Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Melody joins the world of iPod users! ;-)

Wow! I can't believe it! I actually have an iPod now! ;-) It's kinda funny, because I've been hearing about iPod's for at least a couple years now...and I always thought..."Whatever! Just another new-fangled electronic device that teens use to fill the air-space...I certainly don't need one of those!" I always get a bit annoyed with those that walk around all the time with wires in their ears anyway...so I certainly don't plan on joining the crowd.

However, this past March, as Jennifer and I were talking about some good "give-away item" to use for a drawing for the Creator's Call booth at the "Just Claim It" youth Conference in Dallas, I thought of the iPod! "That seems like the hot thing on the market for teens right now....why don't we get a small one to give away?" Sure enough....it was a hot thing, and as a result of our iPod drawing, we had almost 1,000 surveys filled out and gave away even more flyers and DVD's! It was incredible. Just say "Do you want to win an iPod?" and everyone flocks to sign up! In the process of uploading some profitable material to the iPod (before we gave it away), I saw a little how it worked...the small compact design, and the incredible memory (up to thousands of songs or sermons) was astounding! "Maybe someday, I'll have to get one of these." I thought.

Well, I didn't get one then...but I told my Mom in Arkansas about them as they always like to listen to CD's and sermons as they work and travel, and this seemed like an efficient and easy way to do it...rather than carrying cases of CD's around. So she got one...and was so impressed with it, that she sold the idea to the rest of the family. So now my brothers and Dad also have one to use when they work in the fields and travel! (She's a great "sales women" too...because she even has friends buying them now!) Anyway...when I arrived home to visit this last week...one of her first gifts to me was my very own iPod!!!! Wow! I was about speechless...

So now...I have joined the world of iPod users! If you catch me with the white wires in my ears though (when I should be free to socialize) please reprimand me! While I'm excited about the ability to have something to listen to now while I workout at the gym, hike and climb mountains alone, or just sit in my living room and study...I don't want it to replace the friendly voices of those around me, nor detract from that "Still small voice" that is sooooo important to hear. So...while it's a good thing...it too must have its boundaries.

It's pretty exciting though...what this thing can hold! I have the entire Bible on it (read by Alexandar Scourby), a bunch of sermons by John Piper, the entire Revelation series by David Assherick, the Set-Apart Life series by the Ludy's and tons of my favorite music. And I plan to upload a bunch of sermons from http://www.audioverse.org/ that I haven't had time to listen to yet. So the possibilities are endless...

As I close today's thrilling and exciting blog entry though, I have to tell about the first thing that I uploaded on my iPod. (I know everyone is just dying to know, right?!) It was a song by Steve Green called "I will Go." While it's been one of my favorite songs for a few years now, as I listened to it this time in light of where the Lord has been leading me and how life has been changing the last couple years...the words impacted me in a new way. So as way of inspiration, I wanted to share the words here. It goes like this:

Give me ears to hear your spirit, give me feet to follow through...
Give me hands to touch the hurting, and the faith to follow you!
Give me grace to be a servant, give me mercy for the lost,
Give me passion for your glory, give me passion for the cross!

And I will go where there are no easy roads, leave the comforts that I know!
I will go and let this journey be my home, I will go....I will go...

I'll let go of my ambition, cut the roots that run too deep,
I will learn to give away what I cannot really keep, what I cannot really keep.
Help me see with eyes of faith, give me strength to run this race...

And I will go where there are no easy roads, leave the comforts that I know!
I will go and let this journey be my home, I will go....I will go...
I will go Lord, where your glory is unknown, I will live for you alone!
I will go because my life is not my own, I will go...I will go...I will go!

My prayer is to stay surrendered...for wherever He calls, "I must go!"

Monday, July 30, 2007

At home in the Ozark Country

Well...I'm back again! Wasn't able to post anything while I was in Arkansas because internet access is "slow-as-molasses" there! (Must have to do with the extra long distance the phone line has to travel to reach our home waaaaaaay out in the country!) Anyway, as the pictures will show...it is beautiful as ever, and I had a blast having some time at home with my family!

From driving the back trails on the four-wheelers with my dad and brothers (and later on my mom), to jogging around our trail and working out and lifting weights (I had a sore back after that!), to cutting some coon caps, to reading and doing Bible study with my mom, to singing and doing music together and just having a general good time! It was refreshing to be home...and I only wish the time had not gone soooo quickly!!

