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

A Joplin Journey: Worship

10 March 2013

We are at the beginning of our Spring Break Service Project and we have yet to reach our destination of Joplin, Missouri. Today, we attended a megachurch in the St. Louis area. 

Our greeting was friendly, and well done. So, I must admit, I became expectant as the service began. The first set of worship music was fine, though the lyrics were repetitive. My struggle to worship began immediately, not because of the music, but because of two particular musicians. 

First, the lead electric guitar was wandering back and forth the full length of the stage, and then moving forward anytime he had a solo. He was a fine musician, and I have no trouble with a musician presenting his/her playing as an act of worship. His continual moving on stage, however, came across to me as "look at me."

The second was one of the worship leaders on stage. While the rest of the team were active in their leading of worship with appropriate gestures and such, one particular woman kept drawing attention to herself. She was swinging her hips and bouncing her shapeliness in a way that was hard to ignore. I tried. Honest!

As the first set came to an end, I confess I had not yet formed one worshipful thought. My sensory inputs were flooded and I was on overload. I wanted to worship, but I felt so distracted by all this unneeded (and perhaps, inappropriate) activity.

The second set of worship music was more familiar to me and the musicians seemed to settle down and I was less distracted. I felt as if I was turning a corner, and my mind and heart began to engage the Lord in worship. It was, however, about to get worse. 

As the music concluded, the campus pastor gave an invitation to the audience to become a Christian. It seemed out of place or creative. I could not decide which one. How he made the invitation, though, is what got to me. He said that to become a Christian was simple. Just pray a prayer and receive the "punch ticket" to heaven. 

Did I hear that right? A "punch ticket"?

Anything about sin or repentance? Anything about trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord? 

He led us all in the prayer and announced that if we prayed that prayer, we were now a Christian. 

My heart groaned, and my chest heaved out a spontaneous audible sigh. For me the distinction was clear. The emphasis was such that the faith to save was in saying the prayer. No attention was given on what it means to be a Christian, much less the cost involved.

As I understood it, the theme of the service (and the church?) was to celebrate all that we can obtain from God because of how passionate He is for us. The message compared Him to a daddy that gives us whatever we want.

Thankfully, God is much wiser than to give in to my childish wants, no matter how much I may want them. Instead, He invites me to wisdom. And here is the blessing: I can ask for wisdom anytime, and He is more than glad to give it. Now that is the God I can respect and worship.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.

John 4.24, NIV

"It Is My God-Given Right to Own an M1 Tank"

18 February 2013

The Newtown tragedy is still lingering on my mind. So I have some questions.

1) Why Assault Weapons?

I mean, why are they even available to anyone? Consider what they are used for.  It is rather simple. They are made to kill a lot of people in a short amount of time. They are not used for hunting. They are not used for target practice. They are not used to defend your home. They are simply used to kill lots of people...period.

2) May I Please Be Against Assault Weapons, but Not the Second Amendment?

I am not anti-gun. I am against repealing the second amendment. Guns have their place. I want people to be able to hunt freely. I want people to be able to defend their homes with guns if they so choose.

3) May I Please Be Against Assault Weapons, and Not Hear a Sermon about My Rights?

We heard it with a person's right to property. That was slavery. In our day, we hear about a person's right over their own body and their right to choose. As a result, babies are discarded. Rights are not absolutes. Frankly, some people's claims to rights sound ridiculous to me.

4) When Do These Demands Stop?

Would it be alright with you if I parked my M1 tank in my front yard? I need it to defend my home. Also, I need my Apache helicopter to practice my target practice. One more thing, I need that new missile launcher. I am giving it a new nickname - the Deerslayer.

5) Is the Second Amendment a God-Given Right?

I heard some Christians say this recently. You know, the Constitution of the United States is not inspired. So, stop saying such nonsense.

I don't know what the answer to all of this. But this I do know. When courageous and innocent souls die in the face of blatant evil, our sorrow should move us into action. The status quo is unacceptable.

Your comments are welcome (as long as they make sense).

Wacky Wednesday

Pick Up Lines by the Great Lover, Solomon
30 January 2013

I cannot promise these are winners as far as pick-up lines go, but if you are desperate, give them a try!

Oh, my dear friend! You’re so beautiful! And your eyes so beautiful — like doves! 

Come, my shy and modest dove — leave your seclusion, come out in the open. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing. 

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young.

Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.

Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. 

Who is this who shines like the dawn—as beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring as an army with banners? 

How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O noble daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master hand.