Swan's Blog

Sun Bathing

2007-03-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

OUTside

2007-03-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Wearing a Dress

2007-03-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Bath time

2007-03-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Jenda

2007-03-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year

2007-03-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

Going Outside

2007-03-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Nakie Baby

2007-03-03T17:37:00.000-08:00

2007-03-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome Back

2007-02-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

Click the link or the picture to view this. I wish we could all be like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxoFfX76YGI

The War on Terror

2007-02-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

Though I am not currently or have I ever been in the military, I have many friends and family that are and have been. One of my best friends was killed in Afghanistan when the truck he was driving was blown up killing him and the three passengers with him. Because of horrible things like this, people have decided that this fight is worthless. We are losing our sons and daughters in foreign lands and it disturbs us. We hate to see our friends and family taken away from us in a war that seems to be in the eyes of some, “unwinable.” So the media and the population as a whole begins to speak out against he war. Popular opinion is that the war is bad and so that makes it ok to degrade the present and the officials and anyone else who support the war. We see soldiers at the airports we feel uncomfortable. They are ignored and even seen at outcasts or fools. They are not looked-up to or admired, but instead are being pitied for being involved in this unpopular conflict where “the people we are protecting don’t even want us there” (so says the media).
After my brother returned from a year in Iraq I asked him a number of questions about his thoughts on the war. His response was inspiring. He said that in previous wars, there has been a conflict over ideas or land or even genocide. No matter how bad or evil we think one side was, there were always some good people who were just fighting for their country. They didn’t know they issues, they just knew they needed to defend their country. The difference in this war is that it is a war against actual “Bad Guys.” These people are terrorists. Their enemies are not people with certain ideals or people from a certain culture or people group. They are against anyone who opposes their rule. They kill their own people and countrymen everyday. They are not fighting for their country or for their people, but they are fighting and killing themselves and others in order to make people afraid, to insight fear or terror. They seek to steal people’s faith. They must strip away people’s faith in the government and faith in the systems that are supposed to protect them. They desire to steal people’s faith in God or anything higher or more powerful than they are. Their goal is that people would be terrorized to the point that they give up and say, “I have given up faith in everything and everyone, if you will let us rest, we will do whatever you want.”
The Iraqi people want us out because there is the illusion that if we are not there fighting for them the terrorist will leave them alone. They will take over and continue a rule of terror, but they make that rule look like a heavenly oasis compared to what they are experiencing now.
Why are we in this war on terror? On September 11, 2001 the United States was attacked by terrorists. As a country we decided to go to war against the terrorists and fight them where they live instead of allowing other attacks. If we withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, do we really think the war wont move with us? As we continue the fight against terror we must understand that we have two options, to fight overseas or to fight at home. In America we have some things that a majority of the world doesn’t have or even understand. We have freedom. We have Justice. We have the right to have faith in our leaders and government, faith in the systems to change our leaders and laws and faith in God. If one has never lived in a country without those things, one can easily think those things are not that important.
I saw a group of six soldiers the other day airport. Many of them were getting ready for their first tour of duty overseas and one had just got back from Afghanistan. I told them that I really appreciated them and the fact that they would go fight to defend our country. The six of them all looked at me for a moment and said nothing. Then the one who had just returned from his tour turned and with misty eyes said, “Wow… Thank you so much for saying that. It means a lot… People don’t tell us that very often.” That made me sad. These young men and women are giving their lives for our country and people are treating them like they have a disease. The great thing about America is that we defend the rights of the poor and needy. We seek to bring freedom and justice to the people without. We bring hope and faith to the hopeless and seek to make the world a better place. Whatever you thoughts on the war, please make sure to tell the troops that you see and run into just how mush you appreciate their sacrifice for you freedom to live in a place without terror. We Support Our Troops. They are heroes and we want to thank them.

2007-01-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

Cousins Gentry and Jenda

2007-01-19T13:42:00.001-08:00

2007-01-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Jenda Collage

2007-01-13T14:31:00.001-08:00

more pics of jenda

2007-01-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

2007-01-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

Our sick baby

2007-01-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Jenda has been pretty sick this last week and a half. we have to give her some breathing medicine every 4-6 hours. please pray that she gets better soon.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Dickerson

2007-01-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

2007-01-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2006

2007-01-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

2007-01-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2006-12-23T17:45:00.001-08:00

A Very Pretty Baby

2006-12-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

Going For A Ride

2006-12-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

The New Fam

2006-12-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

Jenda's second day home from the hospital.

Baby and her mama

2006-12-21T15:28:00.000-08:00

Jenda Zoe Is Born

2006-12-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

ON Monday December 18 at 8:21 am central time Jenda Zoe was born. She weighed 8lbs 15ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

Nat's fam was on hand and my mom came down for a day to see her first granddaughter.