Now I am back in Oklahoma and preparing to leave with Mom and Dad Holland for ASI!! Can't believe how quickly time is going. But I am determined to enjoy each and every moment to its fullest while it last. Next week my sister Rita returns from Romania, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her and catching up a bit before I head back to California. As I said, I am sure that time will go all too quickly...so...I will enjoy each moment today while it last!! ;-)

*More deeper profound thoughts later - for now, since I have lots of pictures to show, I thought I'd keep my comments brief!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

If you want a garden of Eden...you've got to accept some rain!!



Well, this past Sunday I flew into the wet-green-hot-humid paradise of Oklahoma! ;-) As dear to my heart as Oklahoma is, I would never have dreamed of calling it a paradise before now. But when you are coming from the dry brown dessert of California, to a vibrant green land flowing with....well...not milk and honey, but water! It is beautiful! I never realized how much I missed the sweet sound of drops "pitter-patting" on our roof, or the dull drum of distant thunder, and the adrenaline rush of the excitement of nearby lightning!

Today the sun is shining...and all is peaceful once again. But yesterday was a different story. (As you can see by the two pictures below!) Hollands and I had to do some errands and then drive to Dallas to pick up my Grandma Hiner that was flying in from her vacation in Oregon. And it was raining! I don't mean just normal peaceful raining...but it was RAINING...like cats and dogs raining! In fact, at times we could hardly see out the front window and had to slow way down so we didn't pile up in traffic. It was scary! And some parts of the road were turning into a little river...almost wondered if we should have come in the boat! Anyway, all in all...we made it safely...and the adventure was a fun one! ;-)

It's been good to be back home in familar territory. And being back on the Oklahoma Academy campus brings back lots of good memories, although things are fast changing, and most of the people here I don't know so well now. Hollands and I have had fun catching up on life, and sharing our latest discoveries or inspirations. One such sharing was a DVD they showed me the other night called "From a life of no limbs, to no limits!" About a guy that has no arms and legs, and how he's made the most of his life, and now lives to bring glory and honor to God and motivate others to use what God has given them for His glory. It is an amazing story, and one I plan to get to bring back to my Loma Linda friends to watch. Incredible!

Now today I'll be heading over to Arkansas to spend this next week, until ASI, with my Mason family. My daddy is on the way to pick me up even as I type, and I can hardly wait to see him. I haven't been home to Arkansas since December. While our time is limited, each little bit we do have together is very precious. How blessed I am!

So that's the scoop from the land of the green....for now! Next time I'll be posting some pictures probably, from my lovely childhood home way out in the middle of the Ozarks. I just praise the Lord for such a wonderful home and for people that love me!

Look at the water in this intersection!



I feel like we should be in a boat!!



Thursday, July 19, 2007

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer..." II Sam 22:2



I stole this photo out of my mom's recently uploaded pictures of their canoe trip down the Buffalo River in the Ozarks of Arkansas! I thought it went well with today's post. Also shows some of the beauty and grandeur of where I grew up.

(Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures with all of us, Mom!)

"The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." II Chron 16:9

God is looking for a man, or woman, whose heart will be always set on Him, and who will trust Him for all He desires to do. God is eager to work more mightily now than He ever has through any soul. The clock of the centuries points to the eleventh hour.

"The world is waiting yet to see what God can do through a consecrated soul." Not the world alone, but God Himself is waiting for one, who will be more fully devoted to Him than any who have ever lived; who will be willing to be nothing that Christ may be all; who will grasp God's own purposes; and taking His humility and His faith, His love and His power, will, without hindering, continue to let God do exploits.

There is no limit to what God can do with a man, providing he will not touch the glory!

-From Streams in the Desert - July 18th

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Proof of our backpacking treks!


Just got back from yet another trek up the mountains/hills behind Loma Linda! It's hilarious seeing the strange looks and questions on people's faces as we go marching by loaded down with packs and gear. "Where do those kids think they are going?" I can just imagine them thinking! Every now and then a passerby is brave enough to ask... "Are you training for something?" Then one of us will enthusiastically tell them that we are training for the John Muir trail in the Sierra's. Of course, I'm not going...I'm only training with them. But it's still fun to tell people about it!

It's hard to believe how quickly the summer is flying bye bye! ;-/ Just a couple more days to hike together, and one more Sabbath here in Loma Linda and then I'll be flying home for three weeks, and TJ and MaryAnn will be taking off for their hiking expedition. (Without me! Sniff, sniff.) I told MaryAnn that I am glad that I'm going to be gone the whole time they are (I actually leave a day or two sooner then they do!), or I'd be suffering serious withdrawals from their absence, for we've been doing everything together lately. I'm soo thankful that God has brought them into my life!

Well, lots to do today...so that's all we'll post for now. Just wanted to get a few backpack pics up while I was thinking about it, so my family and friends can see all the fun they are missing out on here in lovely Southern California! ;-)

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

There has been Growth!!!

