My Heart Growing Fonder

We all know the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Today my heart has increased in fondness for my wife.

Keeley left last night (Friday) for a one night ladies retreat that is being put on by our Language School.  In addition to having the opportunity to be encouraged and fellowship with some other ladies, Keeley is also in charge of leading the praise and worship times.  It has been a lot of work for her to prepare for this retreat, but she has done a great job.

The girls and I had a movie night last night, complete with popcorn.  We had a great time hanging out and laughing together.  This morning was pancakes and some cartoons.  I love spending time with our girls, so times like these don’t feel like a “big sacrifice”.

Keeley will get back around 5:00 PM this evening.  Both the girls and I are greatly anticipating her return, as home just isn’t the same without Mom there.  And although I try to show her how much I appreciate her all the time, opportunities to care for the girls and the home all by myself tend to accentuate exactly how much I value who Keeley is and how she cares for us in such an awesome way.

Thank you Lord for my godly wife, I am truly a blessed man.  :-)

Can’t Wait for August!

We love being in Costa Rica.  After all, there is no better place in the world to be than exactly where God wants you, and right now God wants us here.  God has blessed us with a fairly easy transition into the culture and has given us many good relationships here in our new home.

That being said, we are VERY excited for our visit to the states this August.  It’s not that we want to move back, but we definitely miss our families, our friends, and our church.

Having moved around a lot while growing up, I got used to being in new places and getting adjusted to new surroundings.  I never really remember missing a particular house, or a particular city, but I most certainly remember missing people.

Here is a quick summary of my moves:

1. Born in California
2. Moved to North Carolina shortly thereafter
3. Moved back across the country to Washington State
4. Next back to North Carolina
5. Then on to Oklahoma
6. Independence, Missouri
7. San Mateo, California
8. Independence, Missouri
9. Missoula, Montana to help start a new church
10. Back to Kansas City, Missouri
11. And now, San Jose, Costa Rica

Lots of moves, I know.  Many people ask me if it was hard moving around so much.  I always explain that it was not hard, in fact it was my version of normal.  Having moved around all my life, I didn’t know any different.  In hindsight, God was preparing me for the part of His plan that includes moving to countries other than the one I was born in.  :-)

Please don’t misunderstand, I miss Kansas City summers where you open the front door of your house to leave and the heat hits you in the face like you just opened the oven door after your wife baked cookies, but most of all I miss the people and relationships there.

One of the blessings of moving to a new place is the new relationships that are waiting for you there.  So in addition to the existing relationships that are now a little further away (in distance), we get to make new friends in the next place God has us.

In August we will have been in Costa Rica, and physically separated from family and friends in the states, for one year.  It is amazing how the impact of not seeing someone for one year is amplified when you are several countries away.  So we are definitely looking forward to the visit. 

If you happen to be one of the people we are blessed to visit during our time in the states and we hug you a little tighter than usual, now you know why.  :-)

Tim Hawkins - Christian Comedian

I came across this video and laughed my head off. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank You Lord, May I Have Another?

Do you like to be corrected?

I think it would be fair to say that most of us don't particularly enjoy being corrected, it goes against our nature.

One of the critical components of learning a language is to receive continual and consistent correction. If you think about it, we do that with our children as they begin to learn their first language. Our daughters will learn to speak English better and better as they add new words to their vocabulary and we as their parents gently correct them when they use a word incorrectly.

Learning Spanish has put us in the exact same position of needing to receive continual and consistent correction. Sometimes in my conversation class as I attempt to read a paragraph I have written in Spanish, I barely get two words out before the teacher is gently correcting what I have said (again). There are days when it feels as if I can say nothing right and afterwards I feel as if I have been beaten up. Sometimes even constructive correction can be painful.

Really there are two responses we can choose to have when we are given constructive correction.

1. We can choose to embrace it and appreciate it for what it is, a caring attempt to keep us on the right track. Or..

2. We can choose to fight against the correction, to resent it, and therefore receive little or no benefit from it.

So why in the world would someone fight against the caring attempts of another to keep them on the right track? One word for you:

Pride

It is terrible how often the "P" word comes up isn't it? But that is certainly the reason I fight against correction in my life. Because really what someone is saying when they give you correction is that you were wrong.