Baby Jenda Dec. 15th

2006-12-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

Our baby is a chubby cute little girl. We love her and can't wait for the birth.

Nat Nov. 27th

2006-12-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

Nat Oct. 17

2006-12-15T12:44:00.002-08:00

Nat Aug 23rd

2006-12-15T12:44:00.001-08:00

Baby August 14th

2006-12-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Nat July 31st

2006-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Nat July 8th

2006-12-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Speaking of Movements

2006-06-26T23:50:00.000-07:00

How to Launch Your Own Movement
By Thomas FreyExecutive Director of the DaVinci Institute

Click here to read the whole article, but here are Thomas Frey's points on How to launch your own movement:

Establish the Need. Make a convincing argument as to why the world needs the changes you’re trying to make. Crafting the message is extremely important. Always focus and "stay on message".

Naming. Create a name that people can rally behind. Something that conveys the noble purpose or your endeavor. Names like “Our Unshredable History" have a nice flare but may not survive well over time.

Credibility Building. Launching anything new becomes an exercise in credibility building. You will need to get many other people and businesses to buy into your thinking. Start with the thought leaders. There are many techniques for adding people and reputations to your membership - advisory boards, surveys, staffing, letters-of-interest, testimonials, etc. The more reputations you can add to your own reputation, the better you are equipped to create a cumulative reputation that extends far out into the market place.

Revenue Streams. Not all movements need to operate like a business, but if this is your sole source of income, you need to identify your sources of funding early.

Participation. Movements demand participation. You will need to devise strategies for people to become involved in what you're doing. Linux became an enabling technology with a platform on which others could build. Building new products, on their technology, was the form of participation that everyone could buy into.

PHP Nuke. Build a PHP Nuke website around the movement. It's free. Post articles on a daily basis about anything to do with file-sharing technology, permanence of data storage, P2P limitations, etc. Let people participate and build the movement organically. (www.phpnuke.org)

Finding Partners. No movement can accomplish anything without growing it. The first partners you will need are the people most affected by what you're trying to accomplish. Start with a focused niche and other groups will follow.

Branding. Package your descriptions, phrases and discussions about what you're doing into crisp clean sound bites. Good graphics and logos coupled with an easily repeatable message can be amazingly far reaching.

Creating Disciples. Train the trainers. Start by creating an association - some non-profit entity dedicated to the purpose of evangelizing your movement. Organize a conference or forum.to bring people together. Once they are thoroughly indoctrinated, they then will be empowered to go out into the rest of the world and proclaim the good news of your movement.

Establish Yourself as the Expert. Write a book on this topic. You need to be the person with the deepest depth of understanding and comprehension on this topic. You need to become the singular most influential voice on this topic. Your personality will become the driving force behind this movement.

Be Relentless. The movement needs to become the single most important thing in your life. You need to eat, sleep and breath it. You must become focused, relentless, tenacious, and dedicated to making it happen. Let nothing distract you. Neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night can keep you from your appointed rounds.

Make it Fun. No one will want to join your movement if it doesn't look like fun. Make it fun. Throw a pie in the face of all new members. Devise a corporate initiation strategy where the head of the company has to ride a horse around the town square dressed in nothing but feathers. Something like that. Being unconventional will get you tons of press.

Spiritual Fiber

2006-06-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

Do you feel stuck?

Do feel like you are putting a lot in, but not seeing much come out if any at all? Do you spend extended periods of time attempting to get a movement started?
Do you feel depressed or feel like giving up the hope of ever launching a movement? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

From the makers of the dietary fiber Metamucil, comes the spiritual fiber you’ve been looking for.

Now introducing Prayer

Prayer is the spiritual fiber the enables the regular launching of movements!!

Both Doctors and Pastors agree, “Fiber is what starts and keeps movements going.” A daily dose of Prayer promotes the regular launching of movements.

With Prayer, you will find that everything comes much more easily. Don’t spend those long hours of physical exertion trying to squeeze out a movement to yeild only frustrating results. Instead turn to Prayer. It is in Prayer that your relief is found.

By having Prayer daily, you will soon find yourself launching multiple movements everywhere.

june 24 week 17

2006-06-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

This is for friends and family that would like to track natalie and our baby lil swan, or Shao Swan's growth

june 15 week 14

2006-06-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

June 2 12 weeks

2006-06-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

May 14 8 weeks

2006-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

May 9th Nat 7 weeks

2006-06-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Mexican Fiesta

2006-04-29T01:26:00.000-07:00

Birdays are fun. especially when you have great food We had a great party, my wife cooked up some incredible food. Enchiladas and pico-de-gallo. IT WAS AWWWEESOME.

Unbelievable Robot Kid

2006-04-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

This Kid is really unbelievable. He is the second kid to dance so be patient. It is awesome. Please click the picture, watch and enjoy.

