Life is but a Vapor

 .        I have a question to ask. One that we all have done but perhaps have not thought of. Have you ever found yourself on a cold day observing your breath and before you can really picture it, it’s no longer before you. Okay, perhaps you would rather not find yourself on a cold morning looking at your breath. That is okay. Allow me to share with you a new image. Have you found yourself early in the morning with your favorite mug in your hand filled with a great cup of coffee. As you look over at your mug taking in the morning before your thoughts turn to the day ahead. You look to your mug and blow away the steam which is gone as fast as it appeared before.

Growing up in New England, winter was a beautiful time of the year. Yes cold, but nothing pales in comparison to waking up on the morning of a fresh snow. I remember as a child waking up and looking out the window of my room into the wonderland that lay outside. As soon as my parents allowed I would go outside and spend what time I could in that wonderland. I would play games with my brothers, make snow angels, make paths to play games and many other things. But with all of that, I would still sit in wonder of my surroundings. One thing I had always loved to do was sit and watch my breath in the cold. It would never stay long and could not stay long doing that as a the cold would get to your lungs.

What spired this train of thought was a day like today. It started early this morning which started slow. Where I struggled to wake, and seemed to take its time for when I had to head to work. I arrived at work promptly that morning. We were chugging along that morning, getting the store ready, prepping food we needed, taking care of customers and other administrative tasks needed for the day. Today would be a day I would not remember. I know what you are thinking how can you write about a day that is un memorable. I know because I have the same thought. Just give me a moment to share.

            So as I was sharing about work. The days started like any other day with its usual challenges and opportunities. As the day went on, I kept doing my thing and before I knew it I decided to look at my phone for the time and it was 9am. You see the day started at 5am and before I knew it, it was 9. Then before I knew it we approached lunch. You see when you open the café, lunch is the point meaning your shift is all but done. We pushed through lunch and after when my relief arrived, we took care of some transition details and my shift ended. I went from there to the gym where I was for 2 hours but felt like 10 minutes. Then went to small group and then drove home. The day started at 3am but before I knew it, I was in my car leaving small group at 10:30pm heading home. That night was particular foggy, so foggy that as I was on the highway headed home, I could not even see the sign for the exit I had to take. While I was driving home, looking into the fog following group. The Lord guided my mind to a verse in Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of Vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” I know what you’re thinking what does “vanity of vanities” have to do with vapor. Well you see the term in Hebrew is הֲבֵ֤ל which is defined as “vanity” but can also can be translated as breath or vapor.

            The book of Ecclesiastes is a book written by King Solomon, who has gifted with wisdom by the Lord. This man, unfortunately unwisely attempted to experience everything possible under the sun which is part of his fall. He is a man through personal experience how fleeting life is. He saw life as something that passes before it seems to begin. Take a moment to think of your own life. No matter your stage of life think for a moment I know you probably think that your childhood feels ages ago but at the same time it feels like yesterday you were running around school. I know you feel like this because of each time we visit a school we have almost flashbacks when we were in school.

            This train of thought makes you really wonder. As life is short, what is it that we should be living for. Should we seek families, careers, friends, or your own pleasures. As life is but a vapor, we should really be living for the only thing that matters in life which is to worship the Lord and be faithful to His commands for his church “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a) and “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” I don’t want to insist or pressure anything but consider for a moment. If life is but a vapor. That vapor from your mouth on a cold morning or off your coffee what is the point of our lives? Is it to live for us or for the one who create us and loved us enough to provide us the only way to eternal life John 3:16.

What is Sport??

               Have you ever really wondered why we have sports? It seems almost as a question whose answer does not require the question. But think about it for a minute, if I would ask you what is your favorite sport? Anything that is a sport… What is the first thing that comes to your mind. Maybe American Football, maybe football (Soccer), maybe Golf, or maybe swimming. We all have a sport that we would consider ‘our’ sport. You can try to deny that you could careless about sport but I bet you enjoy something like maybe you like to take walks or you run daily.

