The End of an Age

The past decade or two has been called a number of different names – the information age, the digital age, the computer age – and has been a time of immense growth in computer technology and the internet, among other things. With the new technology many new opportunities, moral and ethical questions, scientific and medical possibilities, temptations, and much more have entered the everyday lives of the modern populace. Do the benefits of technology outweigh the negative influences it has exerted on culture and common life? That’s a debate that I don’t care to have. However, I am planning to do a sort of experiment on the subject.

On January 1^st of 2014 I am going to drop off the face of the earth. Not literally, of course, but in the sense of disappearing from the digital world of internet and computers. For personal, spiritual, and perhaps even scientific reasons, I am taking a sabbatical from the social media world of Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I am turning my back on my numerous email inboxes (except for my work email, for hopefully obvious reasons) and even my prestigious online blog (ha!). I am refusing to keep up-to-date on global news via online networks and websites.

To put it bluntly, I am fasting from the internet for 90 days.

The majority of the world won’t know and certainly won’t care that I am going “offline” until April 1^st (no fooling), but for the tiny minority that will care and will notice, I thought it best to offer a little advanced warning and a sort of explanation. No, I haven’t un-friended you on Facebook. No, I haven’t been eaten by an African lion. The world will go on without me. I'm pretty certain of that.

Outside of my co-workers, fellow Botswana residents, and the tourists/passengers on my flights, the only contact I plan to have with “the outside world” will be old fashioned snail mail sent to my company address in Gaborone. If you want that address, feel free to contact my family or to look it up on the World Wide Web. Plan on 2-4 weeks of transit time for any letters you may mail. The donkey carts that deliver mail over here are pretty slow. Not really, but the time it takes for me to get mail will depend on the flight schedule of our air ambulance planes, so it is unpredictable.

In case of emergency, contact my company or my family. Or you could just call 911.

Enjoy the internet for the next 90 days! It should be faster without me clogging up the bandwidth. If you would continue to pray for me during this time of internet silence, I would most definitely appreciate it. As for me, I’ll be enjoying life as it used to be with no internet to distract, to communicate, or to enlighten. I am actually hoping it will be the best of times, the age of wisdom, the epoch of belief, the season of light, and the spring of hope for me rather than the opposite. And just perhaps, during the sabbatical I will be able to say with my own personal meaning, “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest I [have] than I have ever known.” Oh yes, and I do plan to read some Charles Dickens with my additional free time. It will be great. 

Family

Christmas is about Jesus Christ. Christmas is about the gift of God's Son as a savior to the world. Christmas is about remembering and celebrating the virgin birth of baby Jesus. Christmas is about family.

The birth of Jesus was so important because of who He was, and especially who His Father was. Millions of babies have been born on this earth, but none of them besides Jesus were the son of God Almighty. Jesus was important because of His family. 

As Jesus walked the earth and ministered to its inhabitants, He was building the foundation for a spiritual family. Being fully man and yet resisting every temptation to sin that you and I as humans must face, Jesus conquered sin. Dying on the cross while completely innocent, Jesus conquered sin. Rising from the grave after three days of being dead, Jesus conquered sin. He was the perfect sacrifice that has torn the curtain between humanity and God the Father to allow us all to become children of The Most High. Because of God the Father and God the Son, we can now be adopted into the family of God. 

We celebrate Christmas every year with our biological families or families by marriage or by adoption on this earth, but we also get to celebrate it with our spiritual family around the world. All of us who have been saved by the blood of Christ are brothers and sisters to one another. We are all related. In a way, it is because of the first Christmas that we are all part of the same family.

Here in Botswana, thousands of miles away from my biological family in Texas and my adopted family members in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, and Puerto Rico, I am thankful that I have spiritual family members with whom I can celebrate the birth of Christ. At the same time, I will most definitely miss being with my brothers and sisters by birth, my parents, and my aunts, uncles, and cousins that I have been with for every Christmas up until now. So let me encourage those of you who have the blessing of spending this Christmas season under the same roof as your loved ones and family members to make the most of it. Remember that the presents and food and traditions are only as good as they are because of the people you are with as you enjoy them. Remember that not one of us is guaranteed another Christmas with those that we love and that each moment, each smile, each memory made is precious. Enjoy Christmas with your family! Whether you spend this holiday season with biological, adopted, or spiritual family members, remember that you and I are blessed. 

