Summer Highlights

Our Summer started in mid-May, by going to India to pick up Alesha from the orphanage.

One of the things God showed us while in India was what hospitality looks like. The family we stayed with took us in and treated us as though we were part of their family. I struggled a bit because I was so worried about being a burden to them. I learned that people who practice true hospitality, tend to not see it as a burden but, as a privilege. I think April and I are learning to move in this direction, I have a long ways to go. Thank you Uma and Yaman for SHOWING our family what hospitality looks like.

Once we got home from India we entered an exciting, yet very difficult summer. Alesha had some stubborn health problems that haunted us for most of the summer. April has been much more faithful in blogging than I have so, you can read about some of the health problems Alesha was having over the summer here

We also had a few great times over the summer that I hope are captured in the photos below.

Beautiful flower in Kolkata

April and Alesha meeting for the first time in the orphanage.

Mother and daughter bonding.

April with Uma and Yaman, our wonderful host family while in India.

Children from the slums of Muneer a small Muslim village outside of Delhi.

4th of July at the McMillans. Todd riding "little blue".

Camping at Camp Dakota. Had fun until Alesha's head starting oozing smelling strep and staph infection and we had to cut the trip short and come home early.

Luke and I had a great time heading up to the north-east side of Mt. Hood to camp out at Tie In Rock at about the 8,000 ft. level. Never seen so many shooting stars in such a short period of time in all my life.

Martin is playing his first year of football. After seeing how cookie cutter the "professional" photographers mass produced the years photos, I had a moment of inspiration and this is what followed.

Camping with the Hawley and Pfeiffer men at Stub Stewart State Park. Like my friend, Ian, I enjoyed the cigars at least until the last part when I was questioning whether or not I was going to hurl. I am thinking a smaller cigar for the next camping trip.

Yes, these look like marsh mellows, but are actually powdered donut holes. The idea was to warm them up before eating them. The problem was they took on a smokey flavor, which does not necessarily go well with the powdered donut flavor.

We finished out summer by going kayaking with our friends the Hellers at Hagg Lake.

As you can see Alesha had fun in the water and wasn't afraid of the dirt.

Going to India today!

We're heading to India today, our flight is schedualed to leave in about six hours. It feels pretty sureal at the moment as we finish up some of the last details.

I've been praying for quite some time now that God would give us eyes to see on this trip, that we will see what God sees as He looks upon the heartbreaking poverty of Delhi and Kolkata.

I pray Lord that you will give us understanding, help us to see truth, to see where you are working in India. Let our hearts not be hard or dull, rather let them break over the things that break your heart.

Thank You God, for this humbling opportunity to embrace your daughter and offer your love to her. May she sense your presence in us somehow, please give her peace in this time of massive transition.

Please pray for us as a family, pray that we learn to walk in His Spirit, in His strength.

Pure Gospel...

"Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33

"Lots of people more or less believe in God. But most of us do our best to customize God to suit our convenience by adapting and modifying, making him "relevant to our situation." Prophets insist that God is the living center or nothing. Our task is to become relevant to his situation. They insist that we deal with God as God reveals himself, not as we imagine him to be." - Eugene Peterson

Neighborhood Garden

For several years now, April and I have talked about doing a garden in our yard. We figured since we have a half-acre of weeds, perhaps we should grow some vegetables. This discussion has taken place year after year with weeds remaining and no vegetables to be found, at least not in our yard...

Towards the end of last year we've started to get to know some of our neighbors a little bit better. We learned that a number of them are versed in the art of home gardening. So, with the help of our generous neighbors we recently broke ground on the "Ivy Glen Neighborhood Garden" I say, "with the help of" but really, I'm simply following their directions and trying not to get in the way!

Breaking ground March 27, 2010

On the job injury.

Tearing it up, April 17, 2010

Pema, making the job look way too easy!

SOME VERY USEFUL INFORMATION...

YOUNG@HEART - OFFICIAL TRAILER

My family and I watched this film last night. It was absolutely beautiful! I loved the juxtaposition of the lyrics penned by a younger generation sung by people nearing the end of the road. It was so cool to expirience these songs from a totally different perspective. The lyrics mean something completely different from the original, yet they could have been written by these people in their old age.
That's the mysterious power of art. You can be familiar with something, you think you know it through and through, then you see it through an artists eyes and it's as if you're discovering it for the first time!

