bookshelves and prayer

today, again, God reminded me that He answers prayer.

my calendar on my iPod touch reminded me after work "get bookshelf".

for Christmas I had asked my parents for a bookshelf. I have two small bookshelves which were quite full before i started seminary, and now I'm purchasing about 15 books per quarter...needless to say, my shelves have quickly overflowed (even with just the first quarter's worth of books!).

when i went home for Christmas a quick glance under the tree told me there was no bookshelf under there. either that or it was there, but it would only hold 6 books--there were no large boxes of any shape under the tree. but i was glad when i opened a "coupon" that read "This coupon good for one sfine bookshelf. Merry Christmas!" (for those of you who might not speak "Fairfield", "sfine" can mean a wide variety of things from "fine" to "great" to "we want to get you a bookshelf, but we think it'd be great if you picked it out 'cause then you could get the one you like and then we'll just pay you back for it." ...it's a powerful word.)

so...today after work i set out with this coupon in hand, intending to redeem it. i wasn't sure where the best place to find a bookshelf would be, so i kept my eyes peeled on my way home. there was a mall-type place right off the freeway, so i decided to take that exit. though no store seemed to be a good store for bookshelves, i headed into Macy's. an employee was standing near the door as i walked in. i asked if they had any bookshelves. "No, we don't carry those." I was about to walk out. Then I asked "Do you know what store would sell them?" He mentioned a few places including a special Macy's Furniture in Novato. I decided to check it out. Being my typical self I didn't ask for directions, and having never been to Novato I had an adventuresome time finding the Macy's there. but i like driving adventures.

i walked in and was overwhelmed by the amount of furniture. the place almost seemed void of people (not surprising with the combo of the recession and being new year's day), but i was able to find a salesperson. he showed me a few bookshelves and one stood out to me. i really liked it. but the price...seemed a little too much for the "sfine" range. but i decided to call my dad just in case. we talked about it for a bit, got some more info from the salesman (Michael) and I walked out to my car. After talking a bit more my dad encouraged me to head back inside and order it. I couldn't believe it. This was a NICE piece of furniture! I wasn't pushing my dad to buy this for me, and honestly, i didn't think I would end up with this bookshelf--it was way too nice! I talked with Michael again and had it ordered. It is scheduled to be delivered on the 16th.

I walked back out to my car stunned. I called home again and talked to my dad (who put me on speakerphone so my mom could be in on the conversation as well). I expressed to them my thankfulness as much as I could. this was an incredibly generous gift.

and i realized something. and i told them. i was reminded of Matthew 7 --

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
"Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
"Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he?
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

I had received from my earthly father because I had asked. My earthly father does know how to give good gifts, he knows how to bless me. and he does this generously and lovingly. he loves to bless me. and i felt blessed.

much more, then, my Heavenly Father, knows how to give good gifts to me. and He does and will do so.

what an amazing lesson.

even greater, though...but i didn't realize this until i was almost home (maybe 30 mins later). months ago, when i realized i was going to need a new bookshelf, i started praying for one. a bookshelf is not something that adds to my spirituality to any extent--i knew it was not a prayer request for something that i absolutely needed. just something i wanted. i had thought about how God might answer it: have someone give me their used bookshelf, provide a bit of money so i could go to target and get a particleboard bookshelf, receive a wal-mart quality bookshelf for Christmas. all of which i would have been very grateful for.

but, driving home i realized: God had answered even this request. this unnecessary request. my Father answered it exceedingly, abundantly, beyond all that i had asked or thought.

He does answer prayer. praise Him!

another stamp in the passport

and another adventure.

not quite a week ago i returned from another incredible adventure. 2nd trip to haiti and 14th entry stamp in my passport. funny how i only have 2 re-entry stamps into the states though. not sure how that works. i know i've come back here more than that! this country is definitely "home" for me, but every time i travel to another country my heart grows for the rest of the world and shrinks for the closed-minded, pompus attitude I often see here in "America". (not sure why we use that word to refer to this country specifically, since Canada and Mexico are both in *North* America, a bunch of countries are in *Central* America and even more are in *South* America...aren't we all technically "America"?)

Once, when I was returning from Indonesia, I had a long layover in Jakarta and spent the night in a hotel. Turned the TV on and the only thing in english was music videos so the channel surfing stopped there for a while. I heard (watched?) the song "California" by Phantom Planet. I was repulsed. I mean, I like California and all. You can't find too many other places where you can have all four seasons (yes, anyone not from cali might not realize this, but we have sandy desserts, forested mountains, rolling hills and various terrains of sea coasts...you can find hot summers, snowy winters, green springtimes and colorful autumns...okay not as snowy or as colorful or as green as other states...but we have 'em!). Where else can you live and be able to drive an hour one way and be in the snowy mountains to snowboard or drive one hour the opposite direction and be at the ocean and go swimming (so cal!) ? ...but the lyrics of the song were praising california like it was the best place in the world and everyone should want to go there. huh. at that point in time i wasn't really looking forward to going back to cali. Indonesia is a beautiful place. the people and cultures are intriguing, the food is amazing. the people in mexico are wonderful. the country of Jordan has great food and awesome spots to visit. Israel...can't say enough about it. Iraq was quite scary :) but i miss the people i met there. Amsterdam is incredibly organized. Haiti...the people are wonderful and the land itself is a beautiful place (head to the coasts or fly over the mountains...beautifully tropical).