In the midst of our Christmas joys let's not forget those people who don't have a family, whether physical or spiritual, to be with on Christmas morning. The world is full of orphans, widows, and lost souls who will be sad and have an aching heart this December 25th. Perhaps besides simply counting our own blessings this Christmas, we can somehow manage to also be blessings to those who need it most. This is one of my favorite Christmas songs and says it even better than I can: http://youtu.be/XvDBGVoGKD0

Christmas is all about family! 

-----

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..." - James 1:17

Praise Ye The Lord!

The Bible, especially Psalms, is full of commands and reminders to praise God for all of His wonderful works. Honestly, though, I forget to do that as much as I should. It certainly isn't because He hasn't blessed me or exhibited His power and greatness in and around my life every single day, because He has done that. My lack of sufficient praise unto God is due to my failure to recognize and appreciate all of His blessings in the midst of everyday life and its busy schedule. What a lame reason.

Last week was an incredible testimony to the greatness of God and yielded many more reasons to praise Him. To set the stage, let me explain how things work here in Botswana when foreign nationals initially enter the country. When citizens of another country cross the border or pass through customs at the airport they are given a stamp in their passport that basically serves as a tourist visa and allows them to stay in the country for a maximum period of 90 days. People like me who are trying to move here for a job must apply for a residence permit and a work permit through the immigration office or else they will be required to leave the country after their 90 day pass expires. The past few months have been a difficult time for international applicants to obtain approval to stay or work in the country. Some of FMS's new employees have had to leave the country and are going through an appeal process to attempt to be able to come back and work. Lots of other organizations and individuals we have talked to are having the same problems. That being said, last Friday was my final day to be able to stay in the country on my 90 day passport stamp. The clock was ticking and my days were disappearing rapidly last week when I was called into the immigration office on Wednesday. Four and a half hours of waiting in line later, an immigration officer handed me a residence permit and a work permit over the counter and I walked out of that office with a miracle in my hand. With only two days to spare, God showed Himself strong on my behalf and has allowed me to stay and to work in Botswana!

God deserves praise for more than just opening doors and providing for His children. Look around. His creation is awesome! Over the weekend I went camping at the Khama Rhino Sanctuary with some FMS friends. The pans (large, flat open areas of ground) were covered with rhino, wildebeest, kudu, ostrich, impala, springbok, zebra, giraffe, eland, warthog, gemsbok, water buck, and a variety of neat birds (watch the video from the trip here). Watching all of these animals frolicking around as the sunset lit up the Botswana sky was amazing. Not to be outdone, the night sky was filled by a crescent moon and a plethora of dazzling stars and constellations. The flickering flames of our fire, the distinct smell of African wood smoke, and the varying tastes of delicious foods were all small and often unappreciated examples of the creativity, power, and greatness of our God that we experienced that night.

I have always loved this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson: 

"The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you."

Life is full of wonderful things that we should praise The Lord for every single day. He has done great things and will continue to do great things. Just praise Him!

 

---

 

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!" - Psalms 150:6

Chronicles

I've started a few different blog posts over the past week, but haven't finished them yet. So much has been churning in my mind for a brief while but then disappears like a mist blown away by the breeze as soon as I try to solidify it into words on a page, or on a computer screen actually. What I've decided to do in this post to somewhat bypass my typer's cramp (did I just invent a new term?) is just chronicle some of what has happened since I arrived in Botswana. It will be more facts and less thoughts than usual. Please forgive any repetitions that may slip in from previous posts. 

Cessna A2-FME

Nine and a half weeks ago, I arrived in the beautiful country of Botswana. My contract with Flying Mission Services was as a pilot, and I was slated to fly Cessnas into the Okavango Delta region around the city of Maun. Since arriving, I have submitted applications for both a work permit and residence permit to allow me to begin working and living legally in the country for the next two or more years. Neither one has been granted yet. In fact, many applications like mine have been denied in the past few months, so I'm very grateful that I can trust God to take care of mine and teach me more about Him through the whole process! In the meantime, I've technically been volunteering at the FMS offices here in Gaborone. The first few days and weeks here I was scrambling to get through ground school, testing, and applications as quickly as possible. It's a waiting game for my permits right now, but I still have one more step each to complete for the validation of my pilot's license and my mechanic's license. Monday and Tuesday of this week I will be taking a check ride in a Cessna 206 up in Maun with a Botswana pilot examiner. After that, it will just be a matter of time, hopefully. Taking one more written test is all that I need to accomplish for my mechanic validation. Lord willing, the end of the waiting is in sight! 

The beauty of a sunset in the bush

The office work I've been doing has included writing some new in-house tests for incoming company pilots, researching aircraft maintenance compliance for various planes being worked on in the hangar, counting airplane parts to verify the amount of inventory in stock, and helping cook for the monthly company braii (cookout). There are definitely some days where I feel useless and impatiently want my authorization to start flying to come through. Remembering that God has a plan for His ultimate good in all of this always perks me back up though!