Mike Frost - Missional v. Attractional

What makes a church "missional"? I think Mike Frost gets to the heart of it. A community that organizes around mission is a truly missional church.
An attractional church can "do missions" as a part of their programing but, not necessarily be a missional church.
The more I understand, or at least think I understand, what a missional church is, I'm concluding that I've had very little exposure to that kind of environment..."It's not just a tweeking of a system...But, a complete paradigm shift"
I also like his closing words about the two models somehow working together, "cheering one another on"
It's important for me to remember it not "good vs. bad" or "right vs. wrong" Perhaps, it's more of a question of which model is most prevalent in the New Testament? Though I think examples of both could be found, it seems that the early church (before Constantine) was very much a missional incarnational movement.

The Tangible Kingdom - Incarnational or Attractional

Should the church be attractional or incarnational? This is not a new debate but, it's one that I think is of utmost importance. How one answers this question will indeed impact how they live.

The term attractional, to me, is where a church primarily attracts people to a building for services and programs. "Come and be a disciple"


The term incarnational, on the other hand, is the idea of Christians taking the gospel to the people/world as well as being the gospel to the world. As we go we embody the good news. "Go and make disciples" The above video communicates this concept well...can't wait to read this book!

Most churches in the west are of the attractional variety. From what I read in scripture, though, it would seem that the incarnational model of church is what we find most apparent in the new testement. Jesus and his disciples, the early church were constantly on the move taking the gospel to the world. "Go and make disciples"


Some would argue that the church should be both attractional and incarnational. Perhaps this is a good argument but, I'm not so sure it's a practical one. If a church is attractional, especially in America, then it must put a tremendous amount of time, effort, talent and resources into attracting the masses. With all this effort, is there really any time or energy left to go and simply be among the people? To take the gospel to them? I simply don't see how an attractional church can spend all the time necessary to keep the church machine running and still be truly incarnational. It's sort of like attempting to go on a business trip and a vacation at the same time. Either the business part of the trip is going to suffer and give way to the vacation impulse or visa versa. They're really two different paths. It seems difficult to have a mindset of "going and making disciples" while living in a "come to us" environment.

Can you imagine a church full of people that see themselves as missionaries? Where they see their neighborhoods and places of employment as their mission field? In this senerio, they would be seeking ways to take the gospel to their mission field. They would be asking questions like, "How can I express God's love among the people" and "How can I lead people to Christ" This approach is far different from simply having the goal to get people to come to the church and have the professionals (pastors) take it from there.

The very nature of the attractional model really tends to set the bar so low for the average church member. As mentioned above, if our primary goal as church members is to get people into church so that they can find Christ, then that means that our responsiblity to make disciples ends as soon as they walk through the church doors. Now it's up to the pastor and the discipleship program within the church.

I hope I'm not sounding cynical here but simply bringing people to church just doesn't cut it for me. It sets the bar so low. Christ calls us to be the church. To get out of our buildings and take Christ to our neihbors, schools, places of employment and into the world. He calls us to go, not to call the world to come to us.

I would argue that a truly missional incarnational church is very attractive as it goes forth making disciples spreading God's love, being salt and light in a dark world. In other words, if the church goes about making disciples around the context of mission...the attractional part will take care of itself.

I'm trying my best to live this out, not just talk/blog about it. At times this can feel a bit lonely but, I know it's the path God has called me to walk...It's the Jesus way.

The Cost of Discipleship

I recently finished a book called "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" by Jeanne Guyon.

I figured, what could be better than having a deeper relationship with Jesus? As I read the book, I quickly realized that it wasn't going to be a warm fuzzy, "5 easy steps/tips for a better Christian life", type book. Here's a sample from the book where she discusses abandonment, one of the key points in the book...

"Abandonment is casting off all your cares. Abandonment is dropping all your needs. This includes spiritual needs...All your concerns go into the hand of God. You forget yourself, and from that moment on you think only of Him.
By continuing to do this over a long period of time, your heart will remain unattached; your heart will be free and at peace!
How do you practice abandonment? You practice it daily, hourly, and by the moment. Abandonment is practiced by continually losing your own will in the will of God; by plunging your will into the depths of His will, there to be lost forever!...Abandonment must reach a point where you stand in complete indifference to yourself...Become abandoned by simply resigning yourself to what the Lord wants, in all things, no matter what they are, where they come from, or how they affect your life".