Creativity

2006-04-16T00:19:00.000-07:00

Why buy a stroler when you have a broken chair, and a plank of wood and four rollerbalde wheels?
The answer is: You don't!

Destiny

2006-04-16T00:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer

40 days before his Ascension

2006-04-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from a sermon given by John Bruce pastor at Creekside Community Church--an externally focused church in San Leandro doing a great work and having a great witness in their community. Easter is a time to remember the kingdom and the work God has called us to do. Acts 1:3 explains why Jesus stuck around for 40 days before his ascension--to teach about the kingdom!
When we read the four accounts of the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels, or we read what the other New Testament writers have to say about Christ’s resurrection, we’ll find that nobody ever says the resurrection of Christ is all about going to heaven when you die. In fact, there is very little about going to heaven when you die in the New Testament. Sure, Paul tells the Philippians believers that they’re citizens of heaven, but he doesn’t just mean that heaven is where they’re going to end up. Philippi was a Roman colony in Macedonia and a lot of the Philippians were Roman citizens. But that didn’t mean Rome expected them to return to Rome when they retired. Their job was to spread Roman culture in Macedonia. And when Paul tells the Philippians they are citizens of heaven, he doesn’t just mean they’ll go to heaven when they retire. He means their job is to spread heaven’s culture on earth. Which is the point each of the Gospel writers make in their accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. If Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John had wanted to say that “Jesus is risen; therefore you will be too!” they certainly had the opportunity. But they don’t. What they do say is, “Jesus is risen. So let’s get to work!” Because His followers now have access to a new life, to a new power and to a new mission. Christ has risen and God’s new world has begun. When Paul wrote an entire chapter about Christ’s resurrection, his conclusion wasn’t, “So let’s celebrate the fact that we’re going to heaven.” No, his conclusion was 1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. Christ has risen and God’s got a job for us to do - so let’s get to work. And what’s that work? To bring the life of heaven to earth.

Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project on earth; not to snatch people away from earth to heaven, but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. Isn’t that what Jesus prayed? “Your will be one on earth as it is in heaven.” The bodily resurrection of Jesus is more than proof that God can do miracles, more than proof that the Bible is true, more than proof of life after death. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is the beginning of a new way of life for us and ultimately, for the entire world. It is the beginning of a new age - a new creation - which will ultimately make all things new.

You see, Christians have made Easter less than it is - which is probably why we had to throw in the silly rabbit and eggs, just to keep things interesting. Easter is about more than me and the fact that I can have a personal relationship with the risen Christ - as much as that means to me. Easter is about more than a guarantee of life after death. Easter is the beginning of God’s new world. When Jesus defeated death and burst out of the tomb, the history of the universe changed course. That’s when the real New Age began. Easter is the victory of the Creator over evil, and of life over death. Easter shouts that God is victorious, that His kingdom shall come and His will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven. Easter is revolution is its most fundamental sense. The status quo is upset. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of God and of His Christ. And every child of God - every new creation - is now summoned to labor for that kingdom; to show what the kingdom of God is like by our character, our virtue and our actions.

Patch Adams

2006-04-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how many people have seen the movie Patch Adams. It is a movie about a medical student who bucks the medical system by spending time caring for his patients. The Professors don't like the way he goes about with the patients and puts himself down on their level. He is even criticized for being excessively happy. But he is also crude and can be very stubborn. I saw the movie recently and was drawn to consider the striking similarities between the doctors of the movie and today's Christians. As believers we understand and know what death means. We devote our time and money to save as many people as possible. Our goal is to save them from Hell and it is an extremely worthy goal. Sometime we neglect the secondary part of our job. We help the to be saved from spiritual death, but we don't take care of them in their physical life. We ignore the social systems and structures, the physical poverty and need, when Jesus' message was a message that the Kingdom was near. In the Kingdom no one is in need. Jesus met people's spiritual needs but many times began by meeting their physical needs. Here are some good Quotes from the movie:

Hunter Patch Adams: You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person I'll guarantee you'll win.

Hunter Patch Adams: Our job is improving the quality of life, not just delaying death.

Hunter Patch Adams: All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home. It's hard to describe what I felt like then. Picture yourself walking for days in the driving snow; you don't even know you're walking in circles. The heaviness of your legs in the drifts, your shouts disappearing into the wind. How small you can feel, and how far away home can be.
Hunter Patch Adams: Home. The dictionary defines it as both a place of origin and a goal or destination. And the storm? The storm was all in my mind. Or as the poet Dante put it: In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in a dark wood, for I had lost the right path. Eventually I would find the right path, but in the most unlikely place.

Hunter Patch Adams: We need to start treating the patient as well as the disease.