I don't like to be wrong. There, I said it. Are you happy now?

Who does like to be wrong though really? Maybe the guy whose job it is to predict devastating hurricanes. But I digress...

Here is a quick summary of some great verses in the Book of Proverbs that speak to this issue:

Proverbs 5:12 And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

Proverbs 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.

Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.

Proverbs 15:31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

Proverbs 15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

OK, so it is pretty important for us to be wise and heed the reproof and correction that the Lord gives us. But what about seeking out correction from God?

We all know the old saying about being careful about praying for patience, because we only grow in patience as we are given opportunities to be patient. So should we seek out the correction and reproof of God even if it hurts? Even if we feel a little beat up afterwards?

The obvious, but difficult answer is yes. God's correction is given to us to keep us on track in His plan for our lives, to move us away from sin and toward His righteousness. To make us more like His Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

So just as I must have consistent and continual correction as I learn to speak Spanish, we as Christians must have the consistent and continual correction of our Lord. I don't want to have bad habits in my Spanish where I say words or phrases incorrectly. Nor do I want to have bad habits or sin in my life that prevents or hinders me from completing every bit of the plan God has for my life.

God, I want your correction. I want your correction even if it hurts because I know it will yield fruit in my life to your glory if I will take heed to it.

When God gives you correction and reproof, which way do you choose to respond?

Help me Help you Help me

One of my favorite things to hear come from the mouths of my daughters is the question, "Can I help you with that?". Especially my oldest daughter Avigail has started asking this question a lot.

Many times the question comes in the kitchen, when Keeley or I are cooking a meal. Another common context for this precious question is when I am using my tools to fix or build something.

This morning I heard Avigail pose this question to Keeley in another room and it started me thinking about the ramifications it carries with it. One of the things I considered is the tremendous opportunity to learn that can result from this question. If Keeley and I are careful to grant their requests to help (when possible of course), then our daughters will have the chance to be exposed to many real-life situations and to learn from them.

I want my girls to know how to use common tools to fix stuff, but how will they learn if I don't let them help me? I want my girls to know their way around a kitchen and how to cook meals, but how will they learn if we don't let them crack some eggs?

Next I considered what my reasons are for saying no to their requests to help me. Now I am not saying that every time they ask to help I should say yes, certainly there are times when it is not realistic. But surely I could say yes more than I currently do. So why do I say no when I could say yes? Without having to expel too much smoke from my ears by overtaxing my small brain, I came to the conclusion that the majority of times I say no when I could say yes it is because it would cause me to be inconvenienced.

Yuck. I feel ugly just typing it. It would be easier for me if you don't help me, that's what I am really saying isn't it? I can get this project done faster if you don't help me. I can make breakfast faster and with substantially less mess if you don't help me.

I'll get to the obvious personal application in just a moment.

This thought journey took me next to the fine art of delegation. I will be the first one to admit that I am not good at delegating. I would like to think that I am getting better at it, but I am certainly not where I believe the Lord would want me to be with it yet. For 7 years I had the distinct honor of serving under Pastor Alan Shelby at the Kansas City Baptist Temple. In my opinion, one of Alan's greatest gifts is his ability (and willingness) to delegate. I personally experienced and was witness to many instances when Alan was approached with an idea for ministry by someone serving under him. With a great deal of wisdom, Alan would usually allow the person with the idea to take it and run with it. Many times the person was qualified to undertake the task at hand, but there were other times when it was going to be a stretch for them to accomplish it. I believe Alan was putting into action the same principle that I need to use with my daughters.

Let people try things even though they may fail, even though they may make a mess that will need to be cleaned up (by me). This is how we learn. This is how we grow. It is true for our kids, and it is true in ministry.

I have been guilty of sitting under some great delegators and enjoying growth as a result, then turning around and not granting that same opportunity to those I have influence with.

Growth through trying (and sometimes failing), that's the way God grows me many times. I want to create that kind of environment for growth for my kids and for those God would allow me to influence in His kingdom.