               But from that, have you ever really wondered why we have sports or what sport really is?  According to the British dictionary sport is “an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” I cannot argue this one bit because I would agree. We know what sport is but let that linger for a moment…. One more moment…. One more… why do we have sports?

I know every culture around the world and through history has had their sport. The Greeks created the Olympics, Native Americans created Across, America has American football, the rest of the world has proper football known by Americans as soccer. But why?

According to one article in the Wilson Quarterly, Sport “is supposed to provide pleasure and excitement for the participants and to take them for a time out of the regular rhythms of the world in which they live.” From this understanding, it appears sport has a psychological aspect to it. Almost a sense of relief from the troubles we deal with regularly. Our lives are filled with so much stress from work, relationships, to surviving that there needed to be something to give relief but because we were designed to be in community with others there had to be something. I would propose that God gave man Sport. He gave it to us to, in community, to bond and to have a sense of relief from the troubles our mind focuses on.

What is sport? 

How about a gift…..

"Is this the Real Life? Is this just Fantasy?"

“Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landslide.

No escape from reality

Open your eyes, look up the skies and see,”

        Many of you know this song well. These words put it well on how I have been feeling today. I feel like I am in a dream. Any moment to wake up in my bed in Dallas Texas only to discover I have to run to a shift in the Mail room, Panera or AV. Or maybe even run to Church to teach some kids about Christ.

            As you know, I spent the last 2 days traveling from Dallas, Texas to Ireland. It doesn’t seem real, why has God given me this opportunity. A man from New Hampshire who now lives in Texas; Never did I ever imagine in the majority of the 26 years of my life that I would be sitting here in Ireland, let alone a second time. From everything that has occurred in the past 26 years of my life, I never felt honored to be in this position but God has been so amazing. Christ is my cornerstone and I will serve Him in anyway I can.

            So often during our lives we get excited about the adventure that comes along: School, vacations, jobs, moving or even marriage (not that I know what that adventure is like) but how often do we stop, even for a minute, and contemplate what God is doing in our lives…. My guess, if your anything like me, is rare. We usually just Go and never stop. This summer, I will be working through the psalms, which a great deal of them have been written by David. All of these were at one-point songs to be accompanied by Music. All of them were written from a reflective time in his life. Most of them about the faithfulness of God.

Just think about that, think of any Hymn that you enjoy. Maybe “Cornerstone, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Amazing Grace, It is Well with my Soul or In Christ Alone.” Of these hymns, I know that at least 2 of them were made during a time of great distress with focus on God. John Newton who wrote “Amazing Grace” wrote the hymn after turning to Christ after years of being a Captain on a slave trader ship.

           When you take a time to reflect to see what God is doing in your life, God will do some amazing things. You may not write the next Amazing Grace or Write a Psalm but even if it is to see more of how Faithful God is and you give Him the glory. It is worth it.

       Take a wee break, write or journal, or even just pray that God will help you reflect on where you are now in life. He will not disappoint to show you what he is doing.

Cheers

What does Christmas Mean to You?

                 Christmas, what does that mean any more? This year, which is 2014, the church has come under attack more than ever in the United States. Understandability the church has been attacked. We talk so much about love but we are terrible on that. Jesus said "John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” But we forget this so often and simply judge everyone and make people listen to us before they allow us to speak. Love, why can't we do that as a body of Christ. I go to a seminary that is founded on the idea of "teach truth, love well" but very few have any concept of loving their neighbor. I have come to understand that this is the one thing that is easily understood but hard to understand and do.

                December 25 is a special day on the church calendar. A day kids spend opening gifts and parents spoil their kids with gifts. (Don't get me wrong the gifts are great and a part of the culture). But we need to remember what Christmas is about.