I had a professor in Israel who said that when he was growing up he used to want to be the president of The USA just so that he could pass a law that said everyone had to spend at least a year outside of the states. boy, that would change our view on the world!

well...i think i've written enough for one blog. here are some pictures from my latest adventure to Haiti...









my dad took this one. i love it. i think it captures SO MUCH of Haiti all in one shot:

if my sister was reporting from Iraq...

...we would win the war on terror.

Here's an opinion post. I connected a few dots, and came to the conclusion that--were my sister a reporter in Iraq, we would be winning the war on terror. Or at least the morale of the US citizens back home would be greatly increased.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go to Iraq and help out with the reconstruction going on over there. I had many Iraqi co-workers and came in contact with other Iraqi locals. Every single local person I met was glad that the Americans (and British et. al.) were there doing what they are doing. I worked for a company called GRC and one of our employees, whenever Saddam's name was mentioned, would get so mad at him and would tell horrible stories of when Saddam was in power and he would be so glad that we took Saddam and his regime out. One time I was working on an install (GRC installed VSAT [satellite] dishes for NGOs etc) for a company called DAI. They had a guard for their compound. He was sitting in a place that I passed many times as I went back and forth carrying equipment from our van to the roof. He was an Iraqi and couldn't speak much english at all. But when I first met him he shook my hand very affectionately and said the only english words he knew "Hello, hello meester, hello." And each time I walked by him he stood up and bowed to me, smiled and said, "Hello, hello meester, hello." I could tell he was very glad we (the Americans) were there.

A big problem, in my opinion, with the war on terror and the issues going on in Iraq is the focus of the media, the focus of the reporters. They focus on the negative things going on, they focus on the amount of citizens killed, soldiers wounded or dead, the plans that aren't working. And because of this, the morale of the American people declines and they want to pull out of Iraq. And they express such sentiments to the President and congressmen etc. The focus is not on the people of Iraq who are glad that we are there--and there are many Iraqis who are thankful for what we have done (at least there were back in 2004 when I was there). The focus is not on the improved development and improved economy where it should be.

Well...that was one thought I had. That thought really materialized in my mind because I recently visited my sister in Haiti and the orphanage she manages. I got there and saw all the cute, playful kids about whom my sister had told me. I also saw them pout and cry. My sister had told me about that before...like all kids, they cry and get in fights etc., but she had only told me once. The rest of the time she focuses on all the cute things and fun things they do. And that's the important stuff, the positive stuff. Why would you want to focus on the bad stuff? Of course you acknowledge and understand that it happens, to not do so would be ignorant. But to focus on it and complain about it would be negative and pessimistic. That's how the reporters in Iraq are: pessimistic. But my sister is altogether better and amazing. She's not ignorant and she doesn't paint a bleak one-sided picture of what's going on over there. Of course she realizes the kids pout and cry, but that's not what she's interested in, that's not what she focuses on or wants to magnify.

My sister disciplines those kids and doesn't ignore or let them get away with the bad things they do. She doesn't spoil them and give them anything they cry for. She deals with what needs to be dealt with. But she focuses on the good and promotes that.

Let's focus on what is good and amplify it. But at the same time not ignore the bad things that are going on. They need to be dealt with.

Life is a balancing act.

my sister

   "Peter said, 'Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.'
And He said to them, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.'" ~Luke 18:28-30

my sister is amazing. recently i watched her leave this place, her friends, her family, her job, her apartment, her posessions, her church....for what? for a third-world country, for hot weather, for lots of work, for unknown territory, for uncertainties, for unfamiliar people, for a place where she does not speak the language of the people, ....why? "for the sake of the Name" (3 John 7).

she is in a place most people consider dangerous. but we both know that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will. she feels this is God's will for her, thus it is the safest place.

"safe?" you ask, "how is going to a place like that 'safe'?" i will tell you why it is safe. it is not 'safe' because it is comfortable and has all manner of amenities. no, through Christ she has learned to deal with all those types of situations as if she had an abundance (see Phil. 4:10-13). it is not safe because she believes that pain does not exist (see 2 Tim. 4:5). no, it is safe because she realizes that all persecutions and sufferings that might come her way at the hands of men are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed to her at the revelation of Jesus Christ (see Rom. 8:18), nor are men to be feared (scared of) for what they can do, but she fears (respects) God and who He is (see Matt. 10:28). It was His will for her to go there, going against His will is something to fear...the fear of man will trip you up from what you are supposed to do (see Prov. 29:25).

Why should she fear? Nothing can separate her from the love of God (see Rom. 8:38-39). And if she dies, that is gain for her (see Phil. 1:21 and 2 Cor. 5:8)! and I will see her again, i can know this for certain (see 1 John 5:13). In all of this we greatly rejoice (1 Peter 1:3-9)!!!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies;
who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Just as it is written,
"FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED."
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~Romans 8:31-39

i love my sister

--"this is pure and undefiled religion: that you look after orphans and widows and that you keep yourself unstained by the world." james 1:27