Braiing some chicken and sausage 

Outside of the office I have been able to connect with some of the local community through sports like ultimate frisbee, running, volleyball, and tennis; get to know other FMS personnel on camping trips, at pool parties, and lots of cookouts; and spend time with some IMB missionaries, the founder of FMS, and the young men's group from a local Baptist Church. Some of the new foods I have been able to try so far include zebra, impala, and goat head as well as Ethiopian, Indian, and Lebanese cuisine. It has all been delicious! I've always been a sucker for delicious foods, and there are plenty of them here. One thing that has been a little shocking for this small town, tee totaling, country boy who has lived in the homeschooling and Christian college bubbles his whole life is the amount of alcohol that gets consumed over here. Apparently a social event here isn't complete without beer, wine, rum, whisky, or homemade moonshine (ok, I haven't actually seen anything home made yet). The country as a whole has an alcohol problem that the government has attempted to curb by continually raising taxes on alcoholic beverages. But, in the words of Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life, "No, I didn't have a drink!" 

Giraffes beneath a cloudy sky

I have had a few minor challenges in the past nine weeks, but overall it has been a great time of learning and growing. My car had to go into the shop for repairs on two different occasions, but God showed his goodness by allowing it break on the day before my warranty from the dealer expired. It's hard to call it a trial or hard time when my car gets fixed for free. The first time I tried to turn in my application for my pilot's license here, it was rejected and I became a bit dejected. But again, The Lord has been faithful, and I should be able to successfully resubmit the application within the next week to 10 days. On the electronic front, my laptop crashed and the batteries ran out in both of my wrist watches last month. A quick shopping trip should remedy those issues, though. I have to remind myself that these "problems" are so insignificant in the greater scheme of things. Most of them can be classified as learning experiences and faith builders more easily than as trials or tribulations. I am very blessed.

Camping in South Africa for a weekend

I always request your prayers for my time here in Africa, for FMS, and for the nation of Botswana. It may not appear that dark or lost from the outside looking in, but there is great need for Jesus in this country. 

Inventory

Over the past week or two, the parts department at FMS has been preparing for an audit. One aspect of the preparations is counting and verifying inventory. The parts room is lined with shelves that are stacked with boxes that are filled with parts, and each of those many thousands of parts has to be counted.

The boxes were all dusty and some even had dead bugs and spiderwebs in them - evidence that no one had needed that exact part in many months, or maybe even years. The tiny star-shaped lock washers that were almost too small to be able to pinch between your fingers and the bags and bags full of rivets were probably the hardest items to count accurately. It was simple to count fuel sending units and seatbelts because of their size, but the nuts, screws, and washers were an entirely different matter. 

One screw, two screw, there screw, four.... My mind began wondering what analogy could be drawn between counting airplane parts and our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. I suppose we need to be sure to audit ourselves from time to time and see what inventory we have in our lives. Have we counted our blessings today? That's usually a cheerful way to start out - by looking at the good things God has blessed us with and being thankful. How many of the nine fruits of the spirit that Galatians 5 talks about do we have evident in our daily walk with The Lord? Try counting those for yourself. If we count the numbers if sins we committed, the number of mistakes we made, or the number of times we failed today, that may be a depressing part of our spiritual inventory, but it is still important. Counting sins isn't important because the number itself matters. It's important to identify different forms of sin in our lives and hearts so that we can fight against them and try to clean them out of our parts room completely. 

One of the difficult things about taking inventory during the middle of a busy workday was all of the noise and commotion going on all around you. Eighty-six, eighty-seven, eighty-eight... Then someone would bust through the door and call your name. Like a flash, that last number you had counted vanished from your mind, and you had to start all over. Life is full of distractions too, and these tend to pull us away from the duties and responsibilities we need to concentrate on as Christians. In the middle of going through your prayer list, someone suddenly calls you and needs your help, pronto! After a few steady weeks of daily Bible reading you contract a bad illness, and in a matter of days, the good habit gets broken and thrown out the window. It happens. Sometimes  we just have to start again and not lose heart. 

Look at the bright side, at least we don't have to count the hairs on our head or the stars in the sky - God has those numbered already! 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)

Bare Feet

For as long as I can remember I have hated wearing shoes. Not just leather dress shoes or heavy work boots, but any kind of shoe or boot. They stifle and oppress my free-spirited feet to no end. I have been known to fight grass fires, cut down trees with a chainsaw, fly an airplane, and many other random things while being barefoot. It sounds crazy (and probably is crazy), but I just like being barefoot. 