                Christmas like any other day on the church calendar is a day to remember or an Ebenezer stone. In 1 Samuel 7, Samuel is instructing the Israelites on returning to the. Lord and how to handle the philistines. Samuel placed a stone there for the Israelites to remember that it was the lord who saved them that day. Also. In Joshua 4, Joshua set us memorial stones like the Ebenezer stone to remind the Israelites on what occurred. They were to remember how God took care of the Israelites I the wilderness after the exile, the stones or reminders where there. Because God knew we are a forgetful people whom so quickly often forgets God. God is a jealous God and will not take second seat for anything but helpless us also because he loves us he put things to remind us Him.

                 Christmas is a day we as the body of Christ celebrate not Santa coming to town but Christ coming into the earth as a man born of a woman. Most doubt That Jesus was born on December 25 and they are probably right. It's not about the exact date of the birth but an Ebenezer of His birth. It was a day over 2000 years ago under the rule of Caesar Augustus that a baby was born to a Jewish peasant woman of Nazareth whom was of the Leviticial line married to Joseph a son of David. It is December 25 that we celebrate the birth of a Jewish peasant it was that day that God condescended and came to earth as a baby. He emptied himself not of his divinity, not of his God hear but that he took on himself a moral body to become both man and God in a perfect union to be the sacrifice for all. It was the moment when God looked up with the eyes of a man onto the creation that as Romans 5:10 states “ we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” God entered this world when the world was so deep in sin that it hated the thought of God and yet He came in the form of a baby born in Bethlehem.

           So I ask again, what does Christmas mean? Is it about gifts, about family, about baby Jesus or about a big fat guy who watches all awake or sleeping to give them gifts via a sleigh? I pray Jesus is why you celebrate this time of the year. If not is okay God gave us a freedom of choice. But I will stand to share the Ebenezer stone that's on December 25 to remember that it was on that day so many years ago that world history changed forever, that we had the hope of the redemption of the dark and fallen world around us. We celebrate as the body of Christ to remember the light that entered into this dark world around us. Jesus is the true reason for the Christmas season and it will never be forgotten. For on that night so many moons ago Christ came as a baby to be the Light in the World of the Darkness.

Journey Back to the USA

                   I am extremely excited and deeply saddened to send you this letter to complete this stage of my journey in the adventure of life God has us all on. I am now back deep in the heart of Texas, which is also known as Dallas. I returned to America on August 1 and landed in Boston, MA. I took a few days to spend time with family before returning to Dallas Texas to continue my studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. I am thrilled to be here in Dallas and not longer traveling but I deeply miss my Irish family and friends. It was such a time of growth in my relationship with God and loved meeting so many great people in Ireland.

                   I want to take a moment and thank all of you who partnered with me in the work God is doing in Ireland. To my family and friends at Northwest Bible Church, I want to say thank you. You all were part in my adventure and growth leading up to my adventure in Ireland and it was grand to be able to Skype with the Kids a few weeks ago. I missed those kids and was honored to have the opportunity to talk with them again. Also to all of my Dallas Theological Seminary friends I cannot say thank you enough for everything. From your prayers, your partnership, your friendship and your willingness to do life with me at DTS, I could not have made it those 2 months without you. Also to all of my friends in New England, in Florida, in Texas and around the world thank you for all of the prayers. Being in a new culture, in a new environment and completely new area I went through a lot with God and it was through those prayers that made it possible for me to make it through. I am so grateful and honored to have people like you on the journey God has us on to call friends and family. This part of the journey may be over but this journey to Ireland is not over.

