braids, gold and fancy clothes matter?
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 22} - Multitude Monday - 1000 Gifts - Today I'm thankful for the word INSTEAD...
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 23} ~ three missionary heroes I've never met... yet!
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 24} - Walk with Him Wednesday ~ the "Czar" of our yard
A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 25} ~ a gal from England

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 26} ~ Five Minute Friday ~ Voice

A 31 Day Grand Prix {day 27} ~ Have you ever seen the movie "Touching Wild Horses?"

Names and Reasons

We are often asked why we've chosen the names we have for our children; there are many things we consider when picking a name. Richelle likes names that are at least a little unusual. Tim doesn't. We've selected names because we like the way they sound, their meaning has special significance to us, and often because of our family heritage. And, with every child (except for Brendan, because we didn't know the mission field on which we would be serving when he was born), we've purposely chosen names that sound nice in both English and French. And soon, we'll be making public the name we've chosen for our little one that we are anticipating meeting in person in the near future. So, I thought it might be fun to go through and share a little about why we have picked the names we have...

BRENDAN STEWART

Brendan's name is of Irish, Gaelic or German origin. It has several possible meanings (including "stinky hair" and we love to tease him about that), but the meaning that we found initially and that we so liked is “Dweller by the Light.” From his birth, it has been our prayer that Brendan would dwell close to Jesus, the Light of the world. His middle name, Stewart, is of English origin, it is Richelle's maiden name and means “Guardian of the House.” Again, as we pray for our son and his future, we pray that someday, he will be a godly guardian, or leader of the family God has planned for him. One famous Brendan, St. Brendan the Navigator (or the Voyager, or the Bold), was an Irish missionary who some believe was the first to sail across the Atlantic to spread the Gospel message, possibly even the very first to find America. Brendan isn't sure, but thinks that perhaps God would have him serve as a missionary some day. It would thrill our hearts to see Brendan using the talents God has given him, either in music or translation ministry.

REBEKAH JOY

Rebekah's name is a Hebrew name, meaning "Captivating," "Knotted Cord," or "To Tie or Ensnare." We are first introduced to Rebekah in the Bible as a captivating and brave young woman with a generous servant's heart, willing to haul water for camels and gutsy enough to leave her home to marry the man God had for her, sight unseen. It is a delight to watch the Holy Spirit developing some of these same traits in our Rebekah. Joy, Rebekah's middle name, means just what it sounds like: “Rejoicing,” whether you look at either its French or English origin. Anyone in the delivery room who heard her Grandma Betty's squeal of joy and delight as we called her to let her know of the birth of her first granddaughter would agree that Joy was the perfect middle name for Rebekah. And our eldest daughter, who loves to laugh, continues to bring joy to our hearts as we see her growing heart for serving people. Our prayer is that her heart is completely captivated by her Lord, that God will use this for His glory and to draw others to Himself, to continue to see God grow the qualities of generousity and service in her heart, and for her to have the diligence and the tenderness to use those qualities to love, bless and encourage others.

NADIA MONIQUE

We receive more compliments on Nadia's name than on any other. Nadia is a name of Russian origin and means "Hope." A friend in our church died tragically just days before Nadia arrived, and while we had already decided upon her name, it made the name seem even more appropriate. Because of Christ, we do have an eternal hope. After the fact, we found out that Nadia is a popular name in Islamic and many African countries. In Arabic, it means "Tender, or Delicate." Nadia's soft heart, especially towards her younger siblings, is readily evident. It is also a commonly chosen name in the tribal language of many of our friends and neighbors... so much so that we are often named by them as Nadia's mama or Nadia's daddy. Monique is of French or Latin origin and means "Wise Counsellor." While only time will tell whether this is a part of who she becomes, she is certainly our most diligent child in finishing her homework and in reminding her little sisters to complete theirs. It is our prayer that Nadia never forgets the reason for her hope, and that by the testimony of her life and her words, she wisely counsels other to seek that same source of eternal hope.