The exclamation points in the title above are for one of my favorite highschool teachers, Mr. Fiedler! (And also, because I am excited about my garden!) Yes, I may have left the beautiful country of the Ozarks, and the open prairie of Oklahoma, but still (with God's help) I've managed to bring a little country with me to the vastly populated community of Loma Linda California. And, more specifically, to my own little front yard and back patio! :-)

The question was asked in a recent meeting, "What is the best thing about gardening?" Immediately, I thought "playing in the dirt!" For despite the blisters, the sweat, and the incredible hard work that goes into planting and maintaining a garden, I think there is something therapeutic about getting your hands and feet in the dirt! (Or maybe it is just me! I don't know.) Anyway, the proper answer was... "Enjoying the harvest!" And as I have been enjoying not only the beauty of my flowers but also my first few vegetables, I have to agree...the "Harvest" is a pretty important part of the process.

It's encouraging to look back and see the progress that has been made...from the little tiny plants or seeds, to having fruit on the vine. And as I was looking over my gardening pictures, I thought it would be fun to post the pictures of that process. (Thus you will see the pictures that follow below!)

However, this whole gardening thing has also made me think of some other important aspects of my life...and that is of my "spiritual walk and growth."

I remember back when I was 12 years old, when I told my mom one morning, "I have decided to follow Jesus!" Things had been quite rough in my life, and I'd been really struggling with a lot of rebellion. Although I knew that surrendering to God was what I needed to do, I just kept fighting it and fighting it...and as a result, my life was miserable. (And I was making it miserable for everyone else as well!) But finally I allowed God to give me strength to let go, and I chose Him! Of course, as a result, I had such peace and happiness, and I thought, "Finally....I've done the right thing, and I'm what God wants me to be!" (Ha ha! Well, that was a beautiful first step...but it was only the beginning shoots in the spiritual plant that God wanted to build in my life.)

While things definitely improved, I had no clue how far I was away from the finish line. It wasn't until my highschool years during my time at Oklahoma Academy (one of the best things that ever happened to me) that I really began to figure out what having a personal relationship with God was all about! There, from having a roommate that spent hours reading her Bible and on her knees talking to God daily, to godly mentors and teachers, to inspirational practical Bible classes, and invigorating outreach and mission trips, I began to really see the beauty of what having a personal relationship with God was all about. While, as a child, I'd been taught by my parents to memorize scripture, it was during highschool that these very passages from the Bible and the Great Controversary really began to come alive in my life! Wow! It was sooo exciting and incredible...and I began to think, "Before I was just a child....but now, now I am really finally starting to see! Now I am really becoming the Christian God wants me to be!" (Ha ha...while more growth was taking place....I had no idea I was still only taking baby steps in the process...and this plant still had lots of work ahead!)

The years went on...and it was like with each spiritual milestone, my eyes were opened even more...and I would laugh to myself and think, "If only I had known then what I know now! I wasn't even half-way there back then!"

Somewhere in the midst of my twenties...as I fought more spiritual battles and sought to overcome character roadblocks that the devil was trying to keep ingrained in my life, I realized for the first time that I was on a spiritual journey that had no end to its progress and growth. Here, for so many years, I had been thinking, "I'm almost there now. I've almost arrived. I basically understand what being a Christian is all about!" Again and again my eyes were opened in new ways...as I began to realize the massive amount of distance that still lay before me.

Today, if I allow myself to think of the distance ahead...it can be overwhelming...yet, as I look back and realize how far God has brought me, I am encouraged. He promises in Phil 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will carry it forth unto completion." Praise the Lord...and not only does He promise to carry it forth unto completion, but He promises to DO that work in us! It's not through our strength, but through HIS!!

So now, instead of stressing about "Am I doing this right?" or "Am I doing that right?" or "Am I almost there now?" my goal and desire has become each day to simply "Yield and Submit to His Will" instead of my own. As a result of that choice, He has brought much beautiful fruit into my life, and I praise Him for that! But am I almost there...have I almost arrived? No!! I've got eons of years of growth ahead...and as Eric Ludy so often says, I've finally realized that this beautiful journey has only begun. So, I can't pitch my tent and settle down! My task is to keep walking, and to keep my eyes on my Savior!!

