Challenges...On the Wall and In Life

Challenges…When faced and confronted they provide opportunities to excel, to thrive, to succeed, to go beyond what you thought or believed you could accomplish. But when resisted or avoided, they generate fear, regret, worry, failure and insecurity.

David shared recently with our faith community a well known passage that speaks directly to this concept. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus reminds us of several things. One is that in this life there will be situations that challenge us on a daily basis. Secondly, He shows us that when confronted with these situations we have a choice as to how we are going to react—either by worrying about how we are going to resolve the need or by trusting in Him to provide for that need. Third, we read that we are to rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is perfectly aware of our situation and its accompanying needs. Finally, we are to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and these things we need will be provided. David concluded by challenging us with this thought: If we are filling our hearts and minds with trust in God, then there is no room for worry!

During the last couple of months our girls have been fantastic examples of facing challenges and of trust as they took up a new sport…rock climbing!! From the first day they listened intently to their instructor, followed his instructions and met the challenge head on, reaching the top of the wall. They love it!!

God has used our daughters’ new activity to remind us how to respond to the challenges of everyday life. We must listen to our Instructor (God), follow His instructions (the Word) and face the challenge head on (trust).

For us a substantial challenge lately has been administering our resources—both time and finances. Choosing to face the challenges and trust has been a recurring theme for us and we are growing as we see God’s direction in our lives and experience His faithfulness. We are in the process of forming a Board of Directors and our hope is that as we seek God together they will provide a steady source of wisdom and counsel in these and other areas. Please pray for us as we will meet for the first time on September 20.

So, we are going to follow our daughters' example and let God show us how to climb the walls in our life that can be challenging and intimidating. We'll see you at the top!

Independence Day and the Dependent Life

With a brand-new elementary school graduate in the family, we departed on commencement day to spend two weeks in the U.S. visiting partners in Bakersfield. One of the highlights of our time away was a gala 4th of July party (that included people from Columbia, Canada and Australia in addition to our Mexican delegation!)

Independence is a wonderful concept when you are referring to a country being freed from oppressive rule, or maturing in their ability to self-govern. Just as in the U.S., in Mexico Independence Day is celebrated with lots of fireworks and good food to commemorate the ultimate price that was paid to secure freedom for those of us who enjoy it decades and centuries later.

Independence however is not something to be celebrated as it relates to our relationship with God. As the result of seeing a movie that debilitated her with fear and worry, our oldest daughter has gone from a young believer who loved God, to a maturing pre-teen who needs God on a daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes moment by moment basis and someone who has experienced in a very real and personal way God's presence and activity in her life.

Before this event she read the Bible while preparing her Sunday school lessons and prayed when she ate her meals or went to bed at night. Now she regularly asks us to pray with her, suggest Scripture passages for her to read or verses that she can memorize. God is no longer just a positive influence in her life...He is a necessity.

Our daughter still has her moments when she struggles, she still has to make choices to dwell on scary images and fearful thoughts, or God's promises and truth. However, more and more she is returning to her carefree, social self, but with a new depth of faith in, commitment to and dependence on God. What a good place to be when you just started Jr. High!! What a great place to be whatever your age...for the rest of your life.

(Read about this experience from our daughter's perspective in the preceeding blog.)

Battling the Effects of Batman!

Hola,
I'm David and Karen's oldest daughter and I'm going to tell you guys a story that just happened very recently.

I was invited to go see Batman: The Black Knight by a friend of mine. Like I'm terribly bad at saying NO I went to see it. At first I was fine but later on I got scared. I got traumatized. (DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS AND TWEENS TO SEE IT! They might get mad, but it's better not to see it than to scare the living daylights out of them. Trust me I learned from experience.)

