It was reported that Orlando has over 1,500 conventions every year! Can you imagine how busy that would make this city and how many different people they must see. The Nazarene church is participating in a service project called "One Heart, Many Hands." During this service project they find things to help with all over the city. They clean up trash, help with homes, and other places that need cleaning up or repair.
http://www.oneheartmanyhands.com/
It was reported on the news that no other organization has done this kind of work for the city of Orlando. I tried to find the video from the news but couldn't find it. Anyway the church of the Nazarene did make an impact and that was what I was hoping it would do.
Also later that night during the service I was able to share a smile with another lady. I'm not sure what country she is from but we communicated through that smile. It was about halfway through the service or so when a man a row ahead of me and a two chairs to her right started to snore. It woke him up and we both looked at each other and smiled. I thought it was pretty funny. We both had the same reaction and understood what we were sharing.
NMI Thoughts
6/24/09 NMI Convention
A thought from the first day of convention.
So, I walked in and the first thing I saw was a huge open room. I didn't notice that to my right were already over 1,000 people sitting. I think mos of the people here are delegates or family.
It's going to be amazing when the whole place is filled. Without a doubt this place could hold 20,000+ people. and it's not just the United States. It's a collection of global faces.
A collection of global people separated by mountains, sea, valley, but connected through spirit. Here for one purpose.
Workshops and Services
I'm listening to a man from the Caribbean talk about the issues of health and clean water. Some of the struggles they face can easily be fixed or helped by wealthier nations. The Caribbean is only a 2 hour flight from Orlando, which is where we are. We are so close to helping them, yet act as if they are so far away.
It was just announced that there are 17 delegates from Cuba that are here at the convention.
Earlier there was a lady from the Eurasia region that mentioned a topic we talked about in class last semester. It was the west asking for help from the south. Due to immigration there were people now living in her country that they didn't know how to reach. She said that her country needed missionaries from Africa, South America, and other southern countries.
The shift is starting. The west is losing the domination of the denomination. Which is great. This shift shows that Christianity is spreading, it needs this ebb and flow to survive. How long until the United States and other northern countries are asking southern countries for missionaries? I think it may happen sooner than most of us think.
Trip
Last night we arrived at Orlando airport around 11:50 or so. By the time we had our luggage and got to our waiting destination it was a little bit after 12. Orlando has a huge airport. Inside the airport there was a Hyatt hotel, we were shocked and amazed.
We waited for our luggage then stacked all the luggage together and went on our way. When I had called earlier the day the shuttle people said to go down to the counter. When we got there the desk was empty and there was no one around. I called again and they said to just wait outside. So we waited for 20 or 30 minutes until the van showed up.
By the time we loaded there were 7 of us an a van full of luggage. When we got to the hotel, it was well after 1 and only one person on duty. He was pretty distracted by the television which boasted CNN. He watched us struggle to get our 3 suitcases, baby play pen, stroller, and ourselves. Then we waited a little bit while he was distracted by the television. All throughout his focus was more on the tv than us.
But you can't really blame him. It was late at night and there wasn't anyone in the lobby. When Lizzy and I made it into the apartment it was close to 2. Cayden wasn't very happy, he missed most of his naps and didn't sleep much on the plane. He cried for a while but fell asleep close to 3. We spent today trying to get him caught up on sleep and catching all of his naps.
Today was basically a registration day and a welcoming day. Lizzy joined me for the 7 o'clock service. Dr. Jesse Middendorf gave the opening message. There was also the presentation of all the flags. It was a great sight.
We then walked back from the convention center to a nearby Walgreens to buy some snacks and breakfast food. Our total walk was roughly a mile. So it's not too bad. We are now in our hotel room watching Seinfeld and eating our snacks and some decaf coffee. I should probably head to bed so I can get up early tomorrow.
In the Airport
So we're now in the Las Vegas airport. Since our flight was delayed we missed our original connection and now have to wait 3 more hours for our next flight. One interesting thing about Las Vegas is, the moment you step off the airplane, you can hear the slot machines going.
It's kind of weird to see so many people putting money in the machines. So weird that I might try it out. They have penny slots, and we need money. So I figured why not spend 50 cents and see if we can earn some money. Plus we're both 21, and it would be an inexpensive way to waste some time.
I'll let you know if we get rich. I doubt it but it would be pretty cool. Off to find a good place to eat, hopefully a good cheap place to eat.
On the Plane
So here we are sitting on the plane, Cayden fell asleep on the plane during take off. That is a relief, without his naps he gets a little cranky and night time sleep becomes hard. We just ordered our drinks, lots of apple juice and a sprite. I’m kinda of surprised that they still offer snacks and drinks. The other day I heard one airline was considering charging for using the restroom and the throw up bags.