And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way
wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Exodus 18:20

Are you a good delegator? Have you had someone in your life that gave you chances to grow through trying, someone who shewed you how to walk?

More Than Desire

As many of us are accustomed to doing, I was reading in the book of Proverbs this morning in chapter 13 that corresponds to today's date.

God pointed out many verses in this rich chapter, one of them being verse 10, which is one of my favorite marriage verses. But today God really brought my attention to verse 4.

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

I was reminded again of the fact that desiring something, and actually realizing it are two different things.

Lots of people desire things to be different in their lives, and yet year after year things go on in the same manner. Why?

The second half of the verse gives us the key in contrast. Everyone desires, but sluggards desire and have nothing. The soul of the diligent desires too, and is made fat because they act in obedience to God's instruction.

So really that is the difference isn't it? Everyone desires, but the diligent act, and therefore realize their desires (Godly desires that is...).

Learning Spanish is a great example of this concept. In our Language School, everyone here desires to learn Spanish. But who will actually see that desire realized? Only those that are diligent to study and practice.

Are there positive things or changes you have desired for your life for a long time now that have never come to pass? Are you being diligent to follow God's direction in order to see those desires realized?

When we desire those things consistent with the Word of God, God will direct you in how to diligently act in obedience. Then the ball is in your court. Sluggard or Diligent?

Psalm 37:4

But I cooked that just for you!

This time of being at Language School has taken our normal family routine and turned it on its ear. Schedules have changed, free time has changed, and roles within the home have been adjusted significantly.

One of my newly acquired responsibilities is to cook breakfast for the family on weekdays before we go to school. Now before you go and feel too sorry for my wife and daughters, you need to know that my cooking is not too bad. I like to cook and actually have a fairly extensive list of things I can make, considering my gender. So each weekday morning I am challenged to find something tasty, nutritious, and quick to prepare.

It has come to my attention that there is a somewhat negative scenario that can occur when you are responsible for preparing a meal for people. I have actually discussed this scenario with my wife before, but in that instance I was the giving end instead of the receiving end.

What happens is this: The person responsible for preparing the meal uses their mind and hands to lovingly craft some delectable representation of culinary art. The food is carefully served to the intended benefactors, and the proud artisan awaits with bated breath for them to taste of their masterpiece. And then it happens.

- I'm not very hungry
- I'm not feeling well, I'm not going to eat
- This doesn't look very good

These and other possible statements are the dagger thrust into the heart of the chef.

Now I am quite sure that I have thrust many more of these daggers than I have ever received, but a week ago I got stabbed.

Usually the dagger thrusters aren't even aware of the wound they have inflicted. Rarely is it done intentionally, and many times it passes without them realizing anything has even happened.

But for the person who poured themselves into the preparation, only to have it sit untouched and unappreciated, it can be a painful experience.

Obviously, I have embellished the story a bit, but the scenario is certainly a real one. When it happened to me recently, it got me to thinking about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I wondered, since I am made in the image of God (or at least the original pattern was...), does God feel like this whenever I don't utilize that which He has lovingly prepared for me? Perhaps hours of theological debate could be had over this question, but the moral of the story for me is still the same.

God has given to us as Christians so much. His provision out of a heart of love for his children is magnificent. But how often do I leave God's provision for me on the table, untouched and unappreciated.

Specifically, God has impressed upon me the importance of putting on the spiritual armor provided in Ephesians chapter 6. The armor is there, lovingly crafted and prepared for us to benefit from, but many times I do not take advantage of his provision. Now if God has provided for my protection, but I leave the armor in the closet and consequently get shot in the chest by a fiery dart, who do I have to blame?

God promises and provision are so great, I could make a long, long list of things He has set on the table for us to partake of. How many of those things am I "eating" and benefiting from?

And to take it even further, how do I make God feel when He has lovingly provided for me and then I walk away from it without so much as a taste?

My eyes have been opened to the importance of showing appreciation to those that prepare food for my consumption. But more importantly my eyes have been opened to the importance of utilizing all of the provision of God, not just the flavor that sounds good to me at the time.

What provision have you left on the table untouched?

