Favorite Quotes (4) - James A. Decker

29 December 2013

God is good
God is fair
To some he gave brains
To others hair.

James A. Decker

Favorite Quotes (3) - Mark Twain

9 December 2013

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things.

Mark Twain

Favorite Quotes (2) - Nelson Mandela

8 December 2012

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.

Nelson Mandela

Favorite Quotes (1) - W. H. Auden

5 December 2013

Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can; all of them make me laugh.

W.H. Auden

My Prayers (19)

22 November 2013

Take my self and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (18)

20 November 2013

Take my love, my God, I pour at Thy feet its treasures store.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (17)

10 November 2013

Take my heart, it is Thine alone, it shall be Thy royal throne.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (16)

9 November 2013

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (15)

7 November 2013

Take my intellect and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (14)

6 November 2013

Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (13)

5 November 2013

Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (12)

4 November 2013

Take my voice and let me sing, always, only, for my King.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (11)

3 November 2013

Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (10)

1 November 2013

Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (9)

23 October 2013

Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Frances Havergal

My Prayers (8)

22 October 2013

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee.

Frances Havergal

If God Was a College Student...

20 October 2013

The girls in the ministry house gave me a birthday card with the following. It is fun!

If God was a college student...

...instead of God creating the world in 6 days and resting on the 7th, He would have put it off the night before it was due and pulled an all-nighter.

...the last supper would have been eaten the next morning - cold.

...the 10 commandments would only be 5, double spaced and written in large font.

...Paul's letter to the Romans would become Paul's email to abuse@romans.gov.

...He would not have asked the reason Cain killed Abel...they were roommates.

...He knew why Moses and his followers would walk in the desert for 40 years: they didn't want to ask directions and look like Freshmen.

Sayings by Xavy (17)

17 October 2013

After I was finished doing counseling with someone in our living room, Xavy announced as he left: "I like that man. He is good for Pops."

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

Sayings by Xavy (16)

16 October 2013

"One nation, under God, indiviseral, with Statue of Liberty and justice for all!"

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

My Prayers (7)

15 October 2013

May His beauty rest upon me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel
Seeing only Him.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (6)

14 October 2013

May I run the race before me
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (5)

13 October 2013

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea,
Him exalting, self abasing
This is victory.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (4)

12 October 2013

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and suffering.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (3)

11 October 2013

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (2)

10 October 2013

May the mind of Christ my Savior
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

Kate Wilkinson

My Prayers (1)

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, You have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with Your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of Your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen.

adapted from The Divine Hours

Sayings by Xavy (15)

7 October 2013

Xavier has been trying to figure out how time works. His theory is that he is growing up and getting bigger, and the rest of us are getting littler and younger. He told Dondra that when he gets bigger, Pops and Nana (Paul's mom) and Joel and Dondra are all going to revert to being cowboys and race in the Eenie (Erie) County Fair. 

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

Sayings by Xavy (14)

6 October 2013

Hearing noises (someone walking around upstairs), Xavy asked Dondra, "Do you think that's Joel or a dinosaur?"

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings by Xavy (13)

5 October 2013

"Where is Pops? I don't like him to be away. I need him. He's my best friend."

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings by Xavy (12)

2 October 2013

When asked what he had for dinner at Pops and Nonnie's, Xavy said, "Um, butter with chocolate."

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings by Xavy (11)

29 September 2013
.
When asked what the UB football game he attended was like, he said,

"Sometimes they play; sometimes they don't."

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

Sayings by Xavy (10)

28 September 2013

"I want to call Joel and put him in time out."

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings by Xavy (9)

27 September 2013

Xavy was trying to reach the stars, but they were too high. He told Elizabeth, "If I would be a super hero, I would go to outer space and I would play with the stars. "

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

Sayings by Xavy (8)

23 September 2013

Dondra to Xavy: "You have a fever."
Xavy to Dondra: "I do not have a fever! My fever is at home. I am not allowed to bring it to Pops and Nonnie's."

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings by Xavy (7)

22 September 2013

Xavy and Elizabeth were rolling coins. He picked up a handful, threw it and yelled "Taxes!"

