Eyes to See, Ears to Hear

Archive for September, 2006

It’s pushing 10pm and I’m trying to do some time-consuming things on my computer.  All of them are my OCD colliding with my gadget addiction.  A couple of windows back on my computer, Windows Vista RC1 is downloading.  I’m going to give it a go as my main operating system.  That would be EXTREMELY unwise if it weren’t for one of the other tasks I have to complete before I start the install.  I’m going to backup my laptop in its entirety by making an image of it on my 120 GB external hard drive.  So, if this Vista thingy causes my notebook to go wacky like our poodle does when we get home, I will have a restore option to get me back to the state I’m in now. I’ve also been using Office 2007 Pro Beta 2 for about the past 3 weeks.  I’m very comfortable with the past Office suite but I have to admit the changes in 2007 are taking some time to get used to.  I do like it.  It’s just that a lot of the menus are totally redone, but while still containing all of the features from 2003.  There are some great changes that I like so far.  I’ll try to post a more thorough review with some screenshots at a later time and will do the same for Vista.  

I had to take a picture of this today.  After training, we got on Highway 200 South and hopped over the border into South Carolina to take advantage of their lower gas taxes.  At the gas station close to our house, 87 octane is going for $2.499 per gallon.  As you can see from the picture above, we got it for $2.169 in Lancaster.  This is another one of the small things God is doing to take care of us while we’re in training.  Every penny counts when you’re trying to raise funds to be a missionary!

I heard on the radio this morning that Fall will officially be here this weekend.  To Dana and I, this time of the year is one of our favorite especially since we were married on October 2.  This year, watching the leaves turn and thinking about “change” carries a new meaning to me.  I am one to usually like change.  I like a new picture on our homepage.  I like a changed path of commute on the way to training.  I like furniture being rearranged.  But, something I’ve noticed that I don’t like to change is myself.  I in no way shape or form mean that in a positive way.  You see, I’ve got a pride problem that God is helping me see.  I am guilty of going through each and every day on my own.  God is with me and in me, but I’m talking about seeking Him first is what I’m not doing.  Yesterday in Sunday School, we talked about change at one point in the class.  God really used it on me because he brought some things to my mind.  Recently, especially since all this training began, I’ve sensed some bondage in my life and I couldn’t figure out what it was or from where it was coming.  I could only feel its effects.  Well, I cried out to God in my heart yesterday that He would not only reveal to me what the bondage was, but that He’d also free me from it.  The word change took me right to the problem.  I didn’t want change in me.   If I didn’t want change in me, then I didn’t want God to change me.   And, I saw that if I claimed Jesus as my Lord and Savior yet didn’t open myself to be molded to be like Him, I was living a contradiction.  No wonder I felt what I did.  I strut around like a missionary who is crazy about God yet I believe the lie that I’m okay, that I’m alright, that I have arrived and am in a better position than those around me.  Yes, because of my pride I have exalted myself above others and its impact on me hurts.  So, now what?  Well, liberation came when God put the choice in front of me.  I could continue down the road I was on, struggling in my own strength just to handle the worries of each day, telling myself that I’m okay since I’m not an alcoholic, a pimp, or a drug dealer.  Or, I could make a change.  I could feel myself cringe at that thought which only confirmed my problem.  God was drawing me to Himself and I cringed?!  That could only mean that I definitely was on the wrong road by heading into each day on my own.  Opening up to change meant that I would no longer sit on the throne of Jonathan, but that God would.  God, I want change.  I want to be changed.  I want You to change me.  I want to be changed in the best way possible and that cannot come from my hand.  I want to rely on You for change.  I trust You to lead me.  I trust You to sanctify me.  I trust You with me.  I’m sorry my pride had caused me to believe the lie that I could be god of my own life by not seeking your guidance each and every step of the way.  I don’t want to be out here alone for a single second.   -we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us-      Hebrews 12.1b 

Don’t do what I did and just write off the things God was trying to use in my life.  He’s been bringing this up to me for a while but I told myself, “I already know that.”  Knowing it isn't making the difference in my life.  Surrender is.