The Bible talks about feet in a number of passages. Romans 10:15 says "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" Psalms 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." In John 12 Mary anoints the feet of Jesus and then in chapter 13 Jesus gets down on the floor and washes His disciples' feet. The feet of Jesus were pierced by nails at Calvary, but in the end, the Bible says that all things will be put into subjection under those same feet.

I know that I'm a part of the body of Christ, and sometimes I wonder if I am the feet. It seems appropriate. Feet do the traveling to get the body from one place to another. Feet are down in the dirt and the ditches getting the soldier across the battlefield. Feet help support and hold up the body. Feet are used to kick Satan in the face or a stubborn brother in the pants. Feet are under a lot of weight and pressure. Feet sometimes get stepped on by others or poked with thorns. Feet seem disgusting and unsightly to some people. Feet can be broken or twisted. Feet need washing and care and protection. Feet are just one of the many parts of the body with a job to do - and that job is not to be propped up on the couch all the time doing nothing. 

At first glance, it seems almost conceited to think that I might be likened to the feet of the body of Christ, His church. Feet are important, and they might even be considered one of the more important parts of the body. I must be full of myself! That's the wrong viewpoint though. 1 Corinthians 12 tells us that all parts of the body are important and rely on one another to function as a whole.

If I'm the feet, then I have the responsibility to keep moving so the hands can reach out and touch the needy and the ears can listen to the cries of the hurting and the eyes can see where The Lord is leading. We all have to work together as the church in our different but equally important roles. So let's get up off the couch and get walking! 

-----

But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." (1 Corinthians 12:18-21 NASB)

Wrestling

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)

Once upon a time not so very long ago, when I was a young boy, I used to be quite a prolific wrestler. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I was a good wrestler, just that I did it a fair amount. After so many wrestling matches with my brothers and my friends growing up, I probably should have tried out for the college wrestling team! Most of our bouts were all in good fun, with an occasional one spurred on by an argument gone sour, but what I liked about them was that I could actually grab hold of my opponent and use my appendages and body weight to pin him down into submission. It was a purely physical struggle. Since then, I have grown up. No longer do I wrestle against fellow humans using physical strength and size. No longer does the match end with a tap out or a cry of "uncle!" No longer are the stakes simply boasting rights or an elevated ego. The fighting I have to do now is much more serious, difficult, and real than any boyhood struggles. 

I was reminded by a longtime Botswana missionary the other day of the spiritual dimension to our current struggle to obtain permits and approval to stay in the country. It's easy to get annoyed or impatient when the speed of progress seems slower than dripping molasses on a freezing winter day. It's even easier to direct that impatience or frustration towards the government workers and blame them for all of your troubles. In general though, they are just doing their jobs. I'm sure it isn't easy to sort through forms all day and decide how to handle different applications. They are human beings too with their own difficulties to face at work and at home in their personal lives. The real enemy here is the same enemy that all Christians fight against. Perhaps the fights and struggles take on different forms for different people, but I believe we are all fighting against sin, the flesh, and the devil on a daily basis. Our flesh makes us impatient and prone to grumble at delays and setbacks. The devil works against our efforts to enter the country and bring the good news of the Gospel to its people. Sin surrounds us. And so we wrestle. Not with our hands as much as our prayers and not with our physical strength as much as our spiritual weapons. Botswana is full of darkness that we have to struggle against in order to be lights for Christ. There is much evil that needs to be countered with righteousness here, and I believe Satan is fighting to keep Christians out in every way possible - by legal, financial, and medical means to name a few. 

The most important concept to remember is that we have to fight back. The biggest assumption in Ephesians 6:12 is that we are actually wrestling against those "spiritual forces of evil." It doesn't say "For God does not wrestle against flesh and blood." Nope. It says that we are the ones wrestling. We have to take temptations and throw them over the ropes. We have to pin sin down in our lives and force it to tap out and leave the ring in defeat. This is war, folks. Everyday and everywhere we are engaged in the ultimate struggle between good and evil. Let us fight the good fight by taking up the full armor of God and standing in the ranks of His army! 

Please, pray for me and for the members of the body of Christ who are in Botswana. Pray that Satan will not be successful at keeping us out or keeping us from fulfilling the work that God has allotted for us here. Pray that we would stand strong, shine bright, and strive for righteousness. The book of James reminds us that the prayer of the righteousness man availeth much. It is one of our mightiest (but often underused) weapons! Let's use it in the fight!