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Context: Check out Disney's Robin Hood movie.

Sayings of Xavy (6)

21 September 2013

One night in April, Xavy found his ear thermometer, and took all of our temperatures. When we asked him what the number was for Pops, he pronounced a healthy, "Fifty dollars!"

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings of Xavy (5)

20 September 2013

When trying to get out of the house one morning, Elizabeth said to Xavy, "Come along darling."

He replied, "Hey! I'm not Darlene! I'm Xavy!"

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings of Xavy (4)

19 September 2013

I wonder if I will be a superhero when I grow up?

Xavy Decker, 3 years old

Sayings of Xavy (3)

18 September 2013

Elizabeth asked Xavy what he wanted for his birthday. He said, "I want a blue purse because I am a boy."

Xavy Decker, 2 years old

Sayings of Xavy (2)

17 September 2013

This summer, the moon could be seen clearly. Xavy and Dondra were looking at the half moon and talking about it, when he stopped and asked, "but who chopped it?"

Xavier Decker, 2 years old

Sayings of Xavy (1)

16 September 2013

"When Jesus comes here, I will tickle him...Where's Jesus?"

Xavier Decker, 3 years old

My Favorite Facebook Posts in April 2013

9 September 2013

Here are my five favorite Facebook posts in April 2013.

• I wish there was a knob on the TV so you could turn up the intelligence. They got one marked 'brightness' but it doesn't work.
• I won't insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.
• Wearing ridiculously uncomfortable shoes just because they look good is pure shoepidity.
• Dumb Sports Quotes: That's inches away from being a millimeter perfect.
• Dumb Sports Quotes: We now have exactly the same situation as we had at the start of the race, only exactly the opposite.
• Did you hear about the latest trend in living room accessories? They are corduroy pillows. They're making headlines!
• We have an update from the hospital about the condition of the boy who swallowed all those quarters: still no change.
• My high speed internet connection went down for 4 straight minutes. I'm OK, but the 911 operator was a total jerk about it.

Good thing my job has very little to do with math.

My Favorite Facebook Posts in May 2013

• I really hate it when the voices in my head argue among themselves as though I wasn’t even in the room.
• It was such a small town that we didn't even have a village idiot. We had to take turns.
• I'm not saying that the customer service in my bank is bad, but when I went in the other day and asked the clerk to check my balance...she leaned over and pushed me.
• Unexpectedly the bells in the Quasimodo's tower began to ring again. I have a hunch he's back!
• Two rules for life: 

1. Don't tell people everything you know. 

2.                                                                

The sad part is how many people who did not get the last one...just sayin'...

My Favorite Facebook Posts in June 2013

• The family lawyer will read the will tomorrow at the residence of Mr. Hannon, who died June 19 to accommodate his relatives.
• Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
• When Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man called Legion, the demons begged Jesus to cast them into the swine heard nearby. Jesus did, and the pigs ran over the cliff. This is the first mention of deviled ham in the Bible.
• A guy gets shipwrecked. When he wakes up, he's on a beach. The sand is reddish purple. He can't believe it. The sky is burgundy. He walks around a bit and sees that there is dark red grass, wine-red birds and claret-colored fruit on the trees. He's shocked when he finds that his skin is starting to turn a ruby-like color as well. "Oh no!" he says, "I think I've been marooned!"
• The divorce rate among socks is astonishing!

My Favorite Facebook Posts in July 2013

14 August 2013

• Women should not have children after 35. Really...35 children are enough.
•  I think therefore I am...confused.
•  Actual Newspaper Headline: Study finds having sex enhances pregnancy chances
•  I just finished writing a Broadway musical about the dictionary. It's the ultimate play on words.
• Just want to alert you to a chemical I've been reading about which is causing a lot of big problems. The chemical is dihydrogen monoxide or DHMO for short. It has been found to be the major component of acid rain, and even more significantly has been found in every cup of coffee and tea tested. In some people it is causing swollen ankles, shortness of breath, or urgency. DHMO has even forced some people to abandon their homes. In my case, it is quite clearly the cause of many of my poor golf scores.