What happens if you don’t have the money but need to use them? Do you just do your best to hold it in, or find the best place to let it out? It’s hard to imagine the airline companies not having enough money to operate.
Once we land in Las Vegas, we’ll have a couple of hours until our next flight. We’ll need to find somewhere to eat, because so far I’ve had pop tarts, fries, and a half of a cheeseburger. It’ll be hard landing in Orlando so late (11:50), but hopefully there won’t be any confusion once we land and we’ll be able to get to our hotel and into bed.
There was another couple heading to Assembly too, however, they we were going from Boise to Salt Lake, then to Orlando. I tried to get onto that flight, but it was full. So it’ll be the waiting game for us. I wonder if you can gamble inside the airport? Maybe I could win some money for our trip?
I’ll try to keep you updated on our travels.
Packing
So it's time to pack again. We just finished moving and it's already time to pack again. This time it's for Florida. So it shouldn't be as stressful. I was elected as a delegate for the Intermountain District. I'll get to listen to meetings and decide on important upcoming topics.
This will be Cayden's second trip on an airplane. However, his first was to Spokane, so a relatively short flight compared to Orlando. We are still in the process of packing. I haven't done any work yet, except make sure the clothes were washed. Now I have to sort through the clothes and find ones that are nice and semi-casual, yet making me look like an adult (as my mom put it). I don't mind dressing up, but when it's hot and humid?
Well I better go upstairs and start the packing process. We bought the space saver bags a while ago and they work great. They save a ton of space, yet there is one issue. Just because the clothes are compact, it doesn't mean they weigh less. If you're not careful you can pack too much and get hit with the fee for an overweight bag.
I'm grateful that airline companies allow you to bring baby supplies without getting charged for it. We're flying Southwest and we can bring a playpen and a stroller without extra charge. That will come in very handy for Cayden.
Well off to packing, I'll do my best to keep this updated if anyone is interested.
Apartment
Most of you know that Lizzy and I moved, yet again. This time though we are in a bit of a predicament. We are going to have to pay double rent for essentially June and July, while taking to a trip to Orlando.
So far the whole money issue is becoming very stressful. Not only am I working less at work, but our expenses are going up a little too. This is one event that will require extreme faith. And that is the hard part. I want a solution now, I don't want to have to wait and stress for the answer.
So many of us forget to rely on our faith when needed. We know we have faith, yet when it is required, we forget we have it. God knows what He's doing, He doesn't need us telling him how He's messing up. On Saturday I read the column of someone I can't remember at this point. However, his article talked about how he thought he knew more than God.
While in fact there is no way we'll ever know more than God. He also explained how God doesn't need our help. There isn't really a way we can help God improve or know more. However, we can help God achieve His plan for our lives. We need to listen to God and wait, however, not just wait. We do need to act.
But it seems that we have become a society of want, and we want it now! God doesn't care what our society has become, he doesn't necessarily care to cater to us 24/7. We need to trust God, and his timing. He's able to see what His decisions will bring, where we can't. We make decisions then find out the result. Sometimes good, sometime bad.
So my next goal is to listen more and not drown God in my sorrows. He knows them and needs to hear them, but I shouldn't assume I know what will work. I need to rely on God for the answers. All to often I think I find the answers and just tell Him/myself, if this would happen it would all be solved. Or if I could get this kind of job and car and etc. Rely on God and let him drive the car without a backseat driver.
Orlando
Tomorrow is our last day before leaving for Orlando. It almost feels as if we will be making a pilgrimage or something like that. Thousands of people from all over the world on converging on Orlando in the next few days. I am going so I can discuss changing policies regarding NMI and the General Church.
However, I wonder what will be the impact of all of us Christians gathering in this city? What impact will we have on the city. I would hate for us to be thought of as rude, inconsiderate, busy, or plain non-loving and judgmental.
I'm hoping that instead of just staying to myself and not talking to anyone, I might actually be able to branch out some and find commonalities among people I don't know. It's going to be an exciting time and I look forward to learning some new things and seeing plenty of people I know and don't know.
I'll try to keep this updated just to let people know what is going on during our week in Orlando.
Birthday
Today we celebrated Cayden's first birthday. It is hard to imagine that it has been over a year since he was born. It's amazing to see all the things he has learned and experienced in a years time. I look forward to seeing him grow more in the future and to learn even more. The only scary part is that I am the one that needs to teach him a lot of it. I look forward to playing catch or running around with him.
I'll also look forward talking to him. Right now we can't get much out of him except raspberries and random sounds. It'll be fun knowing that he understands what I'm saying. But during all of this I have noticed one thing, we are alone among our friends. We have great friends, however, we do not have any friends our age experiencing the same life stages as us.
