Where is God? Where are you?

Maybe instead of "Where is God?" the correct question is "Where are you?"

"God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives. God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them." ~Bono

Project Life Tuesday // July 12 thru 18

July 12: Today we got to babysit cousin Emily & the boys were in heaven! They love her so much.

July 13: Isaiah is our cautious kid & riding the bike hasn't exactly "clicked" for him so far... until today! He was determined to figure it out & before long he was zipping up & down the street.

July 14: Nana let Isaiah use her camera to take his very first pictures tonight. We think his self portrait is the best. =) Along with about 30 blurry photos he snapped while running around the back yard, he did capture some really beautiful pics & a great moment where we learned that Auntie Penny is going to be a Nana!

July 15: Two cool brothers chillin' on the back steps.

July 16: Isaiah LOVES corn on the cob & today at the Raspberry Festival there was a vendor selling fresh roasted corn. We were eager to let him eat it because his front tooth is loose & we were hoping that the corn might help it along a bit.

July 17: Today was a fun day for the boys in the family because there was an excellent car show lining the streets downtown Lynden. Ross & the boys met up with Grandpa & Papa and they all had a blast. Ross owned a Mustang just like this when we were dating, so he had fun showing the boys his favorite hot rods.

July 18: Today was such a special day for Isaiah. Our relatives Randy & Leslie have the most beautiful & well-kept raspberry fields in the county. Today they let Isaiah come over to ride on the raspberry picker! Their daughter Caitlin told Isaiah all about the plants & the picker & how the berries are processed. He has not stopped talking about pickers since then. He even modified one of his toys into a pretend picker. =)

Project Life // July 5 thru 11

July 5: We celebrated the 4th on the 5th at Ryan & Traci's house. We had such a nice evening playing games, eating great desserts & enjoying a beautiful sunset before watching the guys put on a fireworks display.

July 6: Savoring the last few tasty remnants of our trip to Canada. We don't have chips in our house very often, but the Old Dutch Ketchup & Dill Pickle chips are memories of Ross' growing up in Canada.

July 7: These boys play so nicely together, and now they're enjoying books together! They really are best friends and we love it.

July 8: The warm weather has finally begun around here & the boys are having a blast splashing & spraying water in our little backyard.

July 9: The warm weather of July also means something else exciting... fresh Raspberry Pie from Dutch Mothers! The best pie in America.

July 11: A friend reminded us that today is John Deere days in Lynden. This day was made for little boys to enjoy! They rode the train, bounced on inflatables, pet the Clydesdales, ate hot dogs & popcorn, & climbed all over tractors... all before 11:00am. What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning as a family.

July 12: Daddy's trying to get a little more exercise and Elijah is more than happy to help! Elijah loves everything about bikes, whether it's riding in the trailer or learning to pedal his little trike. He keeps coming up to us & asking "I ride? I ride? Peeease mama, I ride?"

How to make Jesus angry...

Do you know how many times Jesus got angry in the Gospels?

Three.

Here are they are:

First, He was angry with the Sadducees as he was kicking the greedy businessmen out of the temple. These men were big on religious ritual but it was all a power-play. They wanted the control, the prestige, & the money that came from swindling people as they made their sacrifices. Their religious rituals actually stopped others from worshiping God, & it made Jesus angry.

Next, He was angry with the Pharisees when they refused to help an injured man on a certain day of the week because it would break from their tradition of how they worshiped God. These men claimed to love God, but it was all about padding their resume. It was a power-play to make them look holy & righteous compared to the dirty & broken lives around them. They loved tradition & they cared more about rules than human need, & it made Jesus angry.

Last, He was angry with his own followers for stopping little children from coming close to Jesus. These guys had been warmly invited to be friends with Jesus, but they thought it should be an exclusive club. Only people big enough to sit still & quietly take notes while Jesus is speaking should be allowed in. For some reason they thought the church needed bouncers to keep people out instead of bellhops to invite people in. They loved being able to listen to Jesus words without distraction & they didn't like people who don't seem to have anything to contribute, & it made Jesus angry.

It appears if you want Jesus to be angry all you have to do is be very religious without caring for people.

Do you long for control, money, good looks, good reputation, & a nice worship service with nice-smelling, nice-looking, nice-thinking people? Do you make Jesus angry?

