Pray Blessings Upon Those Who Dance....

Zuni Christian Reformed Mission

Prayer Bulletin - December 2009

The other day, a friend and I were talking about how to deal with the utterly irascible folks that one encounters from time to time in life. She commented, “I have come to believe that the only and best recourse I have is to pray abundant blessing upon them.” A night or two after our conversation, I read the story, recounted in 1st Samuel, of David and how he spared the life of King Saul who was hell-bent on murdering him. David blessed King Saul with life itself.

While labels are unfitting and even destructive for anyone we encounter, it is true that many in our community are opposed to the Gospel of Christ and actively pursue other gods. The month of December brings this reality into sharp focus for us as the winter cycle of religious dances begins with the coming of the Sha’lako tomorrow, December 5. People are in a frenzy of anticipation and preparation. I’ve been wondering, “Suppose we pray only for blessing upon them?” I am certain that when God honors our prayers, His blessings are likely to look odd and unfamiliar to those who so eagerly seek and diligently pursue blessing through prescribed ceremonial rituals. I am also certain that God’s blessings can dissolve the hardness of an unbeliever’s heart. So, this month, let’s join together in prayer asking God to abundantly bless the Zuni people. Though we know not how He will bless, we know with surety that His blessing ultimately and finally brings hope and peace, though His mercy may be severe and His love may be tough.

So pray blessing upon those who dance. Pray blessing upon those who sing and drum. Pray blessing upon those who fast. Pray blessing upon those who greet the gods with corn meal. Pray blessing on those who attend the gods with food and drink.

Pray for blessings that return Glory to the triune God, God above all gods.

Steve asked Rhett to go out and help him at the barn...something to do with Allie's JBF trailer...here is Uncle Rhettly's reaction. "I'm not doing any JBF stuff...Maya's not even here!" Truth.

Autumn Rain and the Discount Doula

It all started with this email:

On Mon, Sep 21, 2009 at 10:50 PM, wrote:

Hi Terry!

So...Jason & I had kind of a crazy idea. :)

Jake may have already filled you in but...we're preparing to have a
home birth for our lil one (due to be here sometime around Nov 3rd).
We're really excited about it.

Our midwife, Beah, requires that we have someone there during my labor
who can play the role of a duola because she won't necessarily be
there herself until I'm in active labor. Beah will deliver the baby
but in case my labor drags or starts out slowly, she has found that it
works best to have someone else there with me and Jason.

She said some couples have hired a doula from a professional doula
service, while others have just asked someone they know. If couples
decide to go with someone they know, she strongly urges couples not to
choose either of their mothers but to think about potential women in
their extended families, their church community or their friends.

J & I had fun brainstorming and formulating a list of different women
we could picture being a great support for us during labor. After we
had a handful of names from our families and from VBC, Jason asked me
to think of a few more names that would be “outside the box”--just for
fun.

You were the first name that popped in my head! :)

So I thought I'd send an email to some of the ladies on our list to
see if this would even be something they'd be excited about and
available for.

So...whadaya think?
Would you be interested?

Honestly, we don't want you to feel any form of pressure.
Jason has already spoken to his aunt and I know there are women at VBC
who would be willing. I just got tickled thinking about you as a
possibility as well.

Hope you're doing well!

Blessings,
Nat & Jason & baby :)

To make a long and wonderful story short...Natalie's blood pressure went up and she was admitted to the hospital on Friday...we went back and forth about whether I should come or not...and on Sunday night Jason pulled the trigger...Jake bought me a $39 flight (thus the discount doula name) for Monday morning, October 19...I arrived just as Natalie was getting down to business, Natalie was incredible...beat the odds of pre-eclampsia and had the baby without any meds at all...she was a ROCK STAR!! Jason was quite possibly the sweetest delivery room Daddy I have ever seen...the two of them just living life ... making this labor and delivery an act of worship to Jesus...it was beautiful. At 4:45pm sweet baby Autumn Rain took her first outside breaths...Jesus was glorified.
I look forward to being Auntie Terry to little Autumn Rain Moog.

don't always get it....

Don't always get it
by John Fischer

I've been searching for the fitting conclusion to the events of this week—a Catch that would tie everything up in a final statement, erase all negatives and show everything to be already working out for the good of all parties since we love God and are called according to his purposes—but I haven't found it yet. That's because it doesn't exist, or it does… it just doesn't look like what I thought it was going to look like. Most often, truth is something like this—some way of looking at things that we misinterpret because we are always looking at God's promises with our wishes in mind.