"In the city of God, there shall be no night. None will need or desire repose. There shall be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of morning and shall ever be far from its close...There, immortal minds will contemplate with never failing delight the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no cruel, decieving foe to tempt to forgetfullness of God. Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions realized, and STILL THERE WILL ARISE NEW HIGHTS TO SURMOUNT, new wonders to admire, NEW TRUTHS TO COMPREHEND, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body...And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase." Exerpts from The Great Controversary pages 676-678

Wow! Just think of what lies ahead...whatever beautiful truths God has brought us through our walk with Him on this earth...it's only a shadow (and a black and white shadow, as I like to think) of the true glories to come!

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God had prepared for them that love Him." I Cor 2:9

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth (that's a loooooong long ways, if you've ever watched the Moody classics, "Journey to the Edges of Creation."), so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isa 55:8-9

Like I said, how can we imagine what God has in store for us in the future? We can't! But if we want to be there for that future, we must keep submitting to His plan here today. So, as I watch my plants grow, it is my renewed desire that He would continue to grow and shape my life to what He would have me to be for His kingdom and His glory - alone!!

In the beginning...pulling up the weeds!


The first plants...



After a month or so...



My flowers are coming right along!



My golden daisies...only open to the Sunshine!


Today my flowers are alive and vibrant!


Watering my vegetable garden back near the beginning...


My first pepper in progress...


My pink and green vines outside my bedroom window!



If you've got a brown wall to look at, add some COLOR!!!

Isn't that pink beautiful??


Nurturing my squash and tomatoes



Vegetable garden is taking over back patio!


Nothing better than home-grown tomatoes!



These are the famous "Arkansas Travelers" that I planted way back when!

That pepper is about ready to eat!



Baby squash


The summer squash has already been picked and was delicious!


Notice Watermelon plant that jumped into flower bed


A promise of more good things to come!!



Sunday, July 15, 2007

A weekend of Socials!!!


Well...it probably appears once again...that all we do around here is eat and socialize! But I promise that's not all there is to life...it just happens to be what I take pictures of! :-) And to be sure, this weekend was another big weekend with all that was going on!

It started off with Friday night supper at MaryAnn's, then Sabbath we had potluck again (about 75 people in attendance), and this morning (Sunday) we hosted a wedding shower for Curtis and Janine! Wow!! That was a lot of cooking and cleaning! But I love having people around ("The more the Merrier" as some say!), so we had a lot of fun!

The pics above will give you a little taste of our weekend, and I'll write more thoughts on life later, when I'm not tired. Tomorrow will be another early day as TJ and MaryAnn and I are going backpacking again with our canned food and potatoes (and whatever we can find to load down our packs), so for now, I'll say "goodnight!" ;-)

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Backpacking Cans of food, Research papers, and lots of laughter!

Interesting title for today's blog, don't you think?

Yes, the last few days have been interesting ones. For starters, Alisha ended up moving out this week, although the Florida trip did not work out! So while she's got another place that she's going to be staying for awhile, I'm still concerned about her long term goals and growth. While she seemed to soak up a lot while she was with me, she still has an appetite for the "wild life" and has struggled letting that completely go. So please continue to keep her in prayer! Hopefully she'll still be able to come back for some Sabbaths and weekends. While it's good to have my time again to focus on CCBN and my other family and friends, it's also a bit weird to not have her around all the time!

Secondly, the joke of the week has been that "Since Alisha moved out, MaryAnn and TJ have moved in!" ;-) We've been doing literally EVERYTHING together....from getting up at unearthly hours of the morning to go backpacking (with fully loaded backpacks of canned food and potatoes and any other weight we can find) here in the hills behind Loma Linda. They are training for the John Muir trail in the Sierra's, so have been allowing me train with them! It's been really cool too! I'd love to do the trail with them.....but am flying home to be with my family in Arkansas and Oklahoma during that time, so it will have to be another year! Besides hiking, we've been sharing quite a few meals, and MaryAnn has been working on a huge research paper here at our place (since we have internet and she also likes my company) for her summer class that's she's taking for the Master's program. While she's accomplished a lot, we've also had a lot of fun talking and laughing and just enjoying life! I'm sooo grateful that God has brought such special friends, as TJ and MaryAnn into my life!!

So, in a nutshell...besides catching up on some sleep and recovering from a cold/flu bug that I've been fighting the last little bit before Alisha left, and doing some summer cleaning and organizing, and trying to catch up on CCBN projects that have gotten a little ignored lately, that's been my week! Exciting as always!!! And with Potluck and a wedding shower planned to be held at our place this weekend, things promise to stay busy! But...at least I am never bored! God is good!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

"Pull those WEEDS before they get any bigger!" - More lessons from Mom!


Dear Daughters,

I’m sitting in the living room at home listening to my favorite Sabbath CD and missing you guys. Dad is up working on his sermon for tomorrow. And since I have a few moments now, I thought I’d take advantage of them while I was thinking of you anyway.