Arthur Mendelson: You're focusing on the problem. If you focus on the problem, you can't see the solution. Never focus on the problem!

Arthur Mendelson: See what no one else sees. See what everyone chooses not to see... out of fear, conformity or laziness. See the whole world anew each day!

Passover

2006-04-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

This is an exerpt from http://jcsm.org/Education/Passover.htm. It talks about the celebration of Passover. It is a time to remember how God saved his people. They were saved from death by being covered from the blood of the lamb.
The Passover Seder
Taking place the first 2 nights of the 8 day holiday, the Seder is the most important event in the Passover celebration. Usually gathering the whole family and friends together, the Seder is steeped in long held traditions and customs.
Leading up to the first night of Passover, the home is cleaned and cleared of all yeast foods, called hametz. All hametz is either eaten before Passover begins or "sold" to non-Jewish neighbors and friends. The rules surrounding Passover are strict and many, with only special foods, utensils, and dishware allowed. Kitchen utensils and dishware normally used in the home are not be used during Passover. Special dishes and utensils for the Passover holiday are taken out of storage, cleaned and used.
Only foods that are "Kosher for Passover" are allowed. No leavened (containing yeast) foods or grains are eaten. In their place matzoh and foods containing matzoh are eaten. This is to commemorate the Israelites who fled quickly into the desert with no time for their breads to rise and were forced to bake the dough into hard crackers in the desert sun. All foods prohibited during Passover must be disposed of the morning of the first night of Passover.
With its Passover dishware and silverware, the Seder table is different than the regular dinner table. The centerpiece of which is the Seder plate, a special plate containing the 5 foods that remind us of the struggle of the Israelites in their quest and journey to freedom.
Three pieces of matzoh are placed in a Matzoh Cover (a cloth sleeve or envelope) and placed in the center of the Seder table. Before the meal begins the middle matzoh is removed and broken in half.
One half is returned to the Matzoh Cover, the other - the Afikomen - is hidden, to be hunted by the children at the end of the Seder meal. The child who finds the Afikomen wins a special prize. Some homes break the Afikomen in to many pieces assuring that each child present can find a piece and receive a prize.
The Seder plate contains foods that have special meaning for this holiday. They include:
1. Haroseth
2. Parsley (dipped in salt water)
3. Roasted egg
4. Shank Bone
5. Bitter herbs
Haroseth is a mixture of chopped walnuts, wine, cinnamon and apples that represents the mortar the Jewish slaves used to assemble the Pharaoh's bricks. Parsley, symbolizing Springtime, is dipped in salt water to remind us of for the tears of the Jewish slaves.
Another Symbol of Spring
Shank is the symbolic of the sacrificial lamb offering, the bone can come from whatever the family is eating, such as the leg bone of a roasted turkey. Bitterness is reflected by the freshly grated horseradish. This reflects the bitter affliction of slavery.
During the Seder 4 glasses of wine are poured to represent the 4 stages of the exodus:
1. Freedom
2. Deliverance
3. Redemption
4. Release
A fifth cup of wine is poured and placed on the Seder table. This is the Cup of Elijah, an offering for the Prophet Elijah. During the Seder the door to the home is opened to invite the prophet Elijah inside.
After the meal is eaten, the children search for the Afikomen. The Seder is finished when the children have found the Afikomen and everyone has eaten a piece.
Why is this night different from all other nights?
The Four Questions
It is said that the Seder is celebrated especially for the children. It is important for Jewish children to be and feel involved in the celebration of Passover. Much of the ceremony is based on the commandment in the Bible that says, "And thou shalt tell thy son." Exodus 10:2 reads, "And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD" (KJV).
At the Seder the Haggadah, the Book of Exodus, is read and the history celebrated with its stories, songs and prayers.
Why? Why? Why? Why is this night different? Why do they eat such unusual foods as Matzoh, the unleavened bread, and Maror, the bitter herbs? Why do they dip green herbs in salt water? Why do they open doors? Why do they hide and then eat the Afikomen?
At the Seder it is the youngest child at the table that answers the 4 questions asked at Passover.
On all other nights they eat all kinds of breads and crackers. Why do they eat only matzoh on Pesach? Matzoh reminds them that when the Jews left the slavery of Egypt they had no time to bake their bread. They took the raw dough on their journey and baked it in the hot desert sun into hard crackers called matzoh.
On all other nights they eat many kinds of vegetables and herbs. Why do they eat bitter herbs, maror, at our Seder? Maror reminds them of the bitter and cruel way the Pharaoh treated the Jewish people when they were slaves in Egypt.
On all other nights they don't usually dip one food into another. At our Seder the Jews dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in Charoset. Why do they dip their foods twice tonight? The Jews dip bitter herbs into Charoset to remind them how hard the Jewish slaves worked in Egypt. The chopped apples and nuts look like the clay used to make the bricks used in building the Pharaoh's buildings.
They dip parsley into salt water. The parsley reminds them that spring is here and new life will grow. The salt water reminds them of the tears of the Jewish slaves.
On all other nights they eat sitting up straight. Why do they lean on a pillow tonight? They Jews lean on a pillow to be comfortable and to remind us that once we were slaves, but now we are free.
The Haggadah itself stresses the importance of the Seder as "a spectacle meant to excite the interest and the curiosity of the children." Everything in the Seder is meant to make the children curious and to ask questions.