Hear ye, hear ye: God is not adjusting his universe to our personal needs and wants; he is conforming us to his, and the reason it's all working out is because it is his purposes that are that are being worked out.

So, no, I don't get it yet. I don't understand why things happened this week the way they did. I may never understand even in heaven. But do I have to? Isn't it enough to know that He is? There are some things not meant for us to understand, but still, we go on trusting. Somewhere in his big wide universe, God is working out His purposes in and through us. That's a privilege grand enough to be kept in the dark.

Memory Work

Philippians 2:1-4

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His LOVE, if any FELLOWSHIP with the Spirit, if any TENDERNESS and COMPASSION then make my joy complete by being LIKE-MINDED, having the same LOVE being one in SPIRIT and PURPOSE. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in HUMILITY consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

Let's Go Down to the River to Pray....

Down in the river
by John Fischer

[Warning: Reading today's Catch may be hazardous to your fear.]

Yesterday's Catch presented two different worldviews. In case you missed it, here they are.

Worldview #1: The world is our enemy. Satan is hiding out for us behind every bush. Secular humanists are conspiring to influence our children and take over our country, and everything we believe in and hold dear is being threatened by the culture around us.

Worldview #2: This is our Father's world. Every bush is ablaze with the glory of God. The Holy Spirit is behind the past and current events of history, and no force on earth, heaven or under the earth can do anything outside of the will and knowledge of God Almighty who lives in us.

To be sure, the Bible does warn us of Satan's wiles, but not for the purpose of keeping us in fear. The actual passage is 1 Peter 5:8, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Peter's admonition to us in this regard is to resist him and stand firm (vs.9), and we do this by being self-controlled and alert (vs.8). And the admonition immediately prior to this warning is 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety [that would be fear] on him because he cares for you."

No looking behind any bushes here. And no putting us in positions of power, either. "Humble yourselves…"

Worldview #1 has served the Christian community for far too long. And yes, "served" is the right word. It has funded Christian ministries, mobilized boycotts and marches, even put people in the White House. It is a worldview that has turned Christians into a social force to be reckoned with. But for what purpose? We're here for the gospel. Remember? The gospel? What's the gospel? No one in the world would know because we haven't told them. We've been too busy trying to gain power.

Mark my word, now that Obama is in the White House, WV#1 is enjoying new life as American Christians terrorize their fellow-believers spreading hate and fear daily around the Internet. I can't believe the stuff I'm receiving. It's as if Christian leaders think they can't control people, motivate them, or mobilize them without keeping them sufficiently afraid.

It's time to stop it. NO MORE FEAR. It's time for a different worldview. (Check out WV#2 above for starters.) It's time to do what we should have been doing all along: spread the good news of God's love.

And as I finish writing this, believe it or not, Alison Krause is doing just that over the speakers in this Starbucks where I write, which would mean it is most likely playing in Starbucks all over the world. Thank you, Alison.

As I went down in the river to pray
Studying about that good ol' way
And who shall wear the starry crown?
Good Lord show me the way

O sinners, let's go down
Let's go down, come on down
O sinners, let's go down
Down in the river to pray

I'm on my way. Meet you there, everybody. Drop your fear, throw down your placard, and come on down…

Kill Your TV

and you can play fun games like this...
Rhett said "HAW" should not have been allowed, but when you tell oxen to go right you say "Gee" and for left you say "Haw"...I think...anyway I got a triple word!! But Steve won this game 235 to 208. Not bad. I think this will keep us from getting "old timers" ...if I remember right!!

Philipians 2: 1-18 Memorization

ESV Christ's Example of Humility...
2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, [1] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, [2] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

FIVE WORDS

Five words
by John Fischer

I was reminded recently of a story I used to tell about a man who was the last to share in his prayer group. They were going around in a circle, giving their personal requests for prayer when they came to him and he took a deep breath and proceeded to relate some very ugly things he was going through in his life right then including some anger at God and a real sense of being depressed. He had wanted to avoid these painful things and unresolved issues and just focus on how good God is, but the reality and intensity of his present state of affairs prevented him from telling anything but the truth. When he finished, there was a long pause, and the man related to me how in that silence he had regretted for a moment revealing as much as he did. It was then that someone broke the silence with five very special words: "Can we go around again?"

Five words—that's all—but oh how important those five words are. Those five words say: You are not alone. If the rest of us had been as honest, we would all have equally challenging things to say. In fact, let's go around again so we can!

