Carpe Diem

On this lovely Friday afternoon, I want to pose one simple question to you:

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

"I can do all things through Jesus Christ Who gives me strength."

(Philippians 4:13)

Better Together

"There are no well-worn paths ahead, together you will make a road that others will follow. Together you will accomplish what you could never accomplish alone."

One by One

As many of you know, I recently lead a mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa. What an amazing experience! Having gone on a mission trip to Cape Town last year, I was extremely excited to see how God has been working in the lives of my South African friends over the past year. Like my experience last year, it was a blessing and an honor to serve the Lord in a beautiful country filled with the most lovely people I have ever known.

While I was in Cape Town last year, I had the privilege of meeting James and Janet Senior and their family. They moved from England to Cape Town about five years ago to start Metro Kids Africa (http://www.metrokidsafrica.org/). Their goal and vision is to reach out to the children in the townships of Cape Town to transform their lives with the love and grace of Jesus Christ. James and Janet are amazing people, and they work tirelessly for their cause.

Part of Metro Kids Africa (MKA) is the One by One program. This program matches a child who attends MKA on a regular basis with an adult who becomes their pen pal. With just a $20 donation per month, this program helps keep MKA running (they hold weekly Sidewalk Sunday School events at all of their locations) and ensures a weekly visit with a staff member from MKA. I signed up as soon as I got home from Cape Town last year and have a pen pal named Inam (pictured above on my right).

While in Cape Town last month, I had the opportunity to meet Inam. She did not speak English very well and had a difficult time understanding me because of my "funny accent," but I would like to think that she enjoyed the visit as much as I did. God is at work in Cape Town. He wants to see His children there grow, prosper, and live their lives for Him.

I know that times are tough right now, and that money is tight. I encourage you to pray about how God might use you to transform a child's life in Cape Town...a child who might not have much of a chance without God's amazing grace, love, and mercy. If you feel lead, please contact me or James and Janet (via http://www.metrokidsafrica.org/) to either donate to MKA or sign up for a pen pal. I promise you that your life will also be changed as you help further God's magnificent kingdom. Mag God met julle wees.

At the end of the earth...literally :)

I am stealing this quote from a friend's blog (thanks Big Apple Angie!)...it is just too perfect :)

If adventures do not befall a lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad. -Jane Austen

It was quite windy at the Cape of Good Hope. Thank you Jesus for such an amazing view!

Food for Thought

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia."

Charles A. Lindbergh, Life, 22 December 1967

All you need is love

On this rainy Monday, I am still feeling inspired from last night's sermon despite the dreary weather. Pastor Andy Stanley spoke about love as a verb...as in the act of loving someone (Listen to this sermon at http://www.northpoint.org/messages, it is fantastic). Webster's Dictionary defines love as "1. strong affection or liking for someone or something, 2. a passionate affection for one of the opposite sex, 3. the object of such affection; sweetheart." While it is classified as a noun in this example, I feel that the dictionary definition of the word fuses a noun and a verb.

Jesus makes it even more plain and simple in John 15:17, "This is my command: Love each other." Christ knows that love is a verb. You love someone. Andy really hit the nail on the head yesterday when he said: "Love each other more, and you will make love more." (He was of course referring to married couples.) What a novel concept :)

I don't claim to be an expert on love, but it seems relatively simple to me. Make love a verb, and put the other person's wants and needs before your own. I know that "life" tends to get in the way and makes this concept much more difficult. That being said, I know that truly loving someone selflessly is no easy task. I challenge you to just love others. Love them in every way possible despite their flaws, attitudes, and actions. Put your significant other before yourself and see what happens. For at the end of the day, all you need is (to) love.

Food for thought...

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."