Not Me, Not Mine

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. - Philippians 3:12.

I was reading through Philippians chapter 3 before bed last night and was struck by the phrase "because Christ Jesus has made me His own" in verse 12. Eight little words, yet they grabbed my attention and drew me back like a magnet. Paul wrote that brief line as his reason for "pressing on" to attain Christ-likeness and righteousness through the death of his inner sinful self. Speaking for myself (and perhaps a few other people will agree with me), I can come up with a number of reasons that I am trying to become more like Jesus. I want to be kind and compassionate towards others. I want to live a life that leaves a positive legacy. I desire to be an example to other believers in my speech, conduct, faith, love, and purity. Stop right there. Yes, those are good and Biblical things to desire for your life, but the one commonality that they share and that bothers me is that they all revolve around me, myself, and I. 

What is the purpose of life? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever." Notice what that statement is not focused on - man. Man's purpose is God. It's not about us. We aren't here for ourselves. Life is not meant for us to become good or better or best. Our brief life on this earth is all about God, His purposes, His kingdom, and ultimately His glory. Bringing it back around to the reasons that Christians should want to be more like Christ, I believe that our focus should be on becoming like Jesus because God commanded us to do so, because God receives glory from that, because God sent His one and only son to die for us. Forget about becoming like Christ more so that people will like you more. I have meaning and purpose "because Christ Jesus has made me His own." And that should be the motivation for everything I do in my life. 

I am not my own. My life been bought with the highest price to ever be paid. Therefore, I am called to glorify God. Kindness, compassion, and a legacy can and do bring glory to God. My point, though, is that we (or at least I do) tend to focus too much on the intermediate goals of self-improvement and not enough on the ultimate goal of honoring God because He is worthy.

The fruits of the spirit are not meant to make us better people. Giving, sharing, and helping are not done to make us better philanthropists. It isn't about us at all. It is all about Jesus!

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

The Delta

Delta is a letter in the Greek alphabet. It is the name of an elite special operations commando group, that nobody is supposed to know about. It is used to denote the fourth item in a group. And, it also means an area covered in diverging branches of a river. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is just that, an area of wetlands formed by the spreading out of the Okavanga River. It is an area that is rich with wildlife because of the abundance of water in the midst of an otherwise very dry area and hot climate. The delta region is an ideal place for many animals to live their lives. 

It makes me think of the importance that water has in regards to life. I heard someone talking the other day about how scientists are hoping to use some sort of chemical process to turn the dirt on Mars into water so that things can be grown on the planet's surface. When you are flying over the barren bush of the African plains, anytime you see a random hut and animal corrals in the middle of nowhere you can be sure that there is a well (or borehole as they call them here) on that little plot of ground. You can plant the best seeds in the most fertile dirt in the world, but if there isn't water, then the seeds will never sprout and grow. Why did God design things in the universe to work like that? Why does so much depend on little H2O molecules? I think He designed it that way to teach us something. He built this analogy into the workings of science and nature to illustrate that any form of life always requires one all-important ingredient. 

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13, 14 ESV)

The all-important ingredient in our lives is Jesus. He is the water that gives life. He is the water that causes seeds to sprout. He is the water that soothes a parched soul. Jesus is life.

Last week I spent 4 days up in Maun, Botswana where I will be based once I get approved to legally fly here. The purpose of my time in Maun was to do a little flight training in the FMS aircraft I will be flying and to pass a check ride to get my certificate of training saying that my flying meets the standards of a commercial pilot. In addition to that, I was able to ride along in the copilot seat on a number of tourist transport flights in a King Air 90 and the Cessna 207 that I flew for my training. The strips we went in and out of were all dirt and sand except for the main Maun airport, which was paved and had a control tower. On the legs where I wasn't doing any flying I watched for wildlife and was able to spot 30+ elephants, a zebra, possibly a herd of hippos, what I think may have been a roan antelope, and some herds of impalas. It was pretty exciting! The winds, airstrip length and condition, high temperatures, busy airspace, heavy payloads, and extensive wildlife activity will make the flying here challenging but definitely very exciting as well! 

The town of Maun

An airstrip we flew over but didn't land on

Passenger pick up and drop off

Lining up for takeoff 

Bovine

As a kid I can remember learning the word bovine as a synonym for cow. My grandmother used it in a word game we were playing, and it stuck with me. It isn't a word that I use in normal everyday conversation, but at least I know what it means if I ever need to pull it out of my bag of tricks. Today, I am delving into my bag of tricks. Let me explain why with a story.