What good is so-called prayer time if we don't get down to it? Who are we touching if we are not allowing ourselves to be touched? Just remember, whatever it is that you are afraid to reveal… do it. It will only mean that you will have to go back around again for the sake of everybody else.

GIVE ME JESUS

Text
O, when I am alone,
O, when I am alone,
O, when I am alone, give me Jesus,
give me Jesus, give me Jesus.
You may have all the world
but give me Jesus.

O, when I come to die,
O, when I come to die,
O, when I come to die, give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus,
You may have all the world,
but give me Jesus.

O, When I sing,
O, when I sing,
O, when I sing, give me Jesus.
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus.
You may have all the world,
but give me Jesus.

Text: Traditional African American spiritual

I love the simplicity, but strong reality of this song...

Treasuring God's Word

I am feeling convicted, that I am taking the availability of God's Word for granted. I want to do something about that ... and am praying that Jesus will give me a desire to do so. Charlie spoke about this at The Gathering, while we visited Jake over Easter...It was part of the teaching "Communal Acts Of Biblical Worship" through scripture . giving . service . communion . prayer . music . fasting .
One of the things he said was this: Worship is an outward and inward expression of what the heart treasures the most. Your treasure is your choice. I cannot be a woman after God's own heart...if His heart, His word is not my treasure. I live as if God's word is not a treasure. Your treasure is YOUR choice. I am asking Jesus to help me choose. Amen

Rhett Leaves his Tracks in AK!!

One more sleep and Rhettly will be home! I am pretty sure you can see Heaven from where he was. Can't wait to hear the stories! Welcome home Rhett!!

Today we purchased our airfare to Thailand! We will leave 2 days after Noah and Janae's wedding...these are the sweet faces that will greet us at Breanna's House of Joy! Zach and I met with Bill Moritz last week...he is so excited we are going. We will have some work projects, but plenty of time with the girls. We may get to go to the waterfall just out of Chiang Mai...and maybe to the hots springs "boil egg" park. We have 6 students going with us...plus Mingni and her friend Angela! 2 nurses!! We will be in good shape. Praying that the Lord will bless our time, allow us to experience His work in Thailand...we will be priviledged to be a part of it.

Safely, but Exhausted... in the Arms of Jesus...

I lost a friend on Saturday, one that I did not get to spend as much time with as I would have liked...but the minute I met her I knew we were lifelong friends. Carol was the Women's Ministry Leader at Jake's church in California. She and her husband took Jake and Melissa under their wings and counseled them before Jake and Melissa were married. Carol was a go getter...beyond a prayer warrior...simply had a heart of gold. You saw Jesus in her every move...I was blessed to know her...She taught me to live ...and how to die. The quote below was shared with me by another dear friend Karly...unknowingly on the day Carol went to be with Jesus. It is a quote from Charles Spurgeon and could not possibly fit Carol's life more. I want to be exhausted like Carol.

“If by excessive labor we die before reaching the average age of man, worn out in the master’s service, then glory be to God. We shall have so much less of earth and so much more of Heaven. It is our duty and our privilege to exhaust our lives for Jesus. We are not to be living specimen’s of men, in fine preservation, but living sacrifices, who’s lot is to be consumed.”

Let’s exhaust ourselves for God…it’s our duty and our privilege! Let’s seek him with all our hearts! Wake up, O Sleeper, rise up and Christ will shine on you!
Let’s pray together and ask God to help us to be disciplined in seeking Him.

Carol lived this...I am praying I can live this way too...Thank you Jesus for bringing her into my life. Grant me your strength, mercy and grace to be exhausted for you. Amen. Rest in Peace Carol...Godspeed.

Do not pray that the winds be stilled...

On the 2003/2007 BCS Choir Tours, we sang at the Zuni Christian School. These are the opening words from their latest Prayer Bulletin:

Wind. it's the trademark of spring in New Mexico. Last week, the
wind blew with a vengeance. Grit blasts the playground, leaving a
chicken like me opting for indoor recesses. Sand seeps in through
window casings, cracks in the walls and under doors. Dunes pile up
on the sidewalk in front of the school entry. Wind sets me on edge
and I confess to ill-tempered wondering: "What is the good of
wind?" Yesterday, having taken the precaution of wearing my glasses
instead of my contact lenses, I walked the mesa trail in the blustery
wind, pondering that question. I looked up at the fabulous splendor
of DowaYalanne. Aha! There was a reason for the wind. Centuries of
wind throwing billions of abrasive sand particles against the sides
of the mesa sculpted the beauty that I drink in every day! That
thought calmed and pleased me.