Jonah, Revival and Discipleship

2006-03-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

This was written by my lovely wife Natalie
While reading Ray Bakke’s A Theology as Big as the City, I was stunned by an observation he made concerning Jonah’s preaching and the nature of lasting revival. He begins by attributing Jonah’s hesitation to preach God’s message of salvation to the people of Ninevah to his deep patriotism. In Jonah’s time, Ninevah was a city of violence and bloodshed and an enemy of God’s people Israel, with the Assyrian empire eventually carrying the Northern Tribe into captivity. In fact, Ninevah continued to rage against Israel until their own downfall at the hands of the Babylonians in 612 BC. So, Jonah logically assumed that his enemies, the Ninevahites, were also God’s enemies. Considering the way God dealt with Israel’s enemies in the past, Jonah firmly believed that God would and should destroy Ninevah. Imagine his surprise when God calls him to take his message of mercy and salvation to that bloody and hated city! Imagine his disappointment when he realizes that God is choosing to deal with Ninevah according to his mercy rather than wiping them out! Jonah, though he disagrees with it, knows that what God purposes He will do. If God says he will have mercy on Ninevah, He will have mercy on Ninevah. Poor disappointed Jonah! He would have gladly carried a message of doom to those people, but not one of salvation. Where is the justice in that? So, Jonah takes a boat as far from Ninevah as possible, but of course God, with the help of a fish, brings Jonah to city he hates, the very city God has chosen for salvation.
The observation Bakke makes about Jonah’s preaching is what really caught my attention. He says that Jonah brought only half of the gospel to Ninevah. He wandered the streets of the city barking a message of damnation. “Forty days and this city will be destroyed!” Where is the message of mercy and salvation? Where is the good news answer to this message of damnation? Jonah conveniently omits that part. I can imagine him shouting “destruction is upon you” hoping against hope that it would come to pass. To the very end, even on day 39, maybe Jonah was still crossing his fingers that God would rain fire and hail down on the city as he watched from the shade of his tree on the hill outside the city. But, God will have mercy on those whom He has chosen. As a result of Jonah’s preaching, the greatest revival in history before Pentecost took place among a Gentile nation, even one of the most feared enemies of Israel. God completely turned that entire city around. Ninevah became a God-fearing, Jehovah worshipping city in just over one month! Of course, Jonah continues in his disappointment, basically saying to God, “I knew it! I knew you would do this!”
So, we leave Jonah, still simmering over Ninevah’s salvation and we come to the prophet Nahum about 100 years after Ninevah’s revival. Without reading the book of Nahum one might think that Nahum’s message to Ninevah might be one of encouragement or at most one of exhortation to continue to walk in the ways of the one true God who saved their entire city not too long ago. But, surprisingly we find that through Nahum, God is now announcing a message of complete destruction to the people of Ninevah. No questions asked. Destruction, period. I’m sure Jonah was in heaven at the time asking why Nahum got to carry that message instead of him. The question that naturally comes to mind is “What happened?” This is a city that just one generation before experienced the greatest revival of Old Testament times, and now the children and grandchildren of those who were saved have, by this time, offended God to such an extent that He has determined to destroy them for good. Where was the miss? Shouldn’t a revival of that magnitude have effects that last beyond just one generation?
The key, according to Bakke, lies in Jonah’s message. Remember, Jonah only carried half the message to Ninevah. He didn’t experience God’s heart of love and compassion for those people. He preached doom, saw God save the whole city, and left disappointed that the Ninevahites escaped judgement. The Ninevahites experienced revival without follow-up. Jonah certainly was not going to volunteer to stay among the Ninevahites and instruct them in the ways of the God who saved them. One of the greatest revivals in history was snuffed out in one generation because it was a revival without discipleship. What began very well, fizzled out because the people did not know how to or missed the importance of passing God’s message down to their children and grandchildren. Jonah and Nahum is a lesson to all of God’s people called to take his message of salvation to the world. First, God is not a patriot. Second, revival cannot be sustained without discipleship.