A Joplin Journey: Freedom

12 August 2013

(continued from 4 July 13)

When Betty Jo opened the large garage, it was breathtaking, but not in a beautiful way. A six-bay metal garage was full - head height or more - with very little room to maneuver.

A little later, Betty Jo would open her garage to the house, and it was stacked with boxes to the garage door. Going inside her house, one could find a path from the kitchen to the bathroom (which was barely usable). Other paths around the house existed, and there were a few empty spaces, but not many. Betty Jo's problem with hoarding was real and it was ruining her life.

Almost as soon as we arrived, Betty Jo explained her immediate needs, and she began to give directions to our team about what was to stay, what was to be recycled, what was to be given away, and what was to be trashed. While our team did not see eye-to-eye on what should stay or go, we did find her remarkable. She was letting go of many things that had been holding her for so long. This was nothing less than a spiritual victory of a most powerful kind!

After two days of making significant progress - sorting through two of the six bays in the garage - Betty Jo gave us a card with the following note:

Always REMEMBER - THINGS ARE NOTHING. If something is not moving you toward your goal, DO NOT DO IT, NOR OWN IT, NOR HOLD ON TO IT - for your only possession of value is love and it grows as you give it away.

GOD'S gift to me THROUGH YOU this day shall never be forgotten. I appreciate it and the memory of it is a TREASURED POSSESSION I can happily carry with me always. Thank you!

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 

Philippians 4.13, NIV

A Joplin Journey: Letting Go

4 July 2013

(continued from 3 July 2013)

When the tornado missed Betty Jo's house, God was convicting her about her priorities. And the conviction did make a difference in her life. From that point on, her unneeded shopping and collecting stopped. But she still had all this stuff.

The Lord was not giving up on Betty Jo. He was pursuing her heart, fully desiring to give her back the wholeness that she was lacking. God was telling her that He could bring her life under control. She would, though, have to let go.

It was now almost two years since the tornado had struck Joplin, but she was now ready for help. Responding to God's caring hand on her heart corresponded to a time that students from the University at Buffalo arrived in Joplin. Betty Jo called the organization Mission Joplin which was coordinating with Samaritan's Purse and asked if they would be willing to take her stuff.

Accompanied by leaders from Mission Joplin, I accompanied eight students to Betty Jo's house, not really knowing what to expect. She admitted to us that she was a hoarder, but we really did not know what we would see or what she would allow us to do.

I don't know if you can ever be prepared for what we were about to see. You just need to adapt. As we came into the driveway, we saw the yard had various items scattered about, but the house looked fine enough on the outside. To the right of the house was a six-bay metal garage. As Betty Jo opened the first bay of the garage, it caught my breath. This huge building was full of stuff. All I could say was, "Oh no!"

But here is the thing. She was ready to let go.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6.19-21, NIV

One more blog about Betty Jo coming!

A Joplin Journey: Why Not Me?

3 July 2013

(continued from 2 July 2013)

Betty Jo had watched the tornado hop over her house. Realizing that this tornado had spared her, but not her community, she left her home to go be an angel of mercy to those around her. Though she literally saved lives during this time, her activity masked her own imminent needs. 

Betty Jo is a brilliant woman. She has held significant jobs in the banking industry for years, supervising hundreds of employees and millions of transactions. After a series of devastating losses - including divorce and a son with difficult learning issues - her life began to spiral out of control.

She compensated for these losses with possessions. She became a master of bargain hunting and collecting objects on the side of the road. It is not that this is bad, unless you are buying and collecting things for which you have no need. Betty Jo became a hoarder. She knew it was not good. She knew it was not healthy. But she could not find the emotional strength to stop. These "things" were a comfort to her.

When the tornado missed her, her guilt increased. In her mind, she deserved the tornado. Possessions possessed her, but she could not say "no." So many of her friends lost everything, but not her. She still had everything. Her life was full of stuff. And then to make it worse, she could not find the will to let go of objects perhaps other people could use.

Her story is not the typical story regarding Joplin's tornado. But what we found is that God was very much at work in Betty Jo's life. Though she was ready to give up, God found her worth loving and pursuing.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word. 

Psalm 119.37, NIV

More of Betty Jo's story to come!