In reading this book, I'm confronted with the reality of how full of myself I really am. When growing closer to him means death to self...I pause, then take a step forward...wait, that hurts, this can't be right! Again, Christ calls me to take his hand and walk with him, leaving myself behind. Maybe, I don't need to have such a deep walk with him...Perhaps there could be some kind of compromise. Now I'm at the heart of the matter, am I really willing to bring all of my life under his Lordship, to let go of everything...to become indifferent to my own needs a desires, am I willing to abandon all to simply walk with my Savior?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "When Jesus calls a man, he bids him to come and die" Western Christianity is often at odds with biblical discipleship, in many cases American Christianity has warped us. We've set the bar so low for discipleship that we actually think that if we're experiencing pain we must be doing something wrong. The very path that Christ calls us to walk is one marked with pain and sacrifice. Dying to self in inherently painful!

So, why would anybody be willing to give up everything to follow Christ anyway? Once you've seen Jesus, Once you've been touched by Him, Once you've been in His presence...You know why. Like the pearl of great price or the hidden treasure in the field, no cost... is too high!

Paradoxically, the greatest freedom is dying to self in surrendered abandonment to Him...the very thing we resist! I pray that in 2010 we spend time in His presence, see His beauty, experience His touch and leave ourselves behind in the process. It's the only way we can truly know Him. We must decrease so that He can increase.

Alesha Mugdha of Kolkata

Last week April and I had the privilege of accepting a referral for a beautiful little girl currently residing in Kolkata, India. With open arms and open hearts we welcome you into our family dear Alesha! Isn't she beautiful? (see April's blog http://www.pfeiffer4.blogspot.com/ ) We've been in the adoption process for nearly two years now. We hope to have our little one home by spring time

.

I've been asked many times, "what made you want to adopt?" and "why India?"

I've always thought that adoption is a beautiful thing. It speaks of God's grace and redemption and love. Until two years ago, I always thought it was a wonderful thing for others to do. I on the other hand, had absolutely no interest in bringing another child into our home.

Then one day (I believe it was November 4, 2007) in an instant, it all changed! April and I were at church and a promo video for the 2008 India missions trip was shown. It touched me deeply. I went home and started reading about the orphan problem in our world. As I did this God put in my heart an OVERWHELMING desire to bring one of these little ones into our home.

We chose India because we are just somehow drawn to that crazy land of chaotic beauty. I take a pretty lax view of the details of adoption. Some people hold strong opinions as to whether one should adopt locally vs. internationally. I would encourage anybody wanting to adopt, to look carefully at ALL options, pray and go where God leads. Personally, I believe that with over one hundred million orphans world wide, the where when and how God leads one to adopt is not of great concern....I just would love to see God's people asking, "What can I do to look after these little ones that are made in His image?"

This Thanksgiving Day, I'm so grateful to be a part of something that God is involved in.

I'm a Christ Follower (Mac vs. PC Parody) Part 02

I think I'd rather die than go to a church like the one "Christian" goes to in this video! Sad that there's still a lot of people out there that think that's all that church is.

Broken Beat and Scarred w/ Lyrics

This song reminds me of life...overcoming drug addiction, spiritual warfare, growth, being a Christ follower. It paints for me a picture of a seasoned warrior, battle scarred but, still in the fight not willing to give up. "The dawn, the death, the fight to the final breath"
It sounds like the "sons of thunder" spoken of in scripture....

Simple Church

..."Through these simple acts of hospitality and prayer, we joined God's mission in our neighborhood. His mission does not have to be pumped up or hyped. We don't have to start it or defend it. God owns his mission, and He will do His mission through us if we allow Him" Floyd McClung-"Starting a House Church"

It's amazing what God will show us and where He'll lead us when we start thinking along the lines of what He's doing and how we can be involved in His mission rather than "doing something for God"

How often we don't recognize divine appointments because we're looking for the spectacular. Sometimes the "spectacular" happens in the spiritual relm but, appears very ordinary on the outside...

Emotional Russ Taff Interview

"Through all that I found the real Jesus" - This is such a powerful testimony of the healing work and restoration that only Christ can bring about. I find my own story somehow in this interview. I think of how God brought me through a season in my life that was marked with pain, addiction, disillusionment and finally despair. But, "through all that I found the real Jesus" When we let God do his work in us we're simply never the same!