Of our friends that are married there are no children and no children in the near future. We are on our second, sooner than anticipated but still excited. And we also have plenty of friends that are not married. It feels hard to fit in in certain places. There's still plenty to do with our friends, however, sometimes there are things that just don't correlate yet. There are events that we have gone through or are going through that they wouldn't understand.
I'm hoping in the near future we can find Cayden some good friends. I'm sure he gets lonely playing by himself and spending all of his days without kids of similar age. It would be exciting to see him interact with kids his own age more as he gets older. I'm also hoping with all the therapy he's getting that he'll catch up and pick up some new task on his own. So lets see if we can get him crawling and eating more solid foods before baby number two comes along.
Moving Junk
Have you ever thought that your house/apartment was spotless? Cleaned to perfection? This last week I thought our apartment looked great, everything felt clean and tidy. However, we just started finished moving last night around two. We were exhausted and ready to quit. However, we now have to unpack all that "junk" before leaving for Orlando on Tuesday.
We found that we really do have a lot of items that are not necessary. We have five or more small extension cords, numerous craft boxes, three-hundred pens, and plenty of other stuff we really do not need. However, all of this stuff feels necessary. It is hard to part with our past items.
I think sometimes God watches us travel through life with all of our "junk" in tail. We are always reminded of our past failures and where we made mistakes. However, we have been forgiven of these failures if we have asked for it. God has the ability to completely forget our failures. I wonder if that is why He is able to unconditionally love us. He looks forward instead of back.
Every individual has the potential to achieve greatness, and it often depends on what they do in the future instead of the past. I think people will forget your mistakes if you fix your future. If you learn from your mistakes and improve yourself people will respect you.
Lizzy and I have figured out what we do and do not need and are getting rid of our "junk". So ask God to get rid of your junk for you as you move into a new and better life.
Do We Marry God?
Lizzy and I went food shopping today, and while at the store I heard an interesting comment. We were in the cereal aisle trying to decide what kind of cereal to buy. The next thing I heard made me chuckle, but also think. "Mommy, do we marry God?" She actually asked the question twice and I never heard what the mom answered. But after thinking about it, I would have answered yes.
When we enter into a relationship with Christ it can be referred to as a marriage.
Romans 12:5
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
1 Corinthians 6:15
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?
Essentially we are connected to God, we are one. In an ideal world our wants and our desires would be those of Christ. However, I would say most of us fail in this area. We are daily looking to buy things or achieve things that truly do not matter. This doesn't mean that God doesn't delight in our achievements, it just goes to say that He delights more when our achievements are also his achievements.
So many times our prayers are "God help to hear your voice and follow you and what you want for my life." However, right after that prayer we struggle with following through. He may give us an opportunity to witness, and in return we shy away and let it go.
"Why would you say we are married to Christ?"
1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
When we are united with Christ, we are one body, He is in us, and we are a part of Him. So to answer that little girl, yes in a way you do marry God. However, it has to be a conscious decision. You cannot be a true follower of Christ by accident. Marriage is a sanctity, and we should treat our relationship with Christ in that way. We need to be in communion with him, constant communication and faithful to Him. Put Christ first in everything you do, especially in your earthly marriage.
So, I guess Paul was wrong, there is no such thing as a single Christian.
Just Life
Life continues to fly by. Everyday seems to go by faster and faster. Cayden is about to turn one already! It seems like almost yesterday I saw him for the first time. Also, this year marks our second anniversary, another date that is about to arrive a lot sooner than expected.
I feel like I have so much to say that I can't think of what to say. There are times I feel that I have lost the joy I used to have. It feels as if life is getting in the way of life, if that makes sense. There are so many things that require responsibility, commitment, seriousness, things that cause stress, fear, anger, questioning. We are now in a time of economic crisis, which has many of us either looking for jobs or being very cautious about our current one.
Every decision we make is based on the economy. Can we afford this, should we buy it? All of the business aspects of life sucks out the fun of life. We, or should I say I, am getting too focused on providing that I often forget about the fun. My job, my security is always on the back burner of my mind, sitting in a tea kettle, seconds away from whistling.
To make matters worse, I have been attempting to go at it alone. The one person or being I guess that can truly help me, is the one person I have left out of the equation, God. So there is the answer (the hot pad) sitting right next to the stove, waiting to be used. Yet I reach for the boiling tea with my bare hand, only to get burnt. Why not use the hot pad (God) to handle the tea kettle (life's problems)?
In Philippians chapter 4 verses 6 and 7 it talks about giving all our fears and request to God. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Yet I forget to do that, I forget to consult the hot pad. I realize that there will be no success in life based on my own effort. Sure on the outside it may look great, I may find worldly success. However, I know on the inside I will be a wreck, searching anywhere and everywhere for the answer.
Lord, guide me now in your path, in your direction. I'll do my best to use you to pick up the tea kettle. Let my worries fall to you, and your protection to me. Thank you for providing and for your love.