Wednesday, September 9, 2009

He is Done!

Well, it only took 25 years...but John is done and is an official Wheaton College grad; class of 2009, as of August 31, 2009. It has been quite a journey, but as we both reflect back to the purpose of Wheaton, we know that besides getting that degree, he and I were meant to meet there.

So to surprise the guy, we had a party this past weekend and it was really great to have his brother, Don, as well as Don's three youngest here all the way from Racine. They were a blessing to have as well as the rest of the friends who came to celebrate John's success. It was a fun time, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

More importantly, God is good to us all, and He is the Good Shepherd who cares for us: not just to provide a bare minimum and being stingy with us, but rather, a Shepherd who gives us the ultimate care, with blessings beyond we can imagine.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Middle Nation, the Central Kingdom: China

Elizabeth had the privilege of participating in the "May with Asia" program with Wheaton College, this past May-June. It was a blessing for her to see such sights as the Great Wall while learning about part of her culture!

She stayed mostly in Beijing with a side trip to Xi’an. She met local students in both cities who wanted to practice their English. Please be praying for those they tried to witness to!

A similar trip was led by the same professor back in Jean's days and Jean got to go on the "Wheaton in East Asia" trip in 1980!

John and Jean are suffering a bit of empty-nesting with Elizabeth approaching her senior year of college, Johnny taking his college exams, and David learning how to drive. Good thing Anina is still small…for now.

We Have Answers to Your Questions:

During this time of our deputation we have had questions arise. Here are the answers:
  • The money we are collecting now is going into our account at HCJB Global to meet our one-time outgoing costs. When we reach that amount, then the extra will be converted to a pledge. So the monies that have been sent in are very valuable to us.
  • If you prefer to begin your pledges when we depart for the field, please note this on the pledge form.
  • We feel God is leading us to Quito, Ecuador where God can use John’s computer skills and Jean’s nursing skills. A possibility exists that we may go to Colorado Springs, where HCJB Global also has a great need for John’s computer skills.
  • John is still working full-time.
We appreciate all of you on our support team, and your faithful giving and prayers. Thank you so much! We are entering a phase where we really could use some new contacts! There are many ways we could use your help!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Driver's Ed: Third Time

Wow! We just signed David up for Driver's Ed in the month of June. He is the third child that will be driving. I don't even think that I am used to Johnny driving and now David...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

According to His own Purpose...

"[God] who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity." 2 Timothy 1:9

This verse was emailed to us today from a prayer warrior at HCJB Global. This prayer warrior calls us frequently and diligently prays for our family's needs, concerns, and people we are trying to minister to. He is such an encouragement to us during this month of May.

It has always been a struggle to be motivated to continue to do what we are supposed to when God provides such beautiful days for us! Trigonometry and Literature essays are not particularly inviting when you are interested in baseball, plants, and critters. But we need to complete our tasks and finish strong with what we are supposed to complete.

For our family it is multifaceted during the month of May.
  1. We need to finish our homeschooling. Sure, I could just knock off the last few pages and not have the kids do them, right? But what would I be teaching the kids by doing that?
  2. We need to wrap up awards ceremonies.
  3. We will be attending graduation parties.
  4. We continue to raise support.
  5. We also need to gear up for summer, before spring is done.
  6. This year, we also had to get E off to China. [She's been there 5 days, and she's loving it!]
That's only part of the list.
God is good all the time. We look back and it is easier to approach difficult tasks, schedules, and activities, when we remember He has called me to a purpose. There is rhyme and reason to the things we do! There is an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Praise God for His perfect way and perfect timing.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Trying on our own to keep it together

We were given a gift to the Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. It is a nice getaway when the winter seems long. We were in the Wild Waterdome, where you can get a tan in the winter, and enjoy the giant wave pool. The kids (Schnoors and Andersons) decided that they would all get into tubes in the wave pool and try to stay connected during the duration of the waves.
It was a good thought – except one of them wasn't quite ready when the waves started and wasn't in a tube. Then, as the waves got rockier, the group got disconnected and started floating apart. They swam back together, trying to reconnect; sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. With the water, it was slippery to hold onto another person's tube. Also, the waves were unpredictable. This was a big factor. At the end of that wave session, despite the difficulty in keeping together, they had a good time.

My thoughts as it pertains to life:

As we are tossed about in life, we need to try to be prepared for as much as we can. At times, we need to try to hold on tighter, even though it is against all odds. Sometimes, however, it is wiser to let go and to try again. Then as the experience continues to unfold, will you be content with how things have turned out?

All I can say is that, if you hold onto God, He is the factor that will hold things together when it seems that you are slipping and losing grip. He will be the one to carry you through and make the connection when you are separated and lost. He will be the one to provide contentment when the results seem impossible to be content with.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8.



Saturday, February 21, 2009

Security a la John

As human beings, I think we all crave a certain measure of security. We want to hope:
  • Our jobs are safe;
  • We will live in a safe neighborhood;
  • Our country is safe from internal and external enemies;
  • We will live a long life or peace and safety
  • Our retirement plan is secure.
Then 9-11-01 and the economic meltdown of 2008 come along, and shatter much of that. Security is replaced by worry. We worry about terrorism, crime, our politicians, our economy, you name it. In my current profession (and future one at HCJB Global), security is something vitally important as companies and ministries seek to protect their networks and vital data systems from dangers lurking in the wild. These dangers are real, yet true security remains illusory, and ultimately unattainable. Does that unnerve you at all?