            During my time in Ireland, I witness a lot on how He is working there and at the same time was working through me. God has given me a strong desire to return to Ireland after my time at DTS and help out the Church there in anyway I can. I even discovered a possible way to gain access into Ireland without a need for a visa but that depends if I can discover proof of my family line. While in Ireland I had a opportunity to see first hand how God is working in Dublin, Swords, Trim and in Northern Ireland. The country at whole is still healing from the immense weight and pressure that the Catholic Church placed on their shoulders. The evangelicals in Ireland are doing great work in serving the communities God has placed them in or at least the few I saw (I’m not sure through the country). While in Ireland, I discovered Ireland is not a ‘post-Christian’ country; these are people who may consider themselves Christian but have a limited to no knowledge of the Bible. Just a few days ago I went through my debriefing with TEAM and they asked me if I felt home in Ireland and I did. I even had a bit of homesickness from missing Ireland. I never thought Ireland would have left such a dramatic effect on my life and I hope to return next summer during July so I can help the kids club.

                    From my time in Ireland, I have realized a lot I need to do in preparation with Hopes to move to Ireland long term. I will be in these next few years at Dallas Theological Seminary taking steps to prepare myself to return to Ireland with the Theological training I have received and will receive from this wonderful school. This next semester I’m taking my first counseling course. I’ve been thinking of getting a dual degree and getting a Masters in biblical counseling as well. I learned in Ireland people want to talk with someone they can trust and would love to be able to return to return to Ireland with a skill like counseling. I also will be taking my first Christian education course, a bible course on the history book in the Old Testament, also another semester of Hebrew and a course on the bible background and customs. I’m excited to see what God has in store this semester and where He will lead me.

            With all of the options and possible directions God has placed before me since going to Ireland and returning, I began reading a CS Lewis book that Dr. Jay Smith of DTS recommended in a chapel my 1^st semester called “Fern Seeds and Elephants.” It is out of print but a great book and I was reading the chapter or article called learning in war-time and read 2 lines that really made an impact on me and a bit the way I operate. CS Lewis wrote “Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment 'as to the Lord'. It is only our daily bread that we are encouraged to ask for”. I do think and pray over the direction God is taking my life, like should I continue at DTS or pursue a different masters degree. I will continue to pray everyday for His daily bread and see what journey God has for me in the days to come.

              So it would be an honor to have you a partner in the adventure God is taking me through Dallas Seminary as I prepare for my hopeful return to Ireland.

Also in the words of a friend who served in Italy this summer “*** I CANT SAY THIS ENOUGH; BUT IT REALLY MEANS THE WORLD TO ME THAT YOU GUYS WOULD HONESTLY CARE ABOUT ME, TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR SCHEDULES TO READ THIS AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE TO LET ME HEAR FROM YOU AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOUR LIVES ARE GOING!  IT BRINGS ME SUCH JOY AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! I LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU DEEPLY!!! SO PLEASE EMAIL, SKYPE, FACEBOOK, OR FACETIME ME. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!

Please stop me, call me, message me or even write to me if you want to hear more about Ireland. Also, I continue to pray for you always and love to hear how God is working in your life.

Grateful to be home, excited to see the adventure God has for us,

Missing Ireland but Excited for God’s plan,

Thanks a million,

Day 62 in Ireland

Cliffs of Insanity

                     So at this point in my adventure in Ireland that God has sent me on, I have now seen 3 of the coasts of Ireland: the north, east and now the west. This island is so beautiful that I cannot pass an opportunity to pray everytime I see the beauty that is around me. The northern coast is beautiful and the east is amazing but nothing compares to the east. This past Saturday I took a day to tour the western coast of Ireland with the TEAM(ers) here in Ireland. We headed out to the Cliffs of Moher (aka the Cliffs of Insanity). The cliffs were amazing, at least a half a mile high and you can walk right up to the cliff side. There is a section that isn’t a public part, it’s a private farm that has no fencing on the edge and you can literally walk right off the cliff if your not careful or if there is a strong enough wind.  While walking there were some amazing sights that you could only marvel at the beauty that God has created before us. You didn’t quite see the scale of the cliffs until a tour boat went by and it looked like an ant from the top of the cliff side. I took an opportunity to save both a rock and a shamrock from the cliff side as a reminder of it.