On Monday evening while driving back from the airport, we picked up three FMS engineers (which is what they call mechanics in Botswana) who were hitch hiking their way home. Hitch hiking is a common practice here, and the sides of the road can be lined with people either waiting for a combi, which is a little van that drives a route much like a bus would do in the states, or trying to catch a ride from passing vehicles. Instead of a thumbs up signal here, hitch hikers hold their hand out in one of three positions - pointing down, to indicate that they aren't traveling far, only a few blocks perhaps; pointing straight out, to indicate that they are trying to get a medium distance; or pointing up, which means they are going a pretty good ways. So, we picked up these three FMS guys, and they all piled into the back seat, grateful for a ride. As we drove along, the guy I was riding with (who is also the guy who is letting me stay in his house - another pilot waiting on government approval to start flying) was asking the engineers about themselves and trying to get to know them a little bit outside of the work environment. One of the questions he asked was whether or not any of them were married. None of them were. Going into more detail, they began to explain the Botswana custom of paying a bride price to the family of the woman you are going to marry. The price required in exchange for the family's permission to marry their daughter is paid in cows. They told us that the number of cows varies based on the part of the country where the woman lives. Anywhere from 4-10 cows can be demanded of the husband-to-be as the bride price. These men could not afford the cows necessary to purchase a bride or pay the expenses of a wedding and the parties that must customarily accompany it. It was a very practical reason for being bachelors but one that seems foreign to the American mindset of the twenty-first century. 

It is an interesting custom, this paying of a bride price with bovines (now do you see where my post title came from?). It got me thinking about the bride price that Christ paid for His bride. Psalms 50:10 says, "For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills" yet cows weren't the price that was paid for our redemption. To purchase our lives from the sin into which we were born God sent His own Son. We are His bride, and Jesus was the bride price. How humbling to realize that we were bought at a price, and that price was the sacrifice of a life and the shedding of blood. We are more valuable than any number of cows, and God proved that. So anytime Satan tries to lie to you and convince you that you are worthless, just remember and remind him that you were worth the cost of Jesus suffering and dying on your behalf. Remember that by His stripes we are healed. Remember that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Give your life to Jesus because He gave His life for you!

"For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." (I Corinthians 6:20 NKJV)

This is Africa

Nearly everyone knows what it means to have a deja vu moment, where it feels as if you are repeating a moment in time from the past by being in the same place or having the same experience that you did previously. Well today I experienced a different phenomenon that I'm going to call a surreal moment. 

It was around noon on a warm, sunny day. My mission was to drive from the house where I was staying to the Flying Mission Services hangar at the Gaborone airport. It was my first solo mission navigating around the capital city of Botswana, and without the map in the front console, it might have been a failure. However, armed with a map and my own memory, I climbed into the right seat of the car (or the wrong seat, depending on your perspective) and backed out into the street to begin my journey. What happened next, me making a few wrong turns and requiring the services of the map to determine my position in the city, isn't too important to the story, so we won't waste time on that. I had finally gotten my bearings and was on the right road. Things were looking up. Then it happened. The surreal moment struck.

I was driving the borrowed Toyota down the left side of the road from the right seat at about 60 kilometers per hour with the windows down and some African pop music coming through the radio when I had to brake for a herd of about a dozen goats that were crossing the road. BOOM! That's when the thought hit me. I'm in Africa! For the movie buffs, it was a "we're not in Texas anymore, Toto" moment. Sitting on the opposite side of the car, driving on the opposite side of the road, using the metric system for everything, listening to music in a language of which I could speak less than a dozen words, having animals roaming the streets, this was a whole new world. I had finally made it halfway around the globe to a completely different hemisphere, right where God had called me. I took a deep breath of African air, and pulled forward as the last little goat plodded off the side of the road.

God has brought me a long way, opened a lot of doors, and taught me many things in the last several years. From dreaming of attending the Air Force Academy, to planning a career in corporate jets, I had all sorts of plans in my own mind about what my future in aviation would be like. It wasn't until about halfway through college that I even began to imagine my future looking like what it is today. And what exactly is going on in my life right now? It's a valid question. Here is an update for those who haven't heard.