Incidentally, Jesus says it is not possible to look at a photo like this & be neutral. In the second "anger" passage above, Jesus asks the Pharisees, "Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" What you do when you see someone in need exposes your motives & puts you in one of two categories. There is no middle ground.

I'm sad to say that I have been the one who has made Jesus angry. I've been religious instead of loving. I've destroyed life instead of saving it. Our friends who read this blog are probably more spiritual & more loving towards Jesus =), but I guess I'm kind of mourning my own selfish attitudes & lack of action today...

Project Life Tuesday // June 28 thru July 4

How was your week? We had a great week celebrating two holidays & making memories. Here's the latest edition of Project Life Tuesday.

June 28: Elijah's first tricycle. He loves it! Anytime we're in the garage or even driving away from the house he points at his bike & says "I ride? I ride? Mama, I ride?"

 June 29: The rewards of a godly legacy & grandparents who stayed together.

June 30: We're headed to Canada! We'll celebrate Ross' Grandma Salamandyk's 80th birthday on Saturday & we also get to spend a few days at the condo with Nana & Papa, Cher & Erik, & the girls.

July 1: Elijah LOVED playing in the sand! Being at the lake in Canada was such a fun way to celebrate Canada Day. Here he is helping Isaiah build houses for people in Haiti & huts for people in Africa. It was so cute watching Isaiah talk Elijah into this philanthropic project. =) It may just be sand right now, but we just know that someday these boys are going to make a big difference in the world.

July 2: Isaiah played his very first video game today (& it might be Nana's first game too!). Uncle Erik brought his xbox & a motorcycle game, which had Isaiah laughing so hard that he got hiccups! I love the joy on his face...

July 3: It was such a gift to celebrate Grandma Salamandyk's 80th birthday. She is such a kind & graceful woman. For almost as long as Ross has been alive she has faced major health issues, but God the Healer has sustained her.

July 4: Our last day at the condo. Papa & Isaiah had a special time fishing, hanging out on the dock, & just being buds. Tonight we enjoyed the scenic drive back home & saw a few fireworks in our neighborhood (we'll celebrate Independence Day with family tomorrow).

We hope you had a great Canada Day & 4th of July. We are so blessed with the freedom we've been given.

Isaiah Loves July...

Something about the month of July brings out the smiles & giggles in Isaiah. We hope it's full of smiles & fun for you too... Happy July!

Project Life Tuesday(s) // June 14 thru 27

Time for a little Project Life catch up! We were unable to post last week, so this week's post is a two-for-one (no coupon required). Thanks for joining this Project Life/Project 365 journey with us.

June 14: Isaiah asked Ross if he could help him build something out of Lego's. Turns out he wanted to build a church and when it's built he will tell people about Jesus love. I asked him if the church is in Lynden & he said "No Dad, it's in China!" Go get 'em buddy.

June 15: Tonight we had our families over for dinner. In the midst of setting the table I looked up & saw the boys snuggled in the chair with Auntie Taryn reading to them. So cute!

June 16: It's here... the camera we left behind in Vietnam just made it back! We're praying for our friends in Vietnam who found it & sent it to us. They are such incredible people.

June 17: Elijah's favorite way to read a book - upside down!

June 18: We declared today pajama day & the boys were thrilled! It's one of Isaiah's most favorite days. He immediately grabbed a pillow & pretended to sleep on the living room floor. Of course the Little Buddy wants to do everything Big Brother does, so I found them both snuggled up together in the middle of the room.

June 19: We celebrated Father's day with Taya's dad by going to Saturday night church together followed by a delicious family barbecue for dinner. We missed Taryn, who was at a horse camp, but it was fun to be together for this special day.

June 20: We had a wonderful Father's Day as a family. Delicious strawberry waffles & cards & gifts at breakfast. Tons of fun at Boulevard Park's playground with Nana & Papa.  A great burger at 5 Guys & Ross' favorite ice cream at Mallard's. It was perfect! Happy Father's Day Babe! You are such an AMAZING Daddy and gift to us. We are so thankful & blessed. Our cup overflows... ♥

June 21: Now that we're in our own place we don't have any excuse to not use the treadmill, right? Right? =)

June 22: Finally! A warm enough day for the kids to put on swimsuits & get wet.

June 23: The boys first time picking strawberries. Lynden is like the "berry capital of the world" & it is such a treat to be here for berry season. Believe me, we're making the most of it!