The Burren

The Place I stopped to Pray

            From there we drove north to the area in Ireland called the Barren. It was an impressive sight. There are literally more rocks on and in the ground than grass. Ireland is known as the Green Isle but here was a spot where it was more grey from the rocks that there was a wee bit of grass around. As we pulled over in the car, I headed directly for the coast. I looked back and everyone else was close to the car still. We headed to the cliff side there and there was this one spot that had a deep ravine that you could climb down, I went down a wee bit but when the rocks started to get a bit sharp, I stopped. Then looked around a bit and headed back to the car. We stopped in the barren area one more time, where the other short termers were chasing the sheep. The lady who took us out had to remind them to not chase the sheep over the Cliffside. While they were going after the sheep, I found the absolutely most beautiful spot by the sea and cliff side. All I could do was go on one knee, pray and recite scripture as a prayer. It was absolutely beautiful; I could easily spend hours in that spot on a lovely day like Saturday.

All of this occurred as a relaxing day after a week long of helping out at SBC’s Kids clubs. They operate 2 clubs at 2 different locations where the leaders play with the kids for about an hour. We mainly played futbol (soccer), but some leaders played skipping rope with the kids, and we played with a parachute as well. The kids had a lot of fun playing the games except for Wednesday morning, the kids got a bit aggressive where one of the leaders had to stop the game and have the pastor on sight address the kids to calm down. Then after the games we would gather the kids in the tents to do the memory verse and sing a few songs. WE sang a song called jump, another called Superhero (A hillsong kids song) and a song about dancing for the lord. It was so much fun when I got to lead the kids through the songs and keep them entertained. Then they broke up into 3 different groups the red (youngest kids), Yellow (the middle age group), and the blue group, which was the older group, which I was the leader for on both days. The morning session I was more of the helper but the afternoon I was the main leader for the blue group. We shared 5 stories of Jesus from the book of Matthew (Calling of Levi, Calming of the storm, healing the Pharisee’s daughter, the crucifixion and the resurrection). None of the kids accepted Christ as we would know it in the states but that all heard about Christ during the week and we had some good conversations with the kids and the leaders as well.

            It has been excited to see God introduced to the kids and seeing the conversations that have developed over the week from the kids club. I haven’t seen someone straight out say they accept Christ but I have seen many people move closer to the cross, which is all we can actually do as Christians. We can share with them about Christ but the work remains to the Lord. I’m now on the closing stretch of my adventure in Ireland before returning to America for a family reunion before returning to Dallas, Texas. I have been seeing how God is working in Ireland and I am convinced that this is where God wants to use me. I’m planning on working to keep my contacts over here as much as I can. I have fallen in love with the people here and wish I could develop my relationships here more but I have less than 2 weeks left. I love this country; these people and I will never forget these people. I’m praying that God will bring me back to this green Isle one day.

 

Please continue to pray for me as I finish my time here and as I transition back to America on the 1^st of August.

Cheers

Happy 4th of July from Ireland

        Things are starting to pick up here in Swords Ireland. During my last month, I have had the opportunity to build some great relationships around the church and in swords. Within the 1^st week I was here, I had a youth ask to meet up, to simply hang out. We walked all around swords and played some futbol. (More like just kicked it to each other). I’ve also started to build relationships with the leaders of the church like the lead pastor here. He has been such a blessing in understanding how God is working here in Ireland. From what I can understand so far the people of Ireland have a deep wound from the teachings from the Church here. Being a form of Christianity that builds on the foundation of a works based theology the people here have been placed under an extraordinary burden. They were taught that they have to do in order to receive salvation. At the same time, the church here has been ravished by scandals. First in the early 2000s the sex abuse scandals that ravished New England were also taking place here, which greatly damaged the image of the church here. Then when I arrived the church was hit with another scandal where at one of the single mother home run by the church where they discovered many children that died and did not notify the government or anyone. This one particularly took place in the 1920s and 1930s. Also, upon seeing the image the church portrays here and conversations I have had with people, I am beginning to see where God is working here in Ireland and the kinds of people he has been using to bring His glory to Ireland.