Reductor de Velocidad

Whenever you take your course on survival driving in Costa Rica, one of the lessons you will learn during your first week is the meaning of this phrase, reductor de velocidad. For most of you this item will be better recognized by its English name: speed bump. Loosely translated, it means "velocity reducer", and they definitely do their job well.

Lots of countries utilize speed bumps, but here in Costa Rica they have some that resemble small mountains. The car God has blessed us with, a Toyota Corolla, is a great car, but it definitely lacks in the area of how high it sits off of the ground.

Because of this, we have to slow to a crawl while crossing the velocity reducers in order not to loudly scrape the frame of our car across the raised mound of concrete.

Sometimes the speed bumps are helpfully painted a bright yellow. Sometimes they are left as black as the road around them so you don't see them until it is too late.

Although I might complain about the speed bumps sometimes, I do realize and appreciate their function. Without them, there would be a lot more accidents or the potential for them.

These reductors de velocidad got me to thinking the other day.

God uses speed bumps in my life.

There are times when I get to moving along too quickly in my life and I need to slow down before having a crash of some sort. Some times God allows me to crash, but many times He puts a speed bump in my life in an attempt to slow me down for my own good.

There is a difference between a speed bump and a wall. If you hit a wall you will stop, but a speed bump is only designed to reduce your velocity.

Here are some examples of speed bumps that God has used to slow down my pace.

- Illnesses (my own or my children's)
- Long unavoidable lines
- Power outages
- Received phone calls
- Friends or neighbors dropping by

Slowing down at speed bumps is still optional isn't it? You can choose to hit them going full speed and get over them quickly. Now you will probably trash your car and leave your muffler behind you, but it can be done.

In the same way, I can choose to not yield to the speed bumps God puts in my life. I can plow right through them being frustrated and irritated that my "agenda" was disrupted, or I can take the God provided opportunity to slow down and catch my breath.

Has God ever put speed bumps in your life?

It is far to easy in today's world to develop a lead-foot lifestyle. We have a tendency to keep the petal to the metal all of the time. Praise God that He will intervene at times and give us the chance to regulate our speed back to something healthy.

What kind of speed bumps has God used to slow you down?

Lunch Sharer or Lunch Trader?

Back to school. Our 3 week break is over and it is time for us to begin
our 2nd trimester of Language School. The schedule is an hour longer
this trimester due to the large group of students that are beggining
their studies in December. Because of this longer schedule, our girls
are in class longer and therefore need to take their lunch each day,
whereas before we all got out at noon and ate lunch together at home.

Yesterday my almost 5 year old, Avigail, was telling Keeley and I how
she has been sharing her lunch with several of her friends. After doing
the fatherly thing and explaining to her that it was kind to share, but
she needed to make sure she personally ate enough of her lunch in order
to not be hungry too soon, I started to reflect on this desireable trait
my daugter was exibiting.

Thinking back to my elementary school days, I could clearly remember taking my lunch box to school (Scooby-Doo if you must know...) and eating lunch with my friends in the cafeteria (aka the gym). I recall having three distinct categories of items in my lunchbox most days.

First, there was the necessary, but mostly boring main item, usually a sandwich of some variety. Second, was the slightly more appealing side item, commonly potato chips. And then came the third, and most important item, desert. Desert came in many different delicious forms. Anything made by Hostess, Dolly Madison, or Little Debbie was always a big hit.

In the economy of lunch box items, category one items were nearly
worthless in terms of trade value. Category two items had a little
value, especially if you had the envogue flavor of chip. But category
three items were as good as gold.

As each pre-adolescent boy unlatched and opened his cartoon themed metal
lunch box, a quick scan of the contents was made and eyes become fixed
upon the prized pieces. The lunchroom floor is now open for trading.
In a mad flury of bids, rejections, counter-bds, and deals closing, the
trading process begins and ends. Usually everyone ended up happier at
the end of trading (unless you traded for an "unknown" and ended up not
liking it).

So what does this have to do with my daughter? As I already mentioned,
she is a lunch sharer. As is evident from my story, I am (or at least
was) a lunch trader.