A Joplin Journey: Angel of Mercy

2 July 2013

(story continued from 14 April 2013)

It did not take long for Betty Jo to understand the destruction that was taking place a few miles down the road. She knew she had to help. She hopped into her minivan and headed to Joplin.

On the way, she came across a man walking along the side of the road with a plank as a crutch with the hope to get to the hospital. Neither he or Betty Jo knew at the moment that the hospital had been severely damaged by the tornado and was being evacuated. They did find a triage tent and she left the man there who was more than grateful for her help.

Many days later, Betty Jo would find out that this man's leg was crushed from the hip to the ankle. She was told if that she had not picked him up, he would have most likely died before getting to town.

Later in the day, she stopped by a man laying on the edge of the road. He was being ignored or passed over by so many, because his situation looked hopeless. Many must have thought he was dead. He had a piece of wood that had pierced his face and he was a bloody mess. Managing to get him into the van, she also took him to the triage tent. Again, she would learn later, that she had literally saved his life.

At another point, she came across a family who was in a panic. The tornado had knocked over the chimney and it had fallen on their five-year-old son. Because the ambulance was struggling to get to their location, she offered to take them to the tent or just take the van themselves. This boy, too, would miraculously live.

Betty Jo continued to be an angel of mercy over the next weeks. She looked for those in need and did what she could to meet those needs. At the same time, she was largely ignoring her own needs - physically, emotionally and spiritually. It would have a cost.

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 

Psalm 143.1, NIV

More of Betty Jo's story to come!

Legacy - James Albert Decker (15)

21 June 2013

This is the third verse of one my dad's favorite hymns: "Victory in Jesus." So today I dedicate this to my dad who received renewed vocal chords exactly one year ago. See you soon Pops!

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him –
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you...

I Peter 1.3-4 (NIV)

Throwing Some Cold Water on the Situation (Infusion 2013)

INFUSION
17 June 2013

I am not proud of it. When I have the blessing of baptizing someone as a recognition of their faith in Christ Jesus, I like the water to be warm.

Though I know it is not true, I feel like an expert when it comes to cold water baptisms. At Infusion this year, the water was cold - very cold - 30-something degree cold - where is the ice kind of cold.

It was our privilege this year (Tim and me) to baptize the chairman of our leadership council for this coming year. Brian came on strong for us this past year and we discovered what an excellent leader he is becoming.

Brian's desire to be baptized at this point seemed wonderfully similar to Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist to signify the beginning of His ministry. 

I will venture a guess here, but I bet that the Jordan River's water was warmer.

After the baptisms were finished, one student came up to me and said, "Pastor Paul! This was all so thrilling and you were so enthusiastic. You even dove into the water to show how excited you were for Brian's baptism." This is one of those moments that get frozen in time for you. I was thinking, "Oh, if only that were true!"

What really happened went like this. Knowing that there was no way I could enter the frigid water by walking in slowly, I fully committed by jumping in. When I landed, however, I lost my balance and I was having trouble stopping my momentum. Not wanting to end up in the deep end, I decisively dove into the water to bring my momentum to a halt. It worked.

After that, things really moved fast. Because I was struggling to breathe, I called for Brian and Tim to position themselves. With lightening speed, I said these words: "Brian, because of your stated testimony to follow Jesus and your desire to follow Him in baptism, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

Then down he went, and up he came. We all raised our hands in victory and high-tailed it out of the water.

Never have I done a baptism faster.

Never have I struggled to breathe like that.

But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Let's do it again!

(Quick, before ice begins to form on the top!)

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 

Romans 6.3-4, NIV

Irresistible Worship (Infusion 2013)

INFUSION 2013
13 June 13

Beth came to the Fall Retreat and did not like it.

She came, because her twin sister, from Oneonta's CA, invited her. Becky has been praying that her sister would understand the truth and respond to it. But it has been hard.

Take one look at Beth and Becky, and there is no doubt about it. They are identical twins. But not so much when it comes to the personality. Beth is outgoing and outspoken. Becky is quieter and unassuming.