ANNA COSSETTE

We really thought Nadia's arrival had completed our family, and did not expect any further children. We were quite surprised when we did get pregnant again, and then devastated when Richelle miscarried and we lost that baby. God used that time to show us that He is the one who blesses a family with children, and as parents it is our job to welcome those He chooses to loan us, for however long He gives them to us. We were so excited when not long after, we realized that He was blessing us again... another baby was on the way. Anna is also a Hebrew name, a derivative of Hannah. Hannah's story in the Bible has always touched our hearts. She pleaded with the Lord of a child and the Lord demonstrated His grace and favor by granting that request. The name Anna means "God has Favored Me," or "Grace." Cossette is the English spelling of a French name that means "Victorious." After a long and difficult 5 day labor with her, it was a great moment of victory to finally hold our almost 10 lb baby in our arms. We are so thankful for the gift of our Anna, and pray often that God will give her the victory as she faces difficulties, struggles, trials and temptations in this life.

VICTORIA ROSE

Victoria's name came about in a bit of a different way. Brendan was terribly excited when we told the kids we were expecting another baby... unknown to us, he'd been praying for a baby brother. After ultrasound confirmation of another little girl, he was terribly sad and disappointed. Thus, we decide that Brendan would help us in choosing the name for his new little sister. We picked out 5 first names and 5 middle names that we liked (it took FOREVER!), and that we felt went together well, regardless of the combination. Then, after she was born, we let Brendan pick from among those names to construct and name our then newest family member. He chose Victoria Rose. Victoria comes from the Latin and means "Victorious Conqueror." Little Tori, both super sweet and outstandingly ornery has conquered all of our hearts. Rose refers, of course, to the flower - one of Richelle's favorites, and is a symbol of Love and Beauty. Both Victoria and Rose are also family names from Richelle's side. It cannot be coincidence that of all of our children, she clearly looks like a Stewart. We pray daily for our spirited little conqueror - that the Holy Spirit will mold her nature into one that is victorious in the gentle love she demonstrates to others and in the beauty of a heart like her Savior's. She is the only one of our children who more commonly goes by her nickname, Tori. But, when you ask her to introduce herself, she will proudly tell you that her name is Victoria Rose Wright.

JONATHAN DAVID

Finally! Here was the answer to Brendan's prayer for a little brother. And, he is the best anniversary present ever... arriving on our 10th wedding anniversary. Richelle never dreamed her joking reply to the question of what we'd do in Niamey for our 10th anniversary (She replied something to the effect of, "Knowing my luck, I'll be in labor and delivery, having a baby...") would be prophetic - she wasn't even pregnant at the time! His name was actually one that Richelle had picked out and had been planning to use since she was a young teenager. At that time, she was asked to sketch the birth announcement for a friend who had named their baby Jonathan David, and fell in love with the name and its meaning then. The fact that both names are family names from Tim's side of the family seemed to make it a perfect choice. Both names are of Hebrew origin: Jonathan means "Jehovah has Given," and Brendan most definitely agreed, for he was no longer the only boy child in the family! David means "Beloved, or Friend." When you consider the Biblical examples of these two men, our prayers for Jonathan are that he is a faithful friend, closer than a brother, like the example of Jonathan; even more importantly, we pray with our whole heart that he becomes a man after God's own heart, just like King David.

ELSIE MAE BRIANNE

Elsie Mae is a combination family name. Elsie was her paternal great-grandmother on the Wright side of the family; Mae is her maternal great-grandmother on the Stewart side. But we also appreciate the beautiful meanings of this compound first name: Elsie means "My God is Bountiful" and is of Scottish origin. Mae is an alternative spelling of May - the beginning of spring which brings "New Life and Growth." God has been so bountiful in giving us this affectionate child with the most enchanting and delightful smile. Maybe we are getting more sentimental as parents or we are just learning to enjoy our children more, but how do you express the magnitude of joy there is in participating with the Lord in the shaping and development of an eternal soul? We pray regularly for her new life in Christ and then subsequent spiritual growth... not to mention the daily physical and emotional growth in which we presently delight. Her middle name, Brianne, comes from Gaelic roots, meaning "Noble, Strong, Virtuous, and She Ascends." What a a beautiful list of characteristics that we pray the Holy Spirit will someday grow in our current (but not for too much longer) baby of the family.