So what profound thoughts do I have for you today? :-) Well, let’s see.... For quite a while now when I’ve been walking up to my office, I’ve noticed the little flower bed around the flag pole. I has needed to be weeded. Almost every time I would pass I would say to myself, “I need to week that flower bed.” Then I would think that I was too busy, or not dressed appropriately to do it that day, and thus the procrastination went on.

One morning this week I was passing by and the time just seemed to be right. The flower bed still needed to be weeded, and I was dressed for it. So I stopped to pull the weeds. But something had happened in the time that I had procrastinated. Can you imagine, those weeds had the audacity to grow and multiply! In fact, I found one area quite thick and difficult. I even thought that maybe I should leave it til I had a hoe or a shovel with me. But then decided to go ahead and do the rest of bed and try at it from the other side. Because there were now so many weeds, and they were bigger, it took much longer to do the job. If I had done the job when I first thought about it, it would have taken so much less time.

The lesson here really seems quite obvious...don’t procrastinate (a good one for me!) The rest is probably pretty obvious, too. Whenever there are weeds in our lives (habits, sins, ect), the more we procrastinate in seeking to remove them, the more entangled they become and the more difficult to remove. In fact they will also destroy good things in the process of removal. Jesus said, today if you hear My voice...Now is the day of Salvation...when it came to the flower bed, the consequences of procrastination were very small, a few more moments of extra work. When it comes to spiritual procrastination, the consequences are vastly different because they deal with eternal implications.

So, those are my profound thoughts for this week. Hope they were a blessing. I miss you guys, and pray that God will continue to work deeply in your lives.

Love, Mom

*More profound insights from a very wise mother! I'm soo grateful for what she continues to teach me, and how she makes practical life come alive spiritually!!

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Reflections of a "One of a kind Sabbath"



What a beautiful Sabbath day...and the perfect number too! A date in history that will never be repeated again!! 07-07-07!!!! Numbers have always been significant to me, so I thought it was cool that this date just happened to be Sabbath.....God's Seventh day, ordained and sanctified for rest and worship since the dawn of creation!

The sunset picture above I took at the Corona Del Mar beach last night as we ended our 10 day event of "Operation Global Rain." Youth groups from several different churches had gathered to worship, share food and fellowship. It was truly a blessing and inspiration...as young adults talked and shared about their own walk with God and inspired us in seeking a closer walk with Him!

My favorite part of the day though, was listening to a visiting speaker, Pastor Martin Kim, who shared a very convicting message, "Expect Great things from God." He started off by sharing how his church had decided they wanted to do something special for God, so had collected an offering (about $200 dollars) to go for some special project. They received a little more than their goal in the offering plate, so decided the next month, they would pray for even more. The next month the offering doubled. Then they decided to pray that God would give them more for an even bigger project...like at least a $1,000 offering. They surpassed their goal, and prayed that the next month, God would give them more. Each month....as they prayed and sought to sacrifice different luxuries in their lives, God blessed them with larger and larger donations and offerings for different projects they sought to take on. By the end of the year, they were working on monthly projects of $30,000-$50,000! It was incredible!!!! Inspired by the testimonies of people like "David Gates," this young man and his wife have totally given their lives as volunteers and workers for God knowing that as God has been blessing and leading in the past, He will continue to lead in the future!

My heart was stirred as it only confirmed what I feel God is calling me to do with my own life! And some of the stories he shared broke my heart anew as it made me realize how inadequate my current measily little sacrifices are with what God longs to do in my life!

"The secret to financial security is: All that you have belongs to God, and you surrender all to God!"

"You're either a missionary or a mission field! How you are living your life and using your time determines which you are!"

"Faith is the assurance that the thing which God said is true and He will bring His Word to pass!"

"You can't outgive God!"

"Are you living a life of no regrets? Do you want to get to heaven and realize with breaking heart that you could have done MORE...so much more, for the cause of saving lost souls? "

"Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as you possibly can!" - John Wesley

Pastor Martin works with a ministry called "Adventist Southeast Asia Projects" and he shared some of the things that their ministry is helping to fund. It was exciting and humbling to see!

- For $10, you can give the gift of a radio to little Cambodian villages where Pastors are not able to visit as frequently! (If we could cut back on some little small extravagance that we don't really need, or the fancy dessert at a couple of restuarant outings, we could afford to give a community the gift of the gospel via radio broadcasts!)

- For $10, you can give the gift of a Bible and study guides to eager students and seekers that don't have any other way to acquire God's precious word! (And to them, when they receive it, unlike us, they realize it's true value and it is precious!!!!)