Though Beth did not enjoy the Fall Retreat, Becky invited her again, this time to Infusion. It was a bold move, since Infusion is more intense than the Fall Retreat. And, it takes a greater commitment, since it lasts for six days. Though we invite all students to come, at the heart of Infusion is leadership training.

Nevertheless, Beth came. Just like in the Fall, she was outgoing, engaging, and opinionated. And though I would not say she was antagonistic before, this time she was intrigued and involved. There was no doubt. Beth was searching for the truth.

One evening, during an especially enthusiastic worship song, she found herself dancing in the middle aisle with Paul Marsh, the campus minister from Colorado University in Boulder. He is one of our elder statesman at CA. The floor was bouncing, and we were all enjoying the Lord's irresistible Presence.

For Beth, though, a change had taken place. She meant every word that she was singing. Worship had brought her into God's Presence, and she believed.

"Look at what's happened! This is our God! We waited for him and he showed up and saved us! This God, the one we waited for! Let's celebrate, sing the joys of his salvation."

 Isaiah 25.9, The Message

Party in Session (Infusion 2013)

INFUSION 2013

11 June 2013

It was unusual to say the least. It was early in the evening and worship was going full blast. That was not unusual. What was unusual was the presence of the state troopers.

After spotting them through the windows, I accompanied two others and we went outside to see what they wanted. After all, we are not accustomed to the state police walking around the grounds of this out-of-the-way location. Camp Pinnacle is not on the beaten path.

The two officers explained that there was someone at our location who had called 911. They were especially concerned because it sounded like a big, noisy party in the background, and they were afraid someone might be hurt. 

It did not take long for the three of us to conclude that we had an infamous "butt call" on our hands. Naturally, the troopers wanted to talk to the person in question. What was peculiar is that when we invited them into the building, they declined. Their hesitation was firm, but we wanted to show them that the "party" was harmless as far as they would be concerned. With a little more prodding, they came in, and we located the offending phone. Soon they were gone.

Afterwards, I had two thoughts of note:

1) While I am sure the troopers need to maintain a degree of objectivity in such matters, it felt like we were not believed. This is only my opinion, of course, but it came across that we were not to be trusted, as if we were a cult. It was an interesting feeling, perhaps even helpful experientially.

2) On the other hand, I was delighted that our worship time was described as a party. It was! We were celebrating and enjoying our awesome God!

Celebrate God. Sing together — everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof! 

Psalm 32:11, The Message

My Testimony (Infusion 2013)

INFUSION

31 May 2013

At INFUSION, one of the students from Campus Ambassadors in SUNY Brockport gave her testimony with a poem. It was a fun and creative way to announce her determination to follow Jesus! Way to go Brittney Willis!

My Testimony

I was born in a home split in two

My mother a Christian and my father no clue.

In Christ my mother did raise me

Yet to my father it was all crazy.

So in order to seem sane I strayed away

In the devil’s grasp I did lay.

I rejected the Lord for a long time

As if being Christian was a crime.

And with depression in my mist

I started to wish I didn’t exist.

Until a friend revealed to me

The fool that I did not have to be.

I came to know the love of the Lord

How my sins were washed away through his accord.

I pronounced Jesus as my savior

Forever changing my beliefs and behavior.

Since I wanted to know him more

I became a Campus Ambassador.

No longer will the devil have me enslaved,

For I can now say that I am saved.

Jesus died for us upon the cross,

So now I’ll get baptized like a boss!

Brittney Willis

God Had a Plan (Infusion 2013)

INFUSION 2013

29 May 2013

At INFUSION, one of the students from Campus Ambassadors in SUNY Oneonta, performed the following poem she had written. Natalie Newton had the audience (including myself) hanging on every word and phrase. You can find her performing it on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSRAh4zlAhA&feature=share. 

GOD HAD A PLAN

God had a plan.
From the foundation

From the beginning

When in his palms

He formed a man.
And that man

Would stand in his image,

Every part of him

Perfectly fitted.

And from the very first minute,
He was called good.

God called him good,

And yet he understood,
What would happen tomorrow

Wasn't going to be good.
He had created his bride

And gave her a ring,

But he already knew

What tomorrow would bring.
His plan was teeming

With the intricate works

Of a creative King.