And what of the unsettling and sometimes terrifying winds that blow
through our lives? Will they not shape us into a beautiful people of
God? As you pray for us this month, do not pray that the winds be
stilled. Instead, pray that we may, through every adversity, be
shaped into the lovely image of Christ.

Foster Family

On my Snow Day...my Epic friend/brother Tim, im'd me ...he is in Africa! Soon, we had Tim, Carol, Brian, Joe and Noah...all chatting online at once! It was CraZy good! A bat flew in Tim's tent, we discussed goat heads, herds, toilets...or holes in the ground...some kind of meat, rice, beans, lentils...sunsets, showers under the stars, the Southern Cross (and I thought he was in Africa, not Mississippi) we talked about how we were all working...sort of... and beer. It was a "rush" of im'ing! Imagine...just imagine. Wow...what an amazing time of the world this is...and What a mighty God we serve! This picture is of Tim's new friend "Praise"...he has a little sister "Hallelujah"...They would fit right in with the little guy we sponsor in Malawi, "Precious"...I am so proud of Tim...he saw where God is working...and he went there. May his time and obedience be blessed...amen.

Snow Day!?!

So today, February 26, 2009 we woke up to a sweet blanket of snow. It is the strangest feeling when this happens...especially when you don't expect it in the least! School was canceled...now it is 12:35pm and there is not a trace of snow in site...must use this as a catch up day! I like snow.

Jake, Melissa and Addie Represent at Tour of California!

Somebody in back…"
by John Fischer

The following exchange took place in a CBS interview Katie Couric conducted recently with the crew members of US Airways Flight 1549 that went down January 16 in the Hudson River with all passengers remarkably surviving.

"Did you, at any point, pray?" Ms. Couric asked the pilot, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

"I would imagine somebody in back was taking care of that for me while I was flying the airplane," he replied.

It was a loaded question, and a stellar answer. The man had literally seconds to make a decision where to land the plane, gliding 77 tons of metal, jet fuel and precious human cargo into a perfect water landing that did not break the plane into bits and pieces. "Let's bow our heads for a few moments of silent prayer" was probably not on his agenda at the moment. But "somebody in back" was most likely taking care of that for him.

Prayer is vital to a Christian's life. Prayer is our link to the eternal and an act based solely on our faith in an unseen God. It's probably something we could all use more of in both cases of our own prayer experience with God, and the support of others praying for us. But sometimes, you've got to just concentrate on landing the plane and count on the fact that somebody in back is praying.

Often, these days, I feel like I'm trying to keep my plane from crashing, and although it's not like I don't have time to pray, it's nonetheless comforting to know that somebody in back is.

In truth, I think we need to be in both of these positions at the same time. We need someone in back praying for us, and we need to be that someone for someone else.

And remember, as important as prayer is, sometimes you just have to land the plane.

Samantha Louise joins our family...Mommy TerryLynn and Daddy Tom...weighing in at 7.1 and 19 inches...she is beautiful!! This makes me GREAT Terry Aunt. I love her!

When You Speak, God Hears
by Max Lucado

Those who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith. For the most part we don't even know their names. Such is the case of someone who prayed on a day long ago. His name is not important. He is important not because of who he was, but because of what he did.

He went to Jesus on behalf of a friend. His friend was sick, and Jesus could help, and someone needed to go to Jesus, so someone went. Others cared for the sick man in other ways. Some brought food; others provided treatment; still others comforted the family. Each role was crucial. Each person was helpful, but no one was more vital than the one who went to Jesus.

John writes: "So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick'" (John 11:3, emphasis mine).

Someone carried the request. Someone walked the trail. Someone went to Jesus on behalf of Lazarus. And because someone went, Jesus responded.

In the economy of heaven, the prayers of saints are a valued commodity. John the apostle would agree. He wrote the story of Lazarus and was careful to show the sequence: The healing began when the request was made.

The phrase the friend of Lazarus used is worth noting. When he told Jesus of the illness, he said, "The one you love is sick." The power of the prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer but on the one who hears the prayer.

We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. "The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed." The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven so he won't miss a word. The Master heard the request. Jesus stopped whatever he was doing and took note of the man's words. This anonymous courier was heard by God.