My daughter simply shares her lunch with her friends without asking for
anything in return. She enjoys giving away that which is valuable to
her simply because it brings joy to others. As I reflected on my days
as a lunch trader, I realized that I only gave away that which was
valuable to me if I was going to receive in return something of equal or
greater value.

Have I carried that same "lunch trader" mentality into my life as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do I only share with others that which is valuable to me when I am going to receive something in return?

The answers to these questions has prompted me to get on my face before God and ask for his forgiveness.

I want to be a man who freely gives of all that God has entrusted to my care. God please make me a lunch sharer.

Are you a lunch sharer or a lunch trader?

I'm Dreaming of a Wet Christmas

It is 9:42 am, Christmas Day 2007, and I am sitting on our sofa in our house in San Jose, Costa Rica. There is Christmas music playing on the stereo. Our two girls are playing with the presents they opened EARLY this morning. Today is our first Christmas spent outside of the United States.

Although December is technically in the "Drier Season" here in Costa Rica, it is heavily raining right now. There have been very few rainy days in December thus far, mostly just some sprinkles here and there that didn't last very long.

Earlier this morning I was gazing out of our living room window at the plants in our small back yard, wondering if they had been getting enough water during these drier months. God decided to bring out his watering can and give them a drink. We have a small new gardenia plant in our backyard next to the large cactus tree. We are patiently waiting for the sweet white blooms to appear so we can enjoy the lovely fragrance. I was never a big fan of gardenia-scented items when we lived in Kansas City. Keeley used to make candles, and gardenia was a pretty big seller for her, but I never cared for it much. One day at our Language School here we were walking down the main sidewalk that leads to our class rooms when we were captured by the scent of something wonderful. Planted next to the sidewalk is a large gardenia plant with many flowers. It has become part of our morning routine to "stop and smell the flowers" on our way to our classes.

This Christmas is very different than what we are used to. But as I stop to reflect on where we are and what God is doing in our lives, there are so many sweet blossoms to smell and enjoy.

Thanks God for giving us your only Son. Thanks God for giving us so
much to be thankful for. Thanks God for giving us fragrant blessings to
stop and enjoy.

What fragrant blessings has God placed in your life today? Are you slowing down long enough to enjoy them deeply?

Merry Christmas!

Nicarauguan Adventure

When we came into Costa Rica, the immigration office issued us a Tourist Visa that is good for three months. In order to stay in the country longer than that, we have to either get a different type of Visa or leave the country for 72 hours and then come back in to renew the Tourist Visa for another three months.

We are in the process of getting all of our paperwork together to apply for a Student Visa which will be good for six months and can be renewed without leaving the country. There are a lot of hoops to jump through, so it is taking longer than expected.

So we needed to leave the country and then come back in.

Some friends of ours who graduated from the Language Institute this month were moving to a city in Northwestern Costa Rica called La Cruz. We offered to drive the 6 hour trip with them to help unload their moving truck. After looking at a map, I realized that La Cruz is very close to the Nicaraguan border, only about 40 minutes driving. It seemed like too good of an opportunity to pass up, so we decided to make a trip accross the border after we finished helping our friends move.

Using the power of the internet, I was able to locate and secure some lodging for us on an island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is an enormous lake at the Southern end of Nicaragua. It rivals the Great Lakes in size, we are talking really big. So this island is called Ometepe and consists of two volcanoes with some flat land around and in between. It is roughly the shape of a figure eight with a slight bend in the middle. I spoke to the man at the hotel who spoke English very well and made our reservations.

On Sunday morning, December 17th, our friend in La Cruz drove us to the border and dropped us off. We found ourselves in a sea of people that were crossing the border in one direction or the other. No signs directing us where to begin the process, no information booth to point us in the right direction. So after observing the flow of people for a little while, we got into the line that seemed to be head the direction we wanted to go. The Costa Rican police man at the head of the line examined our passports and informed us that we needed to get our Costa Rican exit stamp before he would let us through. He pointed to the building we needed to go to which was about 300 yards in the direction we had just come from.

The building that houses Costa Rican immigration looks like a bus station due to the number of busses that are parked there. Since the busses are crossing the border too, everyone on the busses must get off and go into the immigration office to get their exit stamp too. Needless to say, this makes the lines VERY long. Eventually we got our exit stamps and led our hot and tired daughters back to the line we waited in at the beginning.