Yet those of us who name the name of Christ as their savior should not see things this way spiritually. We do not live in a spiritual vacuum:

Psalm 46:1-1,10:
God is our strong refuge; He is truly our helper in times of trouble. For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea... He says, “Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!


My pastor reminded us recently that worry is never our friend.
What a great, simple truth about which to remind ourselves! Worry is the antithesis of true faith and a tool of the enemy. It almost says, "No one knows the future; I'm in control of my own destiny." Nothing could be further from the truth.
1 Thess 5:24: The one who calls you is faithful, and he will continue to be faithful.


We have very real security in every respect as we consider a sovereign Lord utterly in control every minute aspect of His creation. He is faithful to daily sustain us, and is a perfect heavenly Father.

Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Remind you of a great hymn of the faith? What an awesome reminder as we approach the next day!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Solheim Dome

The kids golf. John, David, and Anina are currently participating in one of our gym group electives, which is golf. It meets weekly at Green Garden Golf Dome. Elizabeth has also participated in the past. I have been reviewing the pictures that I've been taking the last 7-8 weeks (one of my responsibilities in the co-operative gym group is the annual yearbook production). To see some of the photo album, click on the picture.

What I've noticed is that again and again, our golf pros go back to grip, swing, stance, and pre-shot routine, all before the shot is executed. These are the proper disciplines to execute a great shot. These are likened by many to the Christian walk. At the local Christian bookstore, I've seen books devoted to the golf theme, so I know I am not original.

However, one thought sticks out to me today: keep your eye on the ball. Many miss hits can be attributed to the fact that golfers may lift their head to see where the ball is going before it is hit. And keeping your eye on the ball is a basic must in any sport a ball is used.

Keep your eye on the ball. God is the one in which we must give our undivided attention. He must be our focus. We can't live as Jesus would have us live if we take our eyes off of Him. One of the most exciting things in my life has been to keep looking to Jesus, to see what's really happening, to see where I'm headed, and this realization has given me a solid reason for much hope. If we take our eyes off Jesus chances are we will miss hit, we will travel down a path inconsistent with God's plan for us.

But, I know I've had my share of miss hits. Sometimes, in my walk with Him, I come up short and it takes a couple of more shots to get where God wants me, sometimes I end up in the rough so I struggle to recover, sometimes I end up in a hazard and have to take a penalty for what I've done. But, regardless of the miss hit, the game isn't over.

John golfs, but when I am asked if I golf, I usually reply, "Yes I do - I mini-golf". That is supposed to be humorous. In actuality, with golf, I realize that I am not even in the game since I cannot make that drive needed to start the first hole. But in my walk with the Lord, I know I am in the game, trying to be properly prepared, keeping my eye on the ball.

 

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Bearing One Another's Burdens

I've been thinking more about what I heard on Sunday. A thought has been on my mind; this isn't a quote, but basically the idea was that to live in harmony with other believers, we share in their lives--not superficially but in a deeper, possibly sacrificial way. In reading other verses and looking on the web, I came across something John MacArthur said. This is copied from a transcript of his sermon on John 15:12-16:

"Jesus said in verse 12, 'Love one another, as I loved you.' Now, you can't love to the point of redeeming the whole world, but you can love with a sacrificial kind of love that gives. God isn't expecting you to love with a dimension of love equal to Christ's. He is expecting your love to have a sacrificial nature like Christ did. His disciples are not merely to be devoted and helpful to each other. They are to love like Jesus loved, who gave of Himself. Don't look at your brother in Christ as someone who's only an acquaintance; rather see him like Jesus would--primarily in terms of his soul's eternal needs. That requires the kind of love that is involved in comforting, instructing, and bearing one another's burdens. Sometimes, we substitute a superficial relationship for one that is deep. We need to intimately care about the needs of another."

Sunday, February 15, 2009

HCJB Global reaching the unreached

This is such exciting news. Got this link from a friend at church and while we knew about these numbers, internally, it is nice to hear about it--at least on the web. Please continue to pray with us!
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Missions/Default.aspx?id=419814

Friday, February 13, 2009

Faithfulness to a thousand generations

I was pondering Deuteronomy 7:9, having added it to our blog. I was grateful for the faith of my parents, who stubbornly resisted God until they were both quite elderly. The fruit in their lives was evident (although with the timing, I thought it was cutting it a bit close).

Then, I turned my thoughts to some young adults that I know, who are energetic, but humbly serving the Lord. I am encouraged by their energy, their humility, their desire to serve the one true God. When I thought of very young people that I know--in our church, in our family, children of friends--I am grateful for the ways they encourage others, for their naturally peaceful ways of accepting things they are taught, for their new faith, for their naturally loving ways.

I praise God for the generations He has brought in our lives.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Amazing Acrobats


John and I were given nice tickets from our eldest daughter to attend a showing of the National Acrobats of China. They had come to Edman Chapel, at our alma mater, where Elizabeth is now pursuing her undergrad degree. John had never really seen the Chinese acrobats before. I was truly surprised he had not. I remember seeing them on television as a child and was amazed. He saw them for the first time and then was also amazed.

We were wowed by their skill, their athleticism, and, yes, even their showmanship. We were drawn into the drama of each act and enjoyed how each was choreographed! Feats defying the imagination were performed and seemingly no one was even hurt! We came home discussing what we had seen and then I wondered if any had ever heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. Who had God brought in their lives - to cross their paths and to proclaim the good news? Had any hands come to minister to any of them? Had they heard the voice of Jesus through radio or through a neighbor or friend? Then, I prayed for them and the nation of China. My thoughts turned to God and I prayed that our support would be raised soon.