- For $5, you can provide one set of "easy reader" Bible story books for young orphan children who have never before heard the good news! (Come on, that's like going without my favorite box of granola or "Golden Grahams" next time I go grocery shopping!)

- For $20 a month, you can support one Cambodian Lay Bible Worker to travel around and share the gospel. (If we could forgo the "text messaging" charges on our phone and cut back on a few extra's we get at the store when we go shopping...we could afford to do this!)

- For $100 a month, you can sponsor one Cambodian Church Planter (If we could forgo 4 or 5 meals at one of our favorite fancy restuarants, or cut down on our excursions or outings...we could afford to give some needy community a worker to tell them about Jesus, possibly impacting thousands!)

- For $550, they can build a decent bamboo and thatch church to give shelter to the growing groups of believers in impoverished areas. (Wow...considering what most of us make these days, that's not that big of a sacrifice...one church at a time!)

The messages and stories, as I watched this young man share with tears in his eyes, convicted me afresh of my own "selfishness and greed" and the need for my heart to truly be broken with the things that break the heart of Jesus! He told heart breaking story after story, of children growing up without hope, families torn apart by spiritual and physical poverity, young gospel workers risking their lives to share (some being imprisoned and beaten - yes....these very days) because they are sooo passionate to get the message out of God's love!

Then he talked about the story of the "Rich Young Ruler" who, feeling that he had done all for God, asked Jesus what more he should do.

It tells us in Mark 10:21 that...

"Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

WOW!!! Go sell EVERYTHING you have!!! What?!!! That's preposterous!!

Yes, that's what the Rich Young Ruler thought as well, as He sadly walked away...

What does "Following Jesus" really mean? How does "forsaking all and giving to the poor" practically play out in our lives today?? I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure of all the details of that answer, but one thing I do know...it means a whole lot more surrender than I have yet done!!

Today as I was helping Alisha get a few necessities from Wal-Mart before she leaves for Florida, I was also looking at a few nice summer tops that caught my eye!

"Now wouldn't that look nice with those tan capri's you have....or with those jean shorts?" a little voice spoke inside my head.

Then another voice countered, "but you don't NEED it Melody....just imagine with that $10 or $20 bucks what you could do for God...you could pay the food bill for a family for a month, or send a set of Bible story books to an orphan...?"

The other voice picked up again, "But I'm not in Cambodia...I'm living in America right now...in a classy culture, and I need to look good! I can't live on just a few items in my wardrobe! I need to have variety and change at least every now and then!"

"But Melody..." the other voice entreated! "Are you more concerned about how you look or what people think, or about what is important to God...the broken people around the world!?"

"Well, obviously God, I am more concerned with you and the hurting people around the world....or I wouldn't be living my life as I am!" I argued back. "And I am already sacrificing in a lot of ways!"

"But..." the voice spoke back... "Are you truly giving your all??? Or just what you can afford to give while still keeping your comfortable lifestyle and plans?"

"Hmmm....." I had some more thinking to do! The tops, as attractive and yet cheap as they were (they were on "SALE" - imagine that), ended up staying on their rack, and I left the store a little lighter in heart and spirit.

I have to ask myself again though, as the battle rages within over the deep core of my life and priorities...

Whose truly on the throne of my heart? Is what I am spending my time and money on (limited as it may be) really counting for helping myself or others to Heaven? Is what I am doing neccesary for my life, or is it just a cushioned excuse to keep from stepping outside a larger comfort zone that I've developed through the many years of my life! Why is it so easy to get entangled in the THINGS of this life??! Why does it always have to be such a struggle? Was Jesus serious when He said, "It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven???"

Yes, as I analyze the inadequacy of my own "surrender and service" and of the vast needs all around me, I am tempted to despair! But I also realize that God didn't ask me to take on the world (He already did that) He just asked me to take on ONE DAY, and ONE NEED at a time! And it is my prayer that He will help give me new eyes to see, and a new heart to share, as He transforms my life and spirit into conformity with His own.

If not us...WHO?

If not now...WHEN?

If not here...WHERE?

"Lord, break my heart with the things that break the heart of Jesus..."

*Be watching www.audioverse.org for Martin Kim's Sermons from 07-07-07 "Expect Great Things from God." They should be up and able to download within the next couple days!! And they are worth listening to!!!!

Sabbath youth outing to Corona Del Mar



Alisha and Mel


Seeweed stars



Aren't we cute?



Beach Sea Creatures


Evening Worship


Thursday, July 05, 2007

4th of July in Southern California!

While it was hard to be away from family this year, I have to say, this was a really GREAT 4th of July!