Baby pics from a LOOOOOOONG time ago :-)

For some reason,

when Richelle was just a young'un,

she resisted giving her Pop-pop a kiss.

She would cry and cry

(and everyone else would laugh, so the story goes...)

Until she finally relented ...

All that fuss for nothing!

==================================

We had fun showing the kids the above photos,

as well as some other ones

of Richelle as a baby,

and their general opinion was

that Elsie Mae looks an awful lot like her mama.

Take a moment

and let us know what you think

by leaving a comment -

since we can't set up a poll for this one!

Our Exceeding Great Reward

What do you think of when you think of Abraham in the Bible? Many thoughts come to my mind:

• He left so much to follow the call of the Lord - his country, friends and family, his religion - and headed off into the unknown, not sure where the Lord was taking him.
• God made a great promise and covenant with him.
• Abraham became the father of a great nation.
• Abraham was justified by faith.
• Abraham, like God, offered up his son.
• Abraham is called "Friend of God."
• Abraham is a central figure not only for Christians, but also for those of Jewish descent and for Moslems.

There is one particular verse in the 13 or so chapters of the Bible that tell his story that contains such a beautiful offer, such an incredible promise...

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward."

I think it was a Beth Moore Bible study in our home church where I first noticed this verse, and as I've spent some time lately reflecting on it.

The first thing the Lord says is "Do not be afraid, Abram." God calls Abram by name. To me, it has a lot of significance when someone is speaking to me and chooses to use my given name, even when it is not necessary to understand that the other person is speaking to me. It somehow makes what they are saying more personal and targets it directly at me. It is both humbling and encouraging to recognize that God knows me and calls me by name.

But the Lord doesn't stop with Abram's name. He also tells him "Do not be afraid." Abraham, a man known for his great faith and his unwavering confidence in God, is being reminded by God to "have not fear," as it is written in French. For one to live and experience a great faith, one must first recognize, live and experience a great fear. And that is encouraging. When those moments of terrible fearfulness come into my life, I can trust the One who is shaping and molding me, that He is directing me to a greater faith and trust in Himself. We are told elsewhere in the Bible that "We march by faith and not by sight," so when we forget and start trying to walk by what we see - to figure things out on our own - it is very natural to become fearful, for faith is beyond comprehension. It is then that I need to hear the voice of my Lord, whether He speaks directly to my heart, through the encouraging words of another, or in His Word, reminding me not to fear.

And Abram need not fear. The next phrase is beautiful promise that God makes to Abram. God says, "I am your shield." (in the French, it reads "I am your protector.") When I taught this part of the study to the women at church, we spent some time looking at different verses in the Bible where God promises to be our shield, learning what is meant by a shield. A shield is a defensive tool used by a soldier to protect himself while in battle. It is an object behind which he can hide and he uses his shield to block or interfere with the lashes, blows, arrows and other weapons of the enemy. The Bible uses this image of a shield as a powerful word picture of the protection He offers to His children.

And we too have this same promise. Nothing can touch us, unless it first passes through our shield and protector. The struggle comes when my meaning of safe doesn't match up with God's meaning of safe - as my viewpoint is almost always initially a temporal one while His is always infinite. One of the startling things that I learned studying through the book of Job is that his story is not so much a story of great suffering, but rather the story of how God grew Job so that he had an immense faith and confidence in the Lord.
The final phrase in this verse is one that, upon reflection, takes my breath away. God says to Abram, "I am... your very great reward." God is not only the rewarder, but He, Himself, is the reward. The same God of the universe, who created everything, who gives to each man every breath and every beat of his heart, said to Abram, "I give you Myself as your reward."

Deut. 33.29a: "Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword..."

2 Sam. 22.2,3a: "David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: 'The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation...' "

Psalm 119.114: "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word."

Ephesians 6.16: "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

Phil. 4.6,7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

It was Abram's response to this last statement that I found surprising and convicting, however: "O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless...?" Essentially, Abram is saying to the Lord, "Lord, what You are offering me is not what I want. I want a child, the son you have promised me. I don't want You; give me a child."

Can you imagine saying something like that to the Lord? As I asked the ladies at church, they were all quick to say, "Oh no! Having God is better than anything else," which is the right response, but I know as I search my heart, I too, am guilty of this very same thing. God has offered me Himself - the only One who can ultimately satisfy the deepest longings of my heart, for He created me to be in relationship with Him. Yet instead of accepting and truly recognizing the enormity of what He has done, I complain and fuss, because although He's already given me the very best, that was not what I had wanted.

What "other" things might people demand? We came up with a list at Bible study:

• a child or children (just like Abram);
• a husband;
• a family;
• food or drink;
• riches (money or material possessions);
• security;
• physical beauty or attractiveness to others;
• good health;
• peaceful and tranquility;
• good health;
• times free from pain and suffering (either physical or emotional);
• good and faithful friends; etc., etc., etc.

This list could most definitely go on, but in closing, I challenged the ladies and myself to spend some time searching our hearts to find if there was some area, where just like Abram, we are saying, "God, I don't want you. I want ____________ instead. Nothing else will satisfy me." Such areas in our lives need to be confessed and forgiveness sought.

Abram had such a promise - God Himself would guard his lives and keep him safe.

An exceeding great reward...

Wonderful Heritage

A few weeks back, Richelle and her mom were chatting on Yahoo Messenger, and Mom mentioned that she had been working on Nana & Pop-pop's photo albums. She had also scanned several photos, which she has since passed along to us through Yahoo's photo sharing. It has been so much fun sharing these photos with our children and with our African friends. Honoring your parents and grandparents is an important part of the culture here; the fact that our parents and grandparents support us wholeheartedly in this ministry helps in building bridges.

We can't wait until we are home later this year- Everyone is looking forward to a trip to S. Illinois to visit Nana and Pop-pop... Unfortunately, it will probably be too cold to sit on the porch swing, drink coffee and visit, but we treasure each opportunity we have to see them and to let our children meet and/or get to know them better.

Enjoy the photos-

Nana with her sisters.

Nana as a young teen.

"Mama, she's beautiful!" was Rebekah's response.

Pop in uniform. Brendan found this photo very impressive.

Their wedding picture. Victoria says that Nana's hair looks long

just like hers, " 'cept not white."

Home after their honeymoon. This is Anna's and Richelle's favorite picture because they look so happy.

Jonathan liked this one of their growing family with

Mom and Aunt Donna.

It was the baby that caught his attention.

After several opportunities to go "bird huntin'" with Pop-pop,

this was Tim's perferred photo.

Any guesses who the baby is in this picture?

Nadia knew right away - it is Richelle.

Nana and Pop-pop are on either side;

Grandma Stewart is holding her.

Their 50th wedding anniversary.

What an example for the rest of us!

And Brendan was there - so was Rebekah, although she hadn't made her offical appearance yet.

This is Richelle's other favorite, taken Mother's Day, May 2004.

Pop-pop is so handsome and Nana is still beautiful as ever!

This is the most recent picture we have of them, taken with Nana's sister, Aunt Marge just this past April. We could never thank them enough for their faithful prayers and support. Even though we are so far away and can't get back to see them often, they are often in our thoughts and prayers, too.