I left the good old U.S. of A. On September 3rd, flew across the pond to London, spent my 9 hour layover in London riding the tube (subway system) and seeing some sights, caught a 10+ hour flight to Johannesburg, barely made it to the gate for my connecting flight to Botswana on time, and ended up arriving in Gaborone right on schedule on September 5th. I was met by a group of Flying Mission Services personnel, many of whom were familiar faces from back at Liberty University. In the past week or so since my arrival, I have been given a tour of the city, an overview of Flying Mission's entire organization, a pile of documents to study in preparation for an exam, gotten to experience a number of restaurants in town and eat some authentic African food as well as some fast food, been invited to numerous BBQs (or braais as they're called here), attended a Baptist church service, gone for runs outside the city and inside it, met a lot of people, and more. Currently, I am in the process of buying a car and slowly learning a few more words and phrases in Setswana. Within the next week I will begin ground school for the Cessna 200 series fleet I will be training to fly in and then once the paperwork for my work permit, immigration, and license validations gets approved I will commence getting checked out to fly! I will continue living in the capital city until I start flying, and then I will move some 800 kilometers north to the city of Maun, where I will be based. 

More updates to follow as things move forward... Cheers!

Hopping across the pond

Westminster Abbey

Monkeys hanging around outside the FMS hangar

Faith

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

A bookmark that I have stuck in my journal has Hebrews 11:1 designed onto the front of it as a reminder to me as I sit here in the Bush Intercontinental Airport waiting for the first of my flights to Africa. I always say that I have faith in God, faith in His perfect will, faith in His guidance, and faith in His promises. What exactly does that entail in its entirety? Does that mean I never have doubts or worries? Does it mean I always obey God without fail or without qualms? I hardly think so. But I must admit, as I read this verse it seems almost contradictory in its word choice. In my interpretation of the sometimes confusing English language I think of "assurance" as being a word that means certainty or without doubt. Conversely, to "hope" for something means to want it to be true but to not be sure if it will actually be that way or not. So, is the verse saying that we are sure of uncertainties? That seems non-sequitur to me. After puzzling it through for a time, here is what I came to understand the verse to mean. 

All humans have things that they "hope for." All of us hope for the best, hope we live happy lives, or hope that we can accomplish certain goals. Christians hope that the Gospel is true, that the Bible is accurate, and that God really will protect, bless, and guide them. Here is where faith comes into play. As we believe God more and commit to truly trust Him in all things, we receive assurance of the things that we had always hoped were true. Having faith in God turns our hopes into beliefs, our probablys into absolutelys, and makes everything in God's word a certainty for us. 

A good example I thought of as I pondered this subject can be found in Mark chapter 9 verses 20-27. This is where Mark wrote of the boy who was possessed with demons that the disciples were unable to cast out. They tried unsuccessfully until Jesus came back down from the mountain where the transfiguration had taken place, and then He had to do it. The desperate father says to Jesus, "if [I nope] you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us" to which Jesus answers that "all things are possible for one who believes [has faith]." The father of the boy cried out "I believe! Help my unbelief!" My paraphrase of that desperate plea would be "give me assurance of what I came here hoping would be true." The man wanted faith to trump the doubts that had formed in his mind since the disciples had not been able to cast out the demons. He hadn't seen any evidence that the reports of Jesus' power to heal demon possessed people were true, but he wanted to believe it was as he had heard. 

God can give us peace that passes understanding when He transforms our hopes into assurances. When we absolutely believe Him and stop listening to any doubts or worries that whisper in our spiritual ears, then we are exercising our faith.

I have faith that God is on my side, He is leading me to Africa, and that He will provide for and protect me as I obey Him. I don't just hope so - I know so. He has promised as much in the Bible, and He is God. He never lies. He never fails. He has all power and authority. I'm in good hands - no, I'm in the best hands.

The 777 that will take me on the first leg of my journey of faith.

Change

I don't like change. Do you want to know why? It's because it is always falling out of my pockets when I try to sit down. When it falls out of my pockets, dimes, nickels, and pennies roll across the floor or drop down into the couch cushions and get lost. I don't like that. Surely some of you can understand where I am coming from here. That's why credit cards have become so popular.

In all seriousness though, a different kind of change that we all have to deal with is the change that constantly occurs in life. It's unavoidable. Some of the changes we like, some we don't, and there are always those that we don't even care about or notice. My life is in the midst of some pretty big changes at the moment. Not only have I finally finished school after 18 years and no longer have classes, homework, or grades to worry or stress about, but I can also finally enter the "real world" with the prospect of 40-hour (or more) work weeks, bills to pay every month, no summer or spring breaks, and the countless other changes that accompany the switch from school to full-time career. That is the kind of change most people have to deal with and work through after school, but I decided that wasn't enough for me. I needed something more drastic than that. So, I decided to move to Africa. Well, that isn't quite how it went, but I am going to move around the world to Botswana as part of my post-school changes to life. It's a pretty big deal. 