"Earthquake victims in Kashmir"

2006-03-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found this on the China Daily Websight
The photo, one of the series of "Earthquake victims in Kashmir" by Paula Bronstein from Time magazine wins "Photo of the Year" at the second China International Press Photo Contest, in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province on March 24, 2006. The picture was taken last October in the town of Balakot, where 90 per cent of buildings were destroyed. [Newsphoto]

2006-03-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

Food for thought- Good Deeds Follow-up Material for New Believers

2006-03-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

Good News and Good Deeds are ment to go together, so why do we so often in our teaching of the Christian life neglect "the good works prepared in advance for us to do?" Eph 2:10 This one of the new follow-up materials we introduced to help new belivers see an intricate part of their new life in Christ. We have seen some great response from the new believers who expect this to be a part of the Christian life.
The preceeding seven follow-ups are 1. Assurance of Salvation 2. Confession of Sin 3. Being Filled with the Holy Spirit 4. Growth 5. Bible Study 6. Prayer 7. Godly Relationships

Follow-Up 8 “Good Deeds”
Matt 5:14-16
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Q1. What does Jesus Say that we are?
Q2. What does light do?
Q3. What does it mean to let your light shine before men? (v.16)
Q4. What is the goal/result of good works?

Created in Jesus to do good deeds
Eph 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Q5. How are we saved?
Q6. What cannot save us?
Q7. Why were we created?
Q8. When did God prepare these good works for you?

Word of God
2 Tim 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Q9. What is scripture useful for?
Q10. What is the goal/result of this teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness?
Q11. How are we equipped for good works? Or “what equips us”

Motivation
Matt 25:35-40
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Q12. What types of needs are mentioned?
Q13. When we help people in need, who are we serving?

Matt 6:2-4
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Q14. When people announce their good deeds, who gets the glory?
Q15. When we give, whose honor should we seek?

Good News and Good Deeds
Luke 4:17-21
7 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Q16. What was Jesus’ mission?
Q17. What Good News was he to speak?
Q18. What Good Deeds was he to do?
Q19. What does this mean for followers of Christ?

Step of Obedience
Think of three people around where you live with a physical need you can meet this week. Pray for them and ask God to be glorified as you meet those needs.
1.
2.
3.
What is one practical way you can show God’s love to your roommates this week? Pray for them and ask God to be glorified as you serve them this week.
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What is one thing you can do to show someone God’s love right now? Show them God’s love right now and tell them that God loves them as you serve them.

Thank God for preparing good deeds for you to do so that he will be glorified through your service to others. Also thank God for meeting your needs, and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so that you would be a light to the world.

Luke 10:25-37
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27 He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

The Bible is full of stories and verses that talk about service, the poor and needy, and how God cares for them. Here are few for self study:
1 John 3:16-20, James 1:22-27, Titus 2:7-8, Titus 3:1-2, Titus 3:14, Heb 10:19-25, 1 Tim 6:17-19, 2 Cor 9:6-15, 1 Peter 2:12, 2 Thess 2:16-17, 2 Tim 2:20-21, Col 1:9-14, Ps 113:7-8, Acts 4:32-35, Jer 22:15-16, Prov 14:31, Deut 15:7-11, Ps 69:33, Ezek 16:49-50, Prov 22:9, Prov 29:7, Prov 14:21, Prov 21:13, Ps 41:1, Luke 14:12-14, Prov 31:8-9, Ezek 18:5-9, 1 Cor 13, Gal 2:6-10, Rom 12:9-21