         
              One of the conversations about the church here in Ireland took place actually where I got a hair cut. The shop, no joke for your Americans, is “Boston Barber Bars” it is similar to sports clips where it is promoted to cut men’s hair. While we were talking he noticed my accent was not a local one so he asked me where I am from. I said Texas, He said he always wanted to visit America but never had the opportunity. Then he asked why I was here in Ireland. I told him I was here to help out a church off of Feltrim road, which for him was a bit odd. He asked me if there was anything wrong with the church, which I said no, but that I was here simply to help with whatever they needed. He was really nice about it. He went on to tell me how all the priests around the area in Swords and the ones he preferred where the ones that did not instantly condemn his choice of lifestyle and could have a normal conversation with them. I thought that was fascinating, this man who thought I was catholic likes to talk with people who are more interested with him than ones that simply condemn him. John 13:35 does states “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” And I have not seen the verse where we are told to condemn a person for their sin. Obviously God hates any sin but Christ did not come to condemn the world but came in order to save it, to redeem it. My favorite part of the conversation with the Barber was when he told me of his family trip to a church in Argentina. While at the church his father’s wallet was picked and the found the person still in the church. When the confronted him, they heard the priest say, “Give him a good punch” the man dropped the wallet and ran out. They asked the priest why he didn’t say turn the other cheek or something. He said, “ Yes, I normally would say turn the other cheek but sometimes, there are those people who need a good punch.” The man said he loved that type of priest who was simply a normal person who did not try to place himself over others. I’ve loved to meet some of these non-Christian Irish people. They are a hospitable group who are very proud that they are Irish.

Me and Holly at Donabate Beach

          
             Recently, another short term TEAM Serve missionary has arrived on the field and 2 more arriving in the next week. It’s nice to have another person here to see things in Ireland and engage the local area. It’s been great doing it alone but so much better with another. The first day here, we went to the beach in Donabate, Ireland and helped walk the dog of the TEAM missionary here. I love that dog; She actually followed me a bit as I ran on the beach. I have always dreamed of a dog running along with me on the beach and was thrilled Holly ran with me. Also, yesterday I showed the short termer around Swords Ireland from the Pavilion to Swords Main Street, to the Cock Tavern to Swords Castle and then to the supermarket called JC’s.

This country of Ireland is amazing and I have fallen in love with everything I have seen around me. These people are such an amazing group of people who do not yet know who Christ is. With a country whose history is associated with Christianity, (not a pure form but still with Christ) to have so many have 0 knowledge of the Bible and Jesus and God is showing me what kinds of ways to do ministry here long term. I’m looking forward to seeing how God is going to be using me this next few weeks before I return to the United States. I love that I have been here now about a month and a half but hate that I now have less than a month left here. But I know God has a greater plan for me in the time to come.

Cheers

Prayer Requests

During your time through out the day, please keep the following requests in your prayers…

People: Graham, Linda, Jesse, Joanne, Joyce, Nathan, Jonny, Shelby, Robyn, Tim, Leah, Seth, Bill, Julia, Mick, Cian, Luke, Stephen, Clem, Valerie, David, Nialle, Rose, Keith, Fidela, Hazel, Eric, Donna, Ian, Ciaran, Rebekah, Pablo, Daniel, Dave, Dennis, M. Murphy, Esther, Igor, Alan, Davy, Yuri, James, Sylvia, Stacy, the Irish and Me.

Places/Orgs: SBC, Exodus, TEAM, GEM, Men’s Space, Impact, TeenStreet

Please continue to pray for our kids club, which is in 2 weeks as we minister to the kids of Swords through 5 stories of Jesus from Matthew.

Please pray for God to continue allow me to be sensitive to the Irish and the way he is working here in Ireland.

Please pray for my trip to the village of Trim as I meet with a former DTS student to see how God is working over there.