This time the police man let us through and we entered into a kind of "limbo" zone. It was a wierd place that wasn't Costa Rica and wasn't Nicaragua, just this peice of land in between that was loaded with food vendors and people that wanted to "help" us pale skinned tourists. It is not a comfortable thing to stand out in these types of situations. We can be as culturally sensitive as possible, but there is no changing the fact that we are four gringos in a place with very few other gringos. That means we instantly became targets for anyone with something to sell. So in addition to watching our girls, watching our backpacks, protecting our pockets, and trying to figure out where to go next, we also had to fend of the multiple people offering their "services".

After two hours of waiting in long, hot lines, we made it through Nicarauguan immigration. We had secured a taxi already and he was ready for us as soon as we got our entry stamp. He drove us to Rivas, which is a city on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Here a large ferry boat took us over to the Isla de Ometepe.

We enjoyed the island. There was a nice beach at the hotel where we stayed, and the food was pretty good.

On Wednesday morning at 4:30 am it was time to begin our trip back accross the border and home to San Jose. We took the island taxi back to the port where the ferry would pick us up. Rode the ferry back accross the lake to Rivas. Took a taxi back to the border. Waited in more lines to get out of Nicaragua and back into Costa Rica. Got our entry stamps (and our renewed tourist visas) at the Costa Rican immigration office. Then finally took another taxi back to our friends house in La Cruz where we spent the night.

Wow was it good to be back in Costa Rica!! It is always more comfortable to be in the familiar, and for us Costa Rica has become the familiar.

God took great care of us the entire trip. We never felt in danger or lacked for anything.

This trip removed any hint of procrastination on my part to submit our paperwork to obtain a Student Visa. The next time we leave Costa Rica I want it to be because we want to, not because we have to.

God's Hand Upon Us

I am not much of a shopper. Surely this does not come as much of a surprise since I am a man, and most men are not shoppers by nature. So while I enjoy celebrating Christmas with family and friends, I do not enjoy the craziness this time of year brings to any store bearing the description of "retail".

Here in Costa Rica, I have not been able to escape this end-of-the-year phenomenon that causes me to be extremely fond of online shopping.

This past Saturday Keeley and I and some other friends of ours from the Language Institute traveled down town (by public bus) to the Avenida Central to do some Christmas shopping. This part of San Jose is an enjoyable place to visit. There is an approximately 10 block stretch of Central Avenue that has been converted to a walking mall, so you don't have to be distracted with being run over. (Pedestrians here have the right........the right to be run over). It was extra crowded with Christmas shoppers.

So we were picking up some gifts here and there, enjoying our time downtown, when we ran into some close friends of ours from our church. We stopped and talked for a little while and I introduced them to the other students that were with us. While we were talking, my Tico friend (who has a lot of street smarts) interrupts and says, "There are three guys standing behind you all that are waiting to rob you, I recognize one of them". He then tells us to all turn around and stare at them.

All eleven of us proceed to turn around and stare at these three men who were suspiciously standing behind us. They weren't going around us, and they weren't looking at a store, they were waiting for an opportunity. Needless to say, they were the ones that looked uncomfortable when we demonstrated clearly that we knew they were there and we knew what their intentions were. After staring at them for a long time (I'm sure it was every bit of 30 seconds...), my friend instructed us to keep walking down the avenue while he waited there to make sure they would not follow us.

Down the avenue we went, stopping to look behind us every so often. No one followed us, and we concluded our visit to downtown without incident.

Yesterday at church I was able to find out the rest of the story from my friend. He said that after we started walking again, the three men began to walk after us. He stood in their way and told them they would have to deal with him first. At that point they quickly left in another direction.

While reading this morning in the book of Ezra, I came upon this verse that reminded me clearly of how God's hand was upon us.

Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.
Ezra 8:31

Was it coincidence that we ran into our friends downtown at just that moment of time? Definitely it was not coincidence. It was the hand of our God upon us.