2006-03-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

A Hero’s Welcome

Because we are living overseas, it has been difficult to communicate, But yesturday i had the chance to talk to my brohter and catch up with him. It was great to hear his voice.
This article was in the Louisville Times on Wednesday. By Meagan TaylorColorado Hometown Newspapers
Even at 4 a.m., waiting on an airstrip in the middle of New Mexico, the Swanson family was never so excited.
Jeff Swanson, a specialist with the New Mexico National Guard’s 126th Military Police Company, was on the plane that landed that morning, after serving 18 months in Iraq.
Swanson was coming home to a special surprise, his 6-month-old baby boy, Gentry, whom he and wife Ashlie conceived during his short visit home in December 2004.
“That was the dream for me,” Ashlie Swanson said of her husband’s early-morning homecoming. “It was so surreal and the girl side of me romanticized it.”
Ashlie, baby Gentry, Jeff’s parents, Liz and Eric Swanson, and his sister, Casey, met him on the airstrip with hundreds of other soldiers and families.
Twenty-two-year-old Jeff Swanson, grew up in Louisville and wrestled on Centaurus High School’s 2001 state qualifying team.
Of the 14-member team, half of the wrestlers went into the military, a coincidence that Jeff’s mother, Liz, thought was notable.
“This is something you can attribute to any sport,” Jeff said of the skills he learned in wrestling. “To stick through it, persevere, don’t give up.”
But he said his faith played a major role in maintaining his courage on the unpredictable streets of Baghdad.
“I think I kind of had an advantage, because I have Jesus,” he said. “Anything that happens, you know what is going to happen.”
Swanson was sent to military police and combat training before his deployment in March 2005.
Ashlie Swanson found out she was pregnant just before Jeff’s departure.
“I freaked,” she said. “I was in denial ... even after the doctor told me, I thought, no way.”
Ashlie said she sometimes felt like a single mother, though she had strong support from her family and the Swansons.
“I didn’t know really what to think,” Jeff Swanson said. “I knew I had to be really sweet and give her that, because what else could I give her?”
He was disappointed at not being able to witness the first six months of Gentry’s life, and missing Ashlie’s first pregnancy.
“I had to act like it didn’t bother me,” he said. “That’s why it’s a sacrifice, not because it doesn’t suck, but because it does.”
However, Jeff was given leave in September, to be with Ashlie in the hospital for Gentry’s birth.
“It was like a dream,” he said, noting that his fatherly instincts kicked in almost immediately when doctors took Gentry’s blood for the first time. “I said, ‘What are you doing? You just poked my son with a needle!’”
Jeff said the worst feeling was having to return to Iraq for six more months before he would be reunited with his family.
Swanson’s company was the third of a series of units sent to train, mentor and assist Iraqi Police in securing the country. He served as a gunner on a Humvee.
“I had no idea what it was going to be like,” Swanson said of the war zone. “I couldn’t imagine how you could fly a plane over Baghdad ... I thought we would have to shoot our way to the safe part.”
Having been in the country, he explained that the military bases are organized, and terrorist acts are not consistent.
“Some days, we were out on the streets every day in Baghdad, seeing different landmarks,” Swanson said. “Then we would go home and see on (television) that something happened where we were.”
He also said many of the protests seen in television media reports are staged for the cameras.
During the company’s various missions, five men were injured and one was killed in a roadside attack.
“It will take awhile for everyone to get to know the freedoms they have,” he said of the social situation in Iraq, noting that some Iraqis lack confidence in the country’s leadership, and religious differences create turmoil.
“It will take time, and in the mean time, there will be good and bad and people will make a big deal of it,” he said. “There’s just no other way to do it. But, they wouldn’t have had a chance without us.”
Despite being relieved that her husband is home safe, Ashlie Swanson said she felt proud that Jeff served his country.
“I couldn’t even comprehend what losing him would be like,” she said of her husband’s dangerous job. “In my heart, I knew, as scary as it was, that God wouldn’t have started what he started between us.”

2006-03-25T19:25:00.000-08:00

Me and Nat

"Community of Kindness" Notes

2006-03-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

Community of Kindness by Steve Sjogren and Rob Lewin (can purchase at amazon.com)
A few months ago i read this book and it really helped me and the people on our team to think about doing ministry differently. Here are some of the key points from the book modified a little to go along with our current situation. the numbers refer to the pages in the book where the notes and quotes are from