"Avoid the Appearance of Evil"

I've been wondering how to reconcile the above scripture with how Jesus lived his life.  He hung out with hookers, tax collectors and drunks.  He turned water into wine. He did some serious house cleaning with the money changers in the temple! He didn't seem to have any concern about what "people might think" or "what is this going to look like to others?"

 "Could what I'm doing appear as evil?" Did not seem to be of any concern to him.

I did a brief study of this passage (1 Thessalonians 5:22)  and discovered that most modern translations render the passage as - "Avoid every kind of evil" or "Avoid all forms of evil" Only the KJV says, "Avoid the appearence of evil" I believe that most scholars would suggest that the KJV, in this case is not the best translation.

It's funny how many times I've heard this verse to justify a legalistic approach to life!  "You shouldn't go to the movies, dance, go to bars, drink, go to rock concerts"....on and on it goes. Because you want to " avoid the appearance of evil."  The religious spirit is a subtle one indeed.  The rationale always sounds so pious and holy. It usually feels so pure and sacred, Yet all too often, it stems from a self rightous, religious attitude. 

I find that when I'm worried about how my actions might be seen by others, (especially other Christians) there's a good chance that I'm dealing with a self rightous, religious spirit. The religious spirit causes you to focus on yourself  and outward appearances and holds you captive in a prison of what others think.

Is there not an irresistable draw toward Jesus and his approach to life and ministry?  He knew his heart was in tune with the Father's will and that's all that mattered.  He came to "set the captives free and to bind up the broken hearted"  What others thought about him and his friends or his approuch to ministry or how others thought that he would reveal himself as the Messiah made no difference to him.

I long to walk, in ever increasing measure, in that same freedom that Jesus walked. I believe that the key is rooted in love. Love for the Father and love for others. When we're compelled and motivated by love, don't we find ourselves free from what others think?

Simple House Church

I've been reading a short book called "Simple House Church Revolution" It is available for download free of charge. http://www.simplechurchrevolution.com/download.htm

Reading this book is kind of messing with me. I've always thought that house churches are a little weird, perhaps a good place for a cult to get started! However, the more I read about the house church movement the more I realize that it seems to reflect the passions of my heart.

I think two things in particular get my attention:

1) The concept of community.

2) The focus on "being the church" over focus on church buildings and programs.

- The concept of community within the house church movement seems to resemble new testament church where believers truly shared their lives together, not just an hour and a half on Sunday mornings listening to the pastor. For an example of this type of community check out the chapter titled "Fellowships of the Heart" in John Eldredge's book "Waking the Dead" here's a link to download the chapter - http://www.ransomedheart.com/assets/PDF/WTD11.pdf

- When we see ourselves as "being the church" instead of being "part of a church" we're far more likely to depend on the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. There's a world of difference between simply trying to get a neighbor or coworker to "come to my church" vs. being the church to them, modeling who Christ is in how I live. The first is possible in the flesh, the second is not.
We're also more likely find our God ordained calling if we broaden our horizons to see beyond the walls of our church building. What if our personal mission/calling doesn't fit into Sunday morning worship service? Or even within the context of the institutional church?

I think it's possible to apply the above principles within the context of a traditional church. I guess that's what I'm wrestling with....I'm wondering if it really is. I'm confident that God will lead me in the way He desires me to go.

The way it used to be

On my run this morning I was thinking about the whole issue of suffering and death. What am I to think of the child who dies in a car accident, a man or woman of God who models the Christian walk who dies in a plane crash or some other "freak accident"? Do we blame Satan? Do we blame God? Do we just say, "It must have been God's will" Is it possible that God nor Satan is directly involved? ( responsible for the accident or tragedy itself)

Imagine how differently we would see things if sin only recently entered the human race. Let's imagine that the fall of man occurred only a year ago. Those of us older than a year would have known a time in which there was only life, no death. Until a year ago we would have never known about wars, famine, cancer, injury, birth defects, rape, abuse, shame, neglect....

Then a year ago EVERYTHING changes! Suddenly, all the things mentioned above and much more are part of our world...our new reality. Oh, how we would regret with bitter tears and a broken heart, the choice we made to disobey God! Surely, we would long for the way it used to be!