John's message is critical. You can talk to God because God listens. Your voice matters in heaven. He takes you very seriously. When you enter his presence, the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. No need to fear that you will be ignored. Even if you stammer or stumble, even if what you have to say impresses no one, it impresses God--and he listens.

Intently. Carefully. The prayers are honored as precious jewels. Purified and empowered, the words rise in a delightful fragrance to our Lord. "The smoke from the incense went up from the angel's hand to God" (Rev. 8:4). Incredible. Your words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.

One call and heaven's fleet appears. Your prayer on earth activates God's power in heaven.

You are the someone of God's kingdom. Your prayers move God to change the world. You may not understand the mystery of prayer. You don't need to. But this much is clear: Actions in heaven begin when someone prays on earth. What an amazing thought!

When you speak, Jesus hears.

And when Jesus hears, the world is changed.

All because someone prayed.

25 Random Things About Me

A facebook challenge...that was indeed challenging...I am going to do about some other subjects as well...
Terry's disclaimer...I have self diagnosed ADD...so there is no particular order to these random things about me, and I have changed my mind about 100 times before I got down to these 25...BTW there is a young man that works at Albertson's who's name is Random...
1. I was 14 when I moved to Washington from California…I cried all the way here. Now I wouldn’t live anywhere else.
2. Steve was the first boy I noticed on my first day at Tolt High School…sometime ask me what he was wearing :)
3. If I could change anything in my life, it would be to take away Natalie’s diabetes.
4. Used to have a hairy nevus, drove me insane as a child…now it’s a good story.
5. I raised my kids listening to John Cougar Mellencamp. They each have their “own” JCM song.
6. I would rather have a nice bicycle, than a nice car. For awhile my bike was worth more than my car…now I have a nice bike and a nice car. I am thankful.
7. I gave my heart to Jesus when I was 16, at LBI, holding Carol Baldwin Donnel’s hand. I pray she knows how grateful I am…she recently went to be with Jesus.
8. I am still uncomfortable praying out loud.
9. When I was growing up I had a continuous scab on my nose, and stubbed big toes.
10. I competed in a body building contest when I was 40.
11. I have been a labor and delivery coach for at least 20 babies…not including my own.
12. When my son Jake sings...I puff up like a helium balloon and Steve has to hold me down.
13. I visited Mother Teresa’s House in Calcutta, India…my life has never been the same.
14. I wish I could journal…I have about 10 I have started…can’t do it.
15. I have children in Malawi, Rwanda, Mexico, India and Thailand...through Compassion, World Vision and Breanna’s House of Joy.
16. Once in my life I would like to live in a town where I wouldn’t need a car.
17. If you ask Kevin Costner, who Terry, Timmy, Tammy and Tommy Clark are…he will know.
18. I have never played a team sport...I was over 30 before I competed in anything.
19. I get annoyed when people say “God Bless America”…how about “God Bless the whole world.”
20. Nobody makes me laugh, or makes me change my clothes (you know what I mean) more than my sister Tammy.
21. I loved my grand babies even before they were born. I want more.
22. Not a fan of girl parties…bridal showers, baby showers, etc…nope not a fan.
23. Not my own best company for very long…I get my energy from others.
24. Steve and I plan to ride our bicycles across the USA…it will be EPIC!
25. If you know me at all, you know my family(immediate and extended) is my world…God has blessed me to the moon and back and into eternity +1.

Ta DAAA!!

Little Miss Maya's got her new shoes on...and everything's gonna be right...Spent the night with Gma and Gpa...a wonderful distraction...no flood cleanup at all....just played with Maya all weekend!! Fantastic!!

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Intersection Hwy 203 and Tolt Hill Rd

Our farm is just out of the picture to the left. The bridge goes north into Carnation. Unbelievable water. When will this end? We keep thinking this is the worst ... and then it's not. I can't image us being 80 years old and still dealing with this. This flood more than ever before took it's toll emotionally on us. Never for a moment did we question our faith..or the sovereignty of God...and certainly there were others who have/had it much, much worse than us...we just wonder if this is what God is calling us to for the rest of our lives?

Confluence of Tolt and Snoqualmie Rivers Jan 8, 09

Way too much water...history making. The small square toward the top of the picture is our critter pad. We are grateful there are no critters to put on it. Nikki doesn't count as a critter. You can see the log dam near the Tolt...it is incredible. What in the world are "they" going to do about that?

Here we go a bloggin'

My first attempt at setting up this page. Let's see what I can do.