He already knew the cold winter

He had to take us through

Before we hit spring.
He knew the choice she would make,

The fruit she would take,

That bond that sin would break,
He knew the separation

That would make his heart ache –

The man who would die

For the whole world's sake,

The church that would rise up

And cause evil to shake.
Beloved make no mistake,
He knew all this,

And yet he thought she was great.

He probably even smiled,

Because at least for a little while,

Man was yet to have to be

Reconciled to the creator,

And sin had yet to defile,

The beautiful creature to whom

He found it all worthwhile.
And when that all came to pass,

When man began to stumble

Don't for a minute think

That God's plan crumbled,
Because from the moment

He even thought of man,

He had a plan. 

Not the kind of plan that

You and I make for vacation –

God wanted conversation,

And knew he had to rid us

Of the infection

That gave us isolation,

And all that hindered our restoration.
He knew he'd take

The man in his hands

Through the darkest night,

Through a war that

He knew He had to fight,

The Son he would have to sacrifice.
When he made his plan,

It wasn't bound by perfection,

It was based in affection.
When God planned,

He dreamed of love –

The same love that man

Had become deprived of,
The kind of love that was lifelong,

For the one thing he wanted all along.
He came for our heart,

The part of man that began

To beat from the start,

With the thud thud through every part,

Of our anatomy

And yet feels every emotion –

He came for heart
The same heart

He had in the beginning.
But he gave men this voice –

He wanted them to have a choice,

The option to rejoice, or not
And from the choice yes

On the ballot of salvation

Would come love He couldn't have achieved

By any motion to coerce,

The kind of love that the devil could not reverse,
Because all the while

He teaches us how to love

Perfectly, enormously, wonderfully -
So this plan –

This story He is writing,

As he writes –

As the words etched in His heart hit paper,

Scriptures you hold
Are love letters to your soul,

From the God who wants to make you whole,

To a heart He chose not to control,
He had planned His reply,

To win back the heart of His bride,

With a cross on which He chose to die,

And let her decide,

To love Him for all her life.

So from the beginning

God was planning
And you have a piece in this great story,

That ends with an inheritance

To all the King’s glory.
But I won't lie –

The middle is speckled with pain,

Sure, sin has a habit of creating these chains,

That sprain and strain and stain and wane.

We're all coming from a place

Where sin had domain.
Yes, there was a winter to be had,

A night to suffer to which He'd be glad,

If He could know that pain wasn't to last,

And that all of the struggle

Would be a thing of the past.
But the relationship forged

In the deepest of measures,

Would lead to a blessing

With the greatest of pleasures.
But like a child who reads the last pages first,

To make sure the characters

Make it through the very worst,

In the end of God's plan

We all will be reimbursed. 

The final point I want to make to you,

Is that there is nothing you could ever do,
That could cause God's plan to fall through,
No matter how we trip and fall,

The mistakes we regret

Neither big nor small,

Could ever stall
The plan in store

God has for us all.
Because from the beginning,

What he could see,

Was the story

He'd write about you and about me,
When man ran away and decided to retreat,

He was thinking of you –

And He was thinking of me,
When he started to pick up all of the debris,

He was thinking of you –

And he was thinking of me.
When he was hanging on a tree –

All he could see was you – and me.
So the God of the universe has sent out His invitation
He's already given us His presentation
Bride are you ready to take part in the celebration?

Natalie Newton

A Joplin Journey: Missing

18 April 2013

Amy was at work in the mall when the tornado hit Joplin. Though the mall was outside the path of the tornado, her home was not.  As the news trickled in, she quickly learned that their home was dead center.

While Amy was working, her husband Matt was at home with their two children. As he looked out their back door, there was no doubt that trouble was coming and Matt needed to get the kids to the safest place in their home.

It was an interesting decision he had to make. Their house was unusual in Joplin, because it had a basement. This would usually be considered a safe place. Another option is to go to the bathtub. Matt deliberately chose another location – a very small closet in the bathroom.

It was a decision that saved their lives.

