Insight from Chris

Okay, so I got hooked up with a group on campus called Intervarsity. They're definitely pretty much awesome.

The event they are hosting this week (Monday all the way through Friday) is called Impact 1, and it is about AIDS in Africa, specifically the children that are orphaned and/or infected by HIV. The basic gist is that we have a tent that you go through, following the life of one of three children. As you go through, you are guided by an MP3 player and really get an intense image of what life is like for them. I went through one of the tracks today... I'll hit the rest tomorrow.

To say the least, it was intense. It's definitely hard to express. If you're here at SLO, go check it out on Dexter Lawn.

I'm signed up to help out with it - specifically, the response team. Response team is invite-only (my small group leader invited me) and our job is to talk with people afterward about the experience.

Yesterday was our response team training (8 hours... by the halfway point it was starting to sound like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL_-1d9OSdk ) Basically, we're supposed to talk about the spiritual, emotional, and practical aspects of things. The general script is we start out talking about emotions, then talk about the spiritual side of things (what does God think about this?), try to share the gospel, and then talk about practical ways to try to help out.

Throughout the time, I kept thinking to myself, "Is this really what we want to do?" I spoke to other people there, and pretty much everyone agreed with me: the script is stupid. I kept having flashbacks to Blue Like Jazz, a book that definitely questions your thinking, and about what the author of that book said about this: people won't listen to you until they believe that you genuinely care (love) about them. And that is most definitely true.

So here's what I'm going to be there to do: talk about the AIDS crisis in Africa. Talk about what we could do to change it. If they're open, I'll talk about what God has to say about it - about how we, as God's people, are responsible for doing God's work in this world. We are his hands and feet, not a bullhorn. I'll suggest to people the few ways that we have set up for them to contribute to helping if they want. But first and foremost, I'm not going to be there with an agenda on my mind. The most important thing is showing them that I care about them, that they are real to me, and that I, as a Christian, am not there to condemn them.

And this is the thought that most of the people in Intervarsity had - no scripts. No agenda. Just be there to have a real, casual conversation with people. The only plan I really have is let the holy spirit do His thing. My job is to present the Gospel if people are open to it - saving them is God's.

So those are my thoughts for the night. Looks like Tuesday night I'll actually be spending the night with my small group on Dexter lawn. How cool is that?

Farewell Sweet Girl

This morning John and I had to take our sweet Taco to be put to sleep. She had been ill for the last 6 weeks or so and it finally was obvious that she was in pain. It is so tender how God gives us precious pets to love and care for, they truly become a part of who you are. Taco was often a brat, but we loved her for her spunky willfulness.

I do wonder if our pets will be in Heaven with us. I know they have no soul, but I firmly believe that animals are if not in Heaven certainly on the New Earth. Otherwise where did that white horse Jesus rides in on come from? Also there are some interesting verses in Genesis when God makes covenant with Noah.

"I will demand an accounting from every animal" Gen. 9: 5

"I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the widl animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth" Gen 9:9

Taco, you were a faithful companion, you gave us unconditional love (how often should we be more like our pets?) We will miss you greatly sweet girl.

Spending time with God

Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted anything. Oops!

This morning I decided that before I did anything I would go through a prayer guide from GodTV. It is an excellent guide with lots of scriptures. I was convicted during our Ministerial Study Program last night (a study John and I are doing to be better prepared for ministry) about the disciples inability to stay awake with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. As I read about how they kept falling asleep I knew that I would have done the same and in fact do do the same thing. I get distracted so easily that to sit for very long I feel I have to do something else.

So rather than read the paper and check the e-mail, I would sit down and go through this prayer guide. Oh how hard it was, my mind would focus for a while and then would wander to some undone task. I can relate to Martha so well, I think she had ADD like me. But I was able to go through the guide and was very blessed. I hope to make it a habit - put God first each morning before everything else.

Blessings~ Dawn

This is the confidence we have....

There is no doubt that walking in faith, which is defined in the word of God as "being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you can not see", is not easy. Even as things do not turn out the way we hope for we are still confident of the goodness of our God.

I was reminded to day that the Lord has confirmed 3 times the word "he shall not die, but live and proclaim the might works of the Lord" Psalm 118:17, over John. No matter if the physical scans do not show complete victory over this cancer yet, we believe with confidence according HIS WORD that that victory will come. The journey has been long, and without a doubt we are tired, but as with the persistent widow we will cry out day and night for justice, and will believe that our God will bring that justice.

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1John 5:14-15.