Could God have allowed us to have been robbed and then used that event in our life to draw us closer to Him? Yes, that could have happened too. But I was reminded of how closely God interacts with every detail of our life, big and small. What an awesome God we serve.

The hand of God is upon His children, most of the time we are not intentional enough about seeing it. How do you see the hand of God upon you?

Does a high dollar turkey taste better?

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We did.

This was our first American holiday not shared by those in our new home here in Costa Rica. We decided to celebrate with a traditional meal shared by 14 other people in our home.

Since you can hardly have a "traditional" Thanksgiving meal without a turkey, we searched for one of the fabulous flavorful fowls. There are several stores here that cater to the large gringo population in Costa Rica, and they stock frozen whole turkeys for this special day. For a price that is.

I must confess, it has been a while since I "personally" purchased a turkey from a grocery store in the states, so I can't tell you exactly what a turkey normally costs these days at a typical supermarket in Missouri. But I am quite confident they are much more afordable then the gobblers available here. 32 big ones. No, not 32 thousand. Well, in Colones (Costa Rican currency) it was 16,000, but in US dollars it ran us $32.00 for the medium sized bird.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I am glad there are turkeys available at all. It was a wonderful treat. Keeley cooked it up wonderfully, moist and juicy. Along with the other usual suspects you find accompanying the turkey, we enjoyed a great meal and great fellowship with some new friends from our Language School, and some new friends from our church here.

To top it all off, our cable company here provides NBC, ABC, and CBS. So we were able to enjoy the traditional American Football games too.

Culture or Bible

The Bible is the authority by which we should live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

Culture is what largely determines how we behave as a people group.

But what happens when culture goes against Bible teaching?

Sure, the answer is an easy one. We need to obey the Word of God instead of conforming to culture. The reason I bring up this topic is that I have had to really pay attention to the difference between culture and Bible as I seek to adapt to the new culture I am in here in Costa Rica.

Because I was so familiar with "American Culture" (or at least the culture of Kansas City, MO), it was fairly easy to identify elements of that culture that did not line up with the Bible. But here in Costa Rica, I am learning new elements of culture all of the time. With each new part of the culture I am exposed to I must examine it in light of God's Word.

Most of the culture clearly falls on one side or the other, but there are a few things I have had to take a closer look at. I want to give one example, but please understand that I am not trying to complain about the culture, only to make my point.

Driving a car in San Jose, Costa Rica is an adventure. Part of the culture in regards to driving is that in general it is every driver for themselves. It is defensive driving to the extreme. You have to expect people to do the unexpected becuase they will. (Maybe the unexpected needs to become what I learn to expect?). Anyway, it is uncommon to let anyone into traffic ahead of you, even if they are just trying to get onto the road and not "cut" in line. So I was faced with a question. Surely courtesy, putting others before yourself, and kindness are biblical qualities. So these qualities should affect the way I drive here should they not?

Culture or Bible? In this particular case it seems to be one or the other. I want to choose Bible even if it means I make it to my destination 2 minutes later.

Most elements of a culture do not go against the principles of the Word of God. But for those things that do, I must be careful to not go with the flow.

Only dead fish swim with the current. :-)

Visit From a Friend

Two weekends ago we had the pleasure of enjoying a visit from our dear friend and pastor, Marco Castro. Marco pastors the Spanish Ministry at the Kansas City Baptist Temple in Kansas City, MO.

Marco was in San Jose to preach at a church for their 5th year anniversary.

We had a great time drinking some Costa Rican coffee and catching up on what is going on. It was fun to practice my Spanish with him and be able to speak much more than when we were in Kansas City. It was encouraging to talk more about our church's vision and how we will fit into that vision in the future. Lot's of exciting things on the horizon!

Marco was kind enough to bring us a bundle of things from the States that are difficult or expensive to get here. A bottle of Advil (there are lots of pain killers here, but not much ibuprofen), some quality umbrellas that have already gotten lots of use, a Franklin electronic translator, and a waterproof baseball hat for me.

The fellowship was great. Getting the items we needed was much appreciated. But even more than those things, having a touch from the familiar was a real blessing. Everything here is new. And although we are adjusting to the newness just fine, it sure was nice to visit face to face with a familiar friend.