We are so grateful to our Sunday school class for allowing us to present to them at an event they titled, “Ice Cream, Missions, and the McCall’s”.  There was a potluck event that was immediately followed by ice cream and all the toppings.  That’s when we were able to share the vision and passion God has given us for getting the Scripture to people in a way they can understand.  This was the first chance we’ve had to present to a group and it went really well.  We praise God for His provision and for giving us the words that morning, as it was our first Sunday back at our home church since ICC training began a month ago.  We also praise God that many people got to hear what God will have us doing and He stirred hearts to sign up to receive our newsletters.  We were so blessed by this opportunity.  Thank you to the entire Cordray Sunday school class!

We praise God and extend our thanks to Hickory Grove Baptist Church – North Campus for the opportunity to put our information out at their Global Missions Week. This event is from Wednesday, September 6th through Wednesday, September 13th. We have brochures, bookmarks, and other information available to be picked up by anyone interested. Our time at the kick-off to this event Wednesday night was the first chance we’ve had to be back in our home church since ICC training began 5 weeks ago. It was so great to see our friends and to be able to talk to people about how God will be using us within our missions organization. If you’re a member of Hickory Grove, be sure to stop by our section to learn more and to pick up some information. We pray that the Lord will stir people’s hearts for missions through Global Missions Week.

As you may have read elsewhere, we began 4 ½ – weeks of training in Intercultural Communications Course (ICC). As part of the course, we were assigned to a local ‘cross culture’ church. This part of our course was designed to give a real life perspective on the things we learned in the classroom.
  The church to which we were assigned was White Oak AME Zion Church in Van Wyck, SC. From the very first Sunday we visited, the congregation treated us as if we were family.
  You may be a little puzzled as to why ICC coordinators would choose to send us to a black congregation for a cross cultural experience. The answer is really simple if you’re able to look past the ethnicity difference. There are many significant differences between the worship service at our home church and at White Oak. We are pretty contemporary in our worship music style at Hickory Grove Baptist Church – North (HGBC). I can think of no other way to describe the worship at White Oak (WO) other than THEY JAM! If you have any, um… ‘rythmic challenges’ then WO may be a challenge in this regard. I found the worship extremely heart-led and easy in which to get involved. I can’t lie, I even clapped my hands and stomped my feet!
  Another difference is the preaching style. Attending HGBC and having an Associate Pastor of Preaching like Dr. Rummage, we hear textbook exegetical 3-point Baptist sermons. At most, you’d hear 3 or 4 “Amen”s during a sermon at HGBC. That is not the case at WO. Verbal affirmation of God’s Word being preached is important to them and
expressed consistently throughout the delivery of the message. The pastor at WO expresses quite a bit more emotion from the pulpit with great enthusiasm. Before our visits, I wondered if that much expression would distract or subtract from the message but I learned that preaching style is another culturally-dependent item as well. It didn’t take long at all for me to see that the hearts of the church were being changed as the Word was delivered like that.
  Unfortunately, today was our last of 4 Sundays at WO. Near the end of the service, the pastor spoke of our visits and said, “Today, some of our members are leaving us.” I seriously teared up. I didn’t make it to a full cry, but the flood gates were about to bust. That meant so much to me to hear how the church loved us and counted us as their own.

Today was the official celebration for Papaw (My Mom's Father) and his 85th birthday (born August 31, 1921). We left around 10am this morning to drive 3 hours to the NC mountains for the party at the 'Pout House'.  It is a very cozy cabin that Papaw has progressively built over the past decade and a half or so.  It has a ton of character as he has added plenty of, let’s say… interesting items.  We always find it easy to relax when we go up there.
  We had been looking forward to this trip for quite a while, especially since we hadn’t seen a bunch of the family in a long time.  My cousin Michael and his wife Amy had their beautiful 10-month baby girl there.  It was our first time seeing her so that was very exciting for us. The trip gave us a good opportunity to inform a lot of the family of our missionary tract details.  Talking about what God is doing in our lives in that regard is one of the things we enjoy the most.  It allows our passion to come out and hopefully ignite a new passion in those to who we talk.
  Papaw is looking good these days.  It was the best I’ve seen him move around in a long, long time.  His cancer has made the past two years very difficult so it was great to see he is feeling so well.  Even though we are happy to see his physical improvement, it still is painful to know that he does not have eternal life.  For a man to love others in the way I’ve seen him do it for thirty years and him not be a believer in Jesus Christ is astounding.  If I could change anything at all in my life, it would be for him to be saved.  Please pray for his heart to be softened to the gospel.