As soon as they got into the closet, the tornado hit. The bathtub was one of the first things to go (they never did find it!). The tornado continued to batter the house and soon, it would dissolve and collapse. After a few minutes, what was left of the house collapsed into the basement, including the closet in which Matt and the children were huddled.

As the storm passed, Matt and the children literally crawled out of the debris of what used to be their home. Stunned and not knowing what to do, they began to walk.

In the meanwhile, Amy was rushing home. Unable to get her car any further because of the devastation, she abandoned it and ran several blocks to her house in high heels. When she arrived to where their house used to be, it was a moment of panic. There was so much destruction, she was not even sure which house was theirs.  As she narrowed down her location choices, she began picking through the debris and calling out their names. But there was no answer.

This was not a time of sorrow though, at least not yet. Her family was missing and she was going to find them. "Please Lord, let me find them."

I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. 

Psalm 120.1 (NIV)

More of Matt & Amy's story coming!

A Joplin Journey: Why Me?

14 April 2013

Before anyone knew how dangerous this tornado would become, Betty Jo watched it touch down as a much smaller funnel. It was coming right toward her and the house. Instead of moving to a safe place, she froze in place and watched.

Mysteriously, the tornado lifted off the ground and sailed over her house. It did do some damage. Her trees were ripped apart and a neighbor unwillingly donated his boat onto her lawn.

Betty Jo would move to the other side of the house, and see the tornado touch down again, lifting a neighbor’s house off its foundation and out of her sight. She would later find out that the house was planted in a nearby field.

In a few minutes, this tornado would become the largest on record, and destroy the city of Joplin.

For Betty Jo, this was a life-changing event, for she asked, “Why me? Why did this tornado hop over my house and destroy so many of my friends’ houses?” It was a day that changed her mind.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

Psalm 103.10, NIV

More of Betty Jo's story to come!

A Joplin Journey: Together

11 April 2003

Franklin took one look at the sky and knew this was a big one. There was a strange green tint in the air as the massive black sky was marching toward them.

Within minutes, Franklin moved his wife Andrea, and their two boys, Franklin III and Jackson into the crawl space under the house. It was just in time as winds exceeding 200 miles per hour began destroying their neighborhood.

As they lay in the crawl space, they could hear the roof coming off their home. Then they heard their vehicles slam into the house eventually becoming nothing more than twisted metal. Piece by piece, their home was flying away. And then, the floor of the house was collapsing on them.

Then the gas line broke. It was a moment of panic. Should they crawl out and get away from the gas? With all the electricity in the air, it was hard to feel safe there. Their fear of a gas explosion caused them to crawl out, but as soon as they did, the wind began to pick up the youngest boy.  Franklin grabbed him out of the air and they crawled back under the house.

In a few minutes, the tornado did pass.  As they crawled out, there was an eerie silence accompanied by the leftover hail and neighbors screaming for help. Franklin’s first thought, though, was to get his family to a safety. After assuring his neighbors he would be back, the family began to walk toward Joplin to find a safe place.

Hoping to find a stable house untouched by the tornado, they found none. Instead, there was devastation everywhere. So they kept walking, precariously dodging power lines laying on the ground and ponds of water.

They were, however, alive and together! These were facts that had not escaped them, and for which they were grateful.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

Proverbs 18.10, NIV

More of Franklin's story to come...

A Joplin Journey: Build

2 April 2013

In May 2011, a catastrophic tornado demolished a large part of the city of Joplin, MO. Many have heard about this tornado, but like myself, it is hard to get a grasp of its magnitude until you go there and see for yourself.

Early in the week (March 11-16), as I gazed over the devastation that this tornado caused, I spontaneously began to weep. I literally could see a path miles long and mile wide, and all I could think about is the sheer terror of the thing as winds exceeded 250 miles per hour.

Joplin has been rebuilding, but it is a slow and painful process. For people who lost everything, the fear may never go away. But it was good to bring a portion of hope to such people. Our ministry team from the University at Buffalo participated in building new homes – adequate in size – with safe rooms from future tornadoes – so that families in Joplin could experience a rebirth of a kind, and a hope in Jesus that is real.

"Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." 

Isaiah 57.14, NIV