What then would our response be to death and suffering? Wouldn't we immediately be painfully aware of why there is pain and suffering in our world? Would we even consider asking, "If God is all loving and all powerful, then how could he allow this?" (A question that has tormented me in the past) No, we would know why the horrors in our world take place and we would long for redemption and restoration. We would long for forgiveness. We would long for a Savior....we would long for Jesus!

I know this doesn't answer many complex questions about God, Evil and the fall of man, but,I think God has set a part of me free this morning. Somehow, when I imagine the fall as a recent event, I think I can see our world with just a little more clarity.

Treasuring Him - DWYL Sermon Jam Video

Philippians 3:7-11 "...I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord..."

Waking the Dead!

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

"There is a widespread belief among Christians today that the heart is desperately wicked-even after a person comes to Christ.

It is a crippling belief.

And it is untrue." John Eldredge - Waking the Dead

Oh, how this truth is setting me free!

7-24-02 - Rescued!

"Sleep, and dream of this Death angel's kiss

Brings final bliss Completely!

Empty they say, Death, won't you let me stay? Empty they say Death, hear me call your name? Oh, call your name!

Suicide, I've already died You're just the funeral I've been waiting for

Cyanide, living dead inside, Break this empty shell forevermore

Wait, wait patiently Your death-black wings Unfolding sleep Spreading on me

Empty they say Death, won't you let me stay? Empty they say Death, hear me call your name Oh, call your name!

Suicide, I've already died You're just the funeral I've been waiting for

Cyanide, living dead inside Break this empty shell forevermore"... Metallica

"He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God" Psalm 40:2-3

July 24th 2002 is my sobriety date, a day that I will not forget til the day I die...Perhaps, I'll remember it even throughout eternity....I hope I do!

It was the day that my father in heaven rescued me from certain death...literally! Towards the end of my love affair/addiction with drugs and alcohol I became suicidally depressed. The lyrics from Metallica's song, "cyanide" explain exactly how I was living and thinking in the summer of 2002. "Sleep and dream of this Death angel's kiss, brings final bliss completely!" It's almost surreal when I remember that in those dark days, I actually believed that embracing death was the answer! I'll never forget feeling the cold chains of a merciless addiction crushing my very soul. I can still remember the utter hopelessness of blackest, darkest night surrounding me as I helplessly sunk ever deeper into the pit of hell! Out of control, fear, no...terror! Oh, sweet death, please come, embrace me...

I'll also never forget the merciful hand of God reaching down from heaven and bringing me "up out of the pit of destruction" Life has not, and will not ever be the same! Since then, I see God as my Deliverer, my Rescuer, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Saviour...my only Hope. He's my Hero, He saved me!

I took the above picture in 2001 after getting high. I think something in me was hoping that one day I would look at this picture with several years of sobriety and say, "Thank God he set me free!" Today is that day.

Waiting for Orphans to Arrive

April and I have completed all our foster parenting classes through DHS and are now simply waiting for "the call" from DHS asking us if we'll take a particular child or sibling group into our home.

It's kind of interesting that we don't call foster kids orphans....they're "foster kids"

Definition of orphan:

A) A child whose parents are dead.
B) A child who has been deprived of parental care and has not been adopted.

"B" seems to describe foster kids perfectly. These kids have been deprived of parental care by parents who are checked out for one reason or another (often drugs/alcohol) and the kids suffer from neglect or worse....

Sometimes I wonder if we think that the biblical mandate to "look after orphans....in their distress" doesn't apply to foster kids. I think it does apply to them as much as the orphans in India or Africa or any other place in the world.

It's not that I take the view that "we need to take care of our own first" They're ALL God's children! In fact April and I are in the process of adopting a little girl from India. (More on that in future blogging) It's just that I think it's easy to think that the "real need" is overseas while we miss "real needs" right under our nose! If we take the view that foster kids in our communities...our neighborhoods are in fact modern day orphans, than doesn't James 1:27 take on more of a personal feel? "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Camping

Had a great time camping with Martin and Luke. We went to "Indian Henry" campground. With a little rock climbing and a fire, we had a great time. It was a reminder to me how important it is to get time alone with my kids, we had some great discussions.

Evian Roller Babies US

Something strange in that water!

Jim Gaffigan - Camping

I'm heading out camping with my sons. Martin thought this was really funny...Luke, not so much....