What are the good parts about change that we can learn from and look forward to? There is more to it than just moving on in life and leaving the old things behind, whether good things or bad. Change brings with it a fresh start. We have a chance to start better routines, begin new habits, and set updated goals. In our relationships with God, we can begin to spend more time reading His Word, meeting with Him in prayer, and serving Him through our actions towards the world. In our physical routines, we can begin to eat healthier or exercise more regularly. In our work or school, we can become more dedicated to studying and learning the material both in and out of the actual classroom. We can change in all sorts of ways at anytime that we choose. But there is a catch. Sometimes we change when we don't want to, mean to, or even realize that it is happening. It isn't always a conscious choice but can often be a unnoticed slippage. We slip out of our good habits and new year's resolutions. We stop reading the Bible as much because we are getting so busy. Our healthy eating habits go out the window because it's the holidays and they only come once a year. Before you know it, you are no longer where you want to be in life. You need to reset your habits once again, start better routines once again, and refocus on your goals once again. Change can be a vicious cycle.

For me, the changes that I am in the midst of have been brought into my life by God's hand. I can see that quite clearly. I know that when He calls me to anything in this life He will equip me to accomplish it, lead me through it, and get the glory from it as long as I stay submitted and obedient to Him. Life will be full of change. I just want to always make the best of it.

Countdown

Today marks the one week countdown until I graduate from Aviation Maintenance Training School. It is incredible to think about just how fast the past year has gone. It seems like just the other day that I was buying books for school and dreading the 8 hour class days that I knew were on the horizon. Now, I can see how blessed I have been over the past year to get to go through this program, learn so much, meet so many great people, and spend another year in preparation for the future God has for me. 

1 week: AMTS Graduation

2 weeks: leave Lynchburg

4.5 weeks: leave America

A lot of change will be occurring in my life over the next few weeks and months. It's always comforting to know that God never changes and is always faithful through it all. Each day is a blessing, a new opportunity, and an adventure! I've got some serious blessings, opportunities, and adventures just around the corner!

Sent

John 20:21 says, "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.'"

This verse seems like one of those that is fairly short but can be dissected down deeply and would produce much more meat than might be initially expected. Here is my take on it. Feel free to add or argue with my views. When iron sharpens iron, there is friction, but the end result is a keen edge. I definitely don't mind alternate viewpoints being expressed to challenge my view and cause me to see things in a different light. So, feel free to disagree with any opinions I put out there (I just thought I would throw a little disclaimer in here). 

The first thing that gets my attention in this verse is that Jesus is bidding peace to be with them "again." Clearly, this isn't the first time He has told them to remain calm, don't be scared, and trust in Him. How often, I have to ask myself, does God teach me the same thing over and over again. Surely if He wasn't a perfect God then He would want to yell at us, "Don't you get it yet?! It's not rocket science! How many times do I have to tell you?" Fortunately for me, God has a lot of patience, mercy, and forgiveness. So He tells me again and again in His still, small voice, "Trust me." 

Why does Jesus say "Peace be with you"? In the context of the verse I believe it's because He probably scared the disciples a little bit when He suddenly appeared before them. It reminds me of what the Angel of The Lord usually says to people when he appears to them. Seeing an angel pop up right before your eyes is probably pretty startling, and I think it was the same way for the disciples in this instance when Jesus showed up again. But in the broader sense, God is always telling us to have peace in our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus because we have assurance that our lives are not our own, that He takes care of our every need, and that He knows the future and what is in store down the road. There is nothing that should make us fearful, cause us to question God, or make us worry about the future. He truly does have the whole world in His hands. His peace is with is.

"As the Father has sent me..." How did the Father send Him? It wasn't as a rich ruler or power-mongering leader. Jesus came down humbly as a little helpless baby. But, He was also sent purposefully. God sent Jesus to earth with a mission to accomplish - a mission that no one else could complete or fulfill. I believe God also has specific purposes and missions that He wants us to complete. He gave us life for a reason. "As the Father has sent me...I also send you" means that we are sent out to the world helplessly, relying completely on God and His power to be able to survive, let alone accomplish anything useful to His kingdom. Yet, we are sent with all of the power, ability, fortitude, resources, and knowledge that we need, if we just go to our provider for them. 

I am being sent. All of us who belong to Christ are sent to the world in some capacity. Jesus says so! I can have peace about going to Africa for a lot of different reasons. God is in control of my life, and He is absolutely trustworthy. Since He told me to go and He is the one who gives me all of the strength I need, then it is clear that it is all going to be okay. He has given me peace. We can all have peace in The Lord! 

Say the Words...

How many different people did you see today? Whether you saw a huge crowd gathered at some large