What do you dream about? Is it a big movement or changed lives?
How can we build disciples that will be world changers? “Discipline yourselves to count only changed lives and new believers launched into the world to be with people in real ways and enabled to live big lives that count for eternity.” P. 22
What are the actions that you and your team believe make up a true disciple? What transforming actions do you want them to do? Lives need to be transformed not just information passed along.28 the goal of a transformational community is to build people who do something that fundamentally changes the way the world works.
Leaders
Which of the people I spoke to were excited about going and doing? They might have ideas, they might have tried, they might have failed. Who do you work with? These people. “Focus your energy on the people who are already doing something, not the people who are waiting for you to do something.”24
If honoring others ideas and traditions causes you to ignore the current calling of God in your life, you must choose the way of Christ.26
Belonging = doing
“Servant evangelism is about activating people into the ministry. There are no observers.”27
Give people an opportunity to give of themselves. If people are only there to take, they are going to get too full and pretty soon you start a barf-o-rama.
Coach and care for the small group leaders. You aren’t going to pastor the city, you are going to pastor the pastors of the city. Your job isn’t to care for everyone, you job is to train caregivers.176
Model- Being a believer has to do with action directed at someone else. Have them bring their friends with them to serve. Action changes people. Seeing that you mean what you say changes people who change the world.
In building disciples focus on modeling behavior you want your disciples to do. They will more rapidly display the behavior you are seeking to reproduce by doing the ministry with you.48
Let everything you do be a double purposed matter: Do it for the purpose of doing it and do it to train someone else. Take someone along wherever you go. Let them watch you doing ministry. Model your ministry values all the time.
Your leaders need to see beyond themselves to the needs of others in your ministry. They need to see that it is not just about them getting their needs met but loving the people God has brought to your ministry.49
If outreach isn’t the first point in your discipleship model, it will be no point in your discipleship activity.114;
If you aren’t requiring people to delegate, you are crippling them, if you are requiring them to delegate, then you are drawing out the best in them.
5 steps to conveying a new behavior149
1. Do it alone
2. Do it with someone watching you do it.
3. Do it with someone helping you do it.
4. The other person does it while you watch them.
5. The other person does it with someone else watching them.
Love the people
Is there anything that can stop you from loving these people? If you can think of anything, you better face it fast. Lack of love is something that will eat away at the possibility of you being successful in that city.67
Learn the top 10 negative and positive things the city is known for.
Wherever you are is ok. Don’t spend time hating the things you can’t change right now, spend that time loving people.72
Serving is the fastest way to recalibrate your heart to why you are working this hard and investing your life in this ministry. A simple act of kindness that wants to honor Christ makes everything clear again.88
people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 76
The role of the catalytic staff is to coach leaders who will make this unified statement: We love you, we welcome you, we want the dynamic life of Christ to shine in you so that you will make difference in the world!87
Our prayer is that a newcomer would experience a sense of coming home- of being truly wanted180
There is an environment of joy, of genuine friendship, of grace-come as you are, and you’ll be loved; come as you are and you’ll be changed; come as you are and you’ll never be the same. 181
Failure
There is a lot of latitude and a lot of forgiveness which allows for experimentation to see what works. Don’t call it failure, it is a chance to see what doesn’t work.
Live openhandedly. Don’t grab people. Allow them to come in, and allow them to leave. No shame, no angst. Don’t keep folks from leaving. If they stay, they’ll be bitter ad poisonous, and their attitudes will spill over to many others. It’s not worth it. Allow people to make their own decisions and respect them- even if you know their reasoning is stupid. 93
Do more outreach. Do focus on the person who just left, but instead focus on the person who isn’t in your movement yet. The more time you spend obsessing, the less time you have to find the person who can’t wait to be involved in the vision you’re bithing.97
Begin today building the skills you will need for the rest of you life of ministry.118
When less people show up than you expected or than those that said they would be there, it is easy to get frustrated. You focus on who is not there instead of who has come. The challenge is to teach the 2 that did show up as through there were 5000. these are the 2 people Jesus has given you right now. They are the two most important people in the world.
Abandon you expectations- give the whole thing to God
Select one person who needs to hear what you have to say and speak to them.
Think of Jesus and how many time this sort of thing happened to him. He is the son of God!144
Never cancel an event. When you say you’ll be there, be there.
What do we do?
In choosing what to do, determine what will give spiritual life to your city and do those things.
Gather lots and lots of people. Have lots of different interests. Get exposure to things that are not ministry. Be able to talk to a wide variety of people about a wide variety of things.
Read significant magazines like, The Economist, Utne Reader, Wired, Christianity Today, Charisma, Fast Company and Rolling Stone. Regeneration.org, ooze.com, Hollywoodjesus.com soulerize.com smallfire.com sacriments.com freshworship.com churchplanting.com servantevangelism.com topfive.org
Promote the name of Christ and the cause of the kingdom. Involve people in service to meet the needs of someone. Do what Jesus did.
Focus on: gathering, training small group leaders, assimilating newcomers into your group. Praying in the community you are trying to impact. Leave the house every day before 9:00am. Do service evangelism project between appointments. Give substantially to the ministry. Take an outside job and get to know the people of your community in a different way.
Define yourself179
What do you think a disciple is?
What kind of church is going to be effective at reaching your community in 10 years?
Who do you need to become in order to lead your church in 5 years?
What’s the most important spiritual need you have in your life right now?
Are there new models and new styles that need to be involved to help you evolve?
Volunteers
Live openhandedly. Don’t grab people. Allow them to come in, and allow them to leave. No shame, no angst. Don’t keep folks from leaving. If they stay, they’ll be bitter and poisonous, and their attitudes will spill over to many others. It’s not worth it. Allow people to make their own decisions and respect them- even if you know their reasoning is stupid. 93
Plan a vacation for each person with in the first 12 months. It helps morale and helps people feel like you care. It is professional and it forces you to plan for others to do their roles during those times.157
Thank your leaders and volunteers. Write them thank you notes. Let them know that they are appreciated. Celebrate success even when it seems insignificant
Vision
Tell your vision from the perspective of how it will benefit the hearer and the Kingdom rather than haw it will benefit you or the organization. Your story is part of God’s Story. He is doing Big stuff through you and your ministry. He wants to do big stuff through the people he brings to you.
Communicate to your people: “We intend to make a difference. Our dream for this is not small. If you are ready for a wild ride, hitch your wagon to us.”172
Fund Raising
Picture each person as a gift God has given you. If they aren’t your gift they are someone else’s. It is your job to direct that gift to where he or she belongs.159