June 24: Even though we aren't in Australia yet, there is no shortage of ministry opportunities for us. Ross has been helping FamilyLife Australia online & he has recently started going across the border to help the team at FamilyLife Canada & Power to Change (the Canadian arm of Campus Crusade for Christ). Ross is LOVING spinning these various ministry plates & he is learning so much about ministry & leadership along the way. God knows exactly where He wants us & we trust Him to move us along at just the right time.

June 25: Elijah & his friend Sam. They are almost a month apart & they are just too cute!

June 26: Tonight was such a fun night. Ross' sister Cher & the girls have come to Lynden for a visit & tonight we made so many great memories. We met at Dutch Mothers for dinner before going to Lynden's Million Smiles park. It was a night full of giggles & laughs & slides & swings. Such a blessing to have these moments.

June 27: Elijah LOVES "ah-go-nah" (a.k.a granola).  It is his favorite breakfast. He always eats his bowl clean and often asks for more. 

A million smiles...

"We had to obey Him..."

In a frantic rush to leave the country, we accidentally left our camera in Vietnam... but it just arrived in the mail!

It was fun to see a few video clips from our time in Vietnam, but we were most excited to get a picture of our new friends.  They're a young couple with young kids living in a hard country, but they love Jesus with all their hearts & they show it by leading underground churches, caring for orphans & widows, & working creatively to practice hospitality with unbelievers with the hopes that they can share the truth about Jesus boldly. They have faced persecution & lived for years as refugees.

I asked my friend, "would you want to move to America?" His eyes got huge & he said "Of course we would want to move to America! And we had an opportunity... But God said He wanted us here, so we had to obey Him."

This is something that really struck us about the believers in communist Asia: they actually believe that God is God and that God is good, so when He says something, they do it. I wonder how shocked they would be if they realized that many western Christians treat God's words as vague suggestions instead of commands.

"Jesus promised the disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble." -G.K. Chesterton (these friends are a perfect mix of all three!)

If you've read this far, please pray for our friends. We can't share their names here, but their name is the same as a term we would use for having praised God with our voice. They are currently caring for 6 kids who have either been orphaned or their parents face intense religious persecution in the north. In addition to caring for the kids, they have two businesses & lead 4 underground congregations.

They shared with us that the combination of pressure by the government & pressures of poverty have lead to a lot of struggling families (even within the church), and they have asked if we could do some training for building strong marriages & families. Several things would need to fall in place in order for this to happen:

• Currently, none of our resources are translated into the language,
• The logistics to plan something like this would be a crazy-maker,
• Not to mention the need for Visas, $$$, & people to come from across the country without the gov. shutting it down,
• Lastly, our own attitudes. Vietnam is probably at the bottom of the list of countries we enjoyed traveling to. There was very little about it that we liked, & we couldn't wait to leave...

We're starting to pray that God might cause all of this to work out & that, we might follow the example of our friends by saying, "we have to obey." =)

Woship should be loud...

I'm sure many people would disagree with me, but I think worship in church should be loud.

Not necessarily that all the microphones & instruments should be turned up as loud as they can go, but that the voices of the worshipers & everything that is contributing to the worship experience should lean towards the upper end of the volume spectrum.

I think I can prove it biblically & I think I can prove it in culture.

Proof #1
The Seattle Seahawks football fans are known nationwide as some of the best & most intimidating NFL fans. Is it because they dress up like these guys?

No.

It's not at all because of the way they dress or how many latte's they drink or how grumpy they are that they built a stadium without a roof & it rains all the time. They are the best because they make a lot of noise. They cheer like crazy & everyone applauds them as being the most loyal & supportive fans in sports. Don't you see? Even non-religious types & sports reporters equate the willingness of people to raise their voice over an extended period of time to being faithful followers. (For what it's worth, the word "fan" comes from a Latin word meaning "inspired by deity" & carries the more modern definition of being "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion")

Proof #2
Just two scriptures out of many that I believe prove this point...
Isaiah 40:9 "Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!"
Revelation 19:6 "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns." This is the sound of heaven.


I rest my case.

Everyone worships something. Many people who don't even know Jesus worship much louder than the very ones who claim to believe that they have a personal relationship with an all-powerful, awesome, loving God who gave up His very best for them. Should this be?

This Sunday, do you think you can out-worship this guy?

video via: Abraham Piper