Started off the day bright and early...as usual! Read some in Psalms and the Great Controversary, and reviewd another session of the "Set-Apart" life series! Wow!!! What a blessing! Every time I hear it, I am inspired more about the vastness of God's intent in our lives!

When it got light enough to see, I took off on a 2 mile walk/hike with my verse pack and cell phone. However, it was the cell phone that ended up getting most of my attention as my mom and I talked for a long while! (It's no fun to go walking alone though, so I'm thankful she's always there to keep me company when I need!) When I got back Alisha was still sleeping, so I pounced on her and told her it was TIME to greet the sunshine! (Thank goodness she's a good sport with my teasing ways!) So I succeeded in dragging her out of bed and pulling her down the street for a few minutes of sunshine to start the day! (As I've learned, one of the best things for someone in depression to do is get some good sunlight at the beginning of their day!)

Then it was off to TJ and Maryann's for a scrumptious waffle breakfast!!! We had fun coming up with creative toppings for our waffles, but I think TJ beat us all! Let's see here....peanut butter, syrup, apple sauce, yogurt, bananas, strawberries, and two different kinds of nuts! Wow!! After we got breakfast cleaned up, I put on the old video series by Eric and Leslie, "Preparing for an Amazing Love Story." While I've watched the testimony countless times over the years, I hadn't had a chance to show it to Alisha yet, and so wanted her to see it. While it shares the incredible ways that God worked in Eric and Leslie's love story, more than that, it carries with it a powerful call to even deeper surrender to God.....in every area of one's life! And I knew it would be a real blessing to Alisha! It was......at the end, she was crying....and told me that she wanted to surrender more to God, but didn't know how! She and Maryann and I ended up having quite a little talk and cry together as we prayed with and for Alisha and the new changes that she is seeking to make.....and that God would truly make Himself real to her!

[As an update (as I don't think I've posted this yet), Alisha has decided to move to FL with her brother and a friend.....so she will be leaving this area and my home this next week! So, lots of changes are in progress and our time together is fast drawing to a close. Staying with me was just to be a launching pad into a new start, so I think it's good that she's getting away from the influences here that keep trying to pull her back down and moving on with positive growth. Yet, I'm still scared to see her go and wondering if she will have the strength to hold on to what she's been learning!!!! I know I'm not really a mother yet, however in a small way, I feel that I can relate. As one quote goes, "The decision to have children is the decision to have your heart walking around outside your body for the rest of your life!" And that's about how I feel right now! ;-) Yes, a piece of my heart.....and lots of my prayers will go with Alisha!! ]

After we watched the video testimony and I helped Maryann make Potatoe salad, we left and went home to get ready for the big picnic! We had invited a group of our friends over for a late lunch and social in the nice air-conditioned environment of our home. (Since it is massively hot outside these days and not long and everyone begins to wilt!) I had done most of my cooking on Tuesday, so besides decorating my FLAG cake and getting things organized, it wasn't a big deal. Maryann came and helped make things festive by making a colorful banner. And soon the friends began to arrive! Sunny never did make it home as she was working ER and evidently there were lots of accidents yesterday! But besides that, we were all here and had a blast!

In the evening we headed over to Redlands with TJ and Maryann and Daryl and Joy to find a spot to watch the fireworks. To pass time, we talked, played keep away with a cool ball that Daryl had brought, and watched some sky divers that were playing in the sky! This was the first night of the "Global Rain" event that I have missed, but I wanted to really make this a special 4th of July for Alisha (as her others have not been good memories!). And so it was really rewarding to me when later on in the evening, as the fireworks exploded over head, Alisha cuddled up next to me as she told me how special the day had been for her. "You know what we're doing right now, Mel..." she began with simple childlike wonder. "Sitting on a blanket in a park watching fireworks, in peace...kinda like a family...this is something I've only seen happen in movies...I can't believe it's actually happening to me!!! This has been sooooo awesome, Mel! Thank you!" I hugged her and in the process almost had tears come again to my eyes! There's nothing sooo rewarding I don't think, as knowing that you are brightening someone's day and making a real difference in their life! I just pray that God would give me strength to do this even more...in ways that will really count for eternity!

When you think of what God has done for you, how can you not try to share that with others??? And yet how often do we, myself included, get buried in our own little selfish worlds....what do I want to wear, where do I want to go, what do I want to do, who do I want to spend time with...what can I do that will make ME feel better???? When in actuality, our life isn't to be about "US" anyway.....but about others....about being Jesus hands, Jesus feet, Jesus touch...Jesus voice!