Well back to the subject, I was so scared I couldn't sleep. That was the moment I was scared and helpless. I knew clearly I could not get over it alone, so I asked God to help me because this was definitely my time of need. It was and is the strongest spiritual battle I've had in my life. As time has gone by I've certainly improved, but the process of improving has been very dificult. I've shed my buckets of tears but what has helped and what I've had to do is learn Bible verses like "In my anguish I cried to the Lord and he answered me by setting me free."(Psalms 118:5) and "The Lord is with me I will not be afraid."(Psalms 118:6)

But what was most difficult for me to do is TRUST God. I'm still in this spiritual battle. I know I am trusting in God but I need to trust more that he WILL SET ME FREE. In our lives we have all types of spiritual battles but what we have to learn is that we can NOT possibly overcome them alone. We need to trust in God because he is on our side and he has given us all the stuff to overcome anything. (I still need to get that stuck in my head:] ) Please pray for me because I'm not totally over it. It's only been a week and a half.

May this blog be a warning to kids, tweens, teens, etc. because movies have incredible control over our minds. Parents please be careful what you let your kids watch. I totally regret what I watched. Like that song that Steve Green sings that goes: "Be careful little eyes what you see..." And believe me, God means it!

May God bless you.
Love,
A "Tween"

Ensenada Women do B&B in Bakersfield

Bed and Breakfast, Babes and Broads, Baja and Bakersfield, have all been possible translations of the acronym B&B used to refer to an annual women's retreat. But whatever you call it the 4th annual gathering of women from Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and Ensenada was an incredible time of fellowship, sharing and teaching focused on friendship...friendship with God, friendship with ourselves and friendship with one another.

Eight women from Ensenada braved the endless miles and the intense heat leaving behind families, jobs and other responsibilities to join with our friends for spiritual rest and refreshment. We were not disappointed. From the first night God spoke to us directly from His Word in Jeremiah chapter 31. Then the next two days our dear friend and spiritual mentor, Jo, not only led us in a study focusing on the theme, but also was instrumental in bringing times of healing through counsel and prayer.

The location for the retreat is in itself a gift and a blessing. Being in the home of our dear friends and partners, Rick and Lorraine, is in physically, emotionally and spiritually refreshing. Two log homes, nestled along a stream and surrounded by lush vegetation provides an atomosphere of peace and tranquility. The first afternoon we even spotted deer! It also helps that the higher elevation and mountainous surroundings represent lower temperatures than the valley a few miles below!

Whether we take a hike around the area, share a meal together, rest in the natural surroundings, join together for times of singing, sharing and teaching, the annual B & B retreat is a time of refreshment for body, soul and spirit.

Twenty Years and Counting...

Over 20 years ago we met a young girl. She was the daughter of a local pastor with whom who worked during our years serving with Agua Viva.

Fast forward several years….The pastor’s daughter is now married to a bright, successful, athletic man—who does not share her depth of faith. At the time they have a baby daughter just five months younger than our oldest girl and we reconnect. We begin to reach out to them, we spend some time together and a few years later our daughters begin attending the same school.

Soon after that we invited them to attend one of our study groups and they accepted. The husband began attending church with his wife and growing in his faith as he learned more about God’s Word and His plan for his life. They began to work on issues in their lives and marriage as well as beginning to train up their children in God’s principles.

Having a burden for members of his family, and other friends, they began a study in their home and asked us to be the leaders. They have participated in all the seminars and retreats that we have organized for people in the community and are active with the faith community here, Reflejo. They also attend the Mount Hermon retreats each year with our contingency. The growth in each of them, as well as in their marriage and family has been dramatic, and although there are many areas where they still struggle, God’s work is evident in their lives.

As part of God’s plan, seven months ago our change of residence brought us to a home right around the corner from this family. (In fact, the wife was our contact with the owner of our house and our friend’s reputation was the only insurance that the owner needed to rent to us on the spot with no contract and no co-signer--an incredible testimony to our friend’s integrity!) Now every Thursday evening we walk to the study. This couple recently shared with us their continued desire for family members, friends and neighbors to receive the teachings that have helped them in their lives. After attending our last retreat, one of his sisters has joined us every week and is being taught from the Bible for the first time! We have encouraged them to pray and wait for God’s timing to invite others. They have introduced us to several people they are praying for and the seeds of relationship are being planted. Please join both of our families in praying that these seeds would find fertile ground and that soon more of our mutual neighbors would come to know our God.

Please pray for us as we are off to Bakersfield for some gatherings with friends and partners as well as the 3rd Annual B&B Women’s Retreat (Bakersfield and Baja) up there.