The other night for one of our "Global Rain" meetings, the topic was "A Burden for Souls" or more appropriately, as the prayer leader put it, "A Passion for Souls." We read a bunch of really inspiring, eye-opening quotes, but here's just a couple.

"There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many have gone down to ruin who might have been saved, if their neighbors, common men and women, had put forth personal effort for them. Many are waiting to be personally addressed. In the very family, the neighborhood, the town in which we live, there is work for us to do as missionaries for Christ. If we are Christians, this work will be our delight. No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart." Desire of Ages pg 141

"The Savior's commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel...whatever one's calling in life, his first interest should be to win souls for Christ." Desire of Ages pg 822

"The transforming power of Christ's grace molds the one who gives himself to God's service. Imbued with the Spirit of the Redeemer, he is ready to deny self, ready to take up the cross, ready to make any sacrifice for the Master. No longer can he be indifferent to the souls that are perishing around him. He is lifted aboved self-serving. He has been created anew in Christ, and self serving has no place in his life. He realizes that every part of his being belongs to Christ, who has redeemed him from the slavery of sin; that every moment of his future has been bought with the precious life-blood of God's only begotten Son." Lift Him Up, pg 58

Sombering words...and thinking about it all, I am overwhelmed with the inadequacy of my own life and outreach/work for the saving of those around me! Thankfully, God promises to give us the love, and give us the wisdom, and give us the strength for whatever He requires, so I can look to Him in Hope!!

Sooo.....in closing, while this was a most wonderful 4th of July, it's reminded me a deeper way how priviledged I am, and because of that, the greater responsibility I have to share Christ's blessings with other. Pray for me....that God would show me the path and steps He would have me to take.

"Not my will, but thine be done..."

Sunday, July 01, 2007

"Don't tell me what I want to hear...tell me what I need to hear!"

The "Operation Global Rain" event has been going well as our church has been gathering together each evening to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On my next post, I'll try to share some of my favorite latest words of inspiration on the topic of study. It's been such a blessing....and I pray this is only the beginning!

The last few days have been busy ones.....Have been working on an outline for a new program for CCBN called "Morning Sunshine" where I'll be sharing a upbeat message of hope and encouragement to help start the day off for our viewers. Am still working on a co-host! I think Maryann would be great....but she's not sure if she has time! So we'll keep praying about that! :-) Speaking of Maryann, since I didn't get to go climb Whitney this week, as hoped and planned, Maryann has been helping me stay in shape climbing the mountains around here in Loma Linda as she is preparing to go hike the John Muir trail with TJ this summer! Then this evening we even had a knock-down drag-out game of Racquetball, which was a blast! I'm out of practice, and she's still learning techniques, but she was still a tough one to play against, just the same!

Sabbath we went with Brad and Amber, friends from Advent Hope, as well as a few others, to a park in Redlands to help feed the homeless. We spent most of our time standing around singing to them or talking to them though. It was very rewarding, and they didn't want us to leave! One little Spanish girl had this cutest little baby boy that hadn't quite learned to walk. I played with him and held his hands while he took baby steps. He was sooo happy and all smiles! I was thinking on the way home that it would be fun to start a "FLAG CAMP" for kids in underpriviledged areas.....but there weren't many kids this time. (FLAG CAMP stands for "Fun learning about God" and is an activity day that we did for kids while I was at Southern. Games, songs, stories about God and some simple craft activities, etc. It was really fun! Of course, right now that is just what I need, one more thing to try to spear head.....but we'll see!)

Was halfway through my workout routine at the gym this morning when Alisha called. (She's been up in Victorville this weekend with friends, and planning to stay through the 4th of July!) But after a few days up there, she realizes that she's not happy there and wants to come "home" as she calls it! "Melody, can you come and get me?" she begged. Of course, she didn't have to beg too hard! These driving trecks back and forth up the mountain are really taking their toil on me, but how can I leave her hanging? She's decided that she's gonna give her son up for adoption (which I think is a wise descision since she's not ready in any capacity to be a "mother"), and so wants to move somewhere away from CA to make a new start with her life! We're praying about possible options! The whole ordeal has been really draining....but as I'd been recommending that she let her son have a chance at a normal home, while she didn't like it, she knew it was best. "Thanks for telling me what I needed to hear, not just what I wanted to hear!" she told me amidst tear-stained eyes the other day! (Too bad we can't all have that kind of attitude about advice and life!) "I'm sick of people just trying to make me feel better! I want help!!" she added. Yes, there is hope....one step at a time! Keep praying for Alisha!

There's lots more I could say, but it's been a long day, and I want to be fresh for an early morning start tomorrow (since that is now the only time I have to myself again!), so I am going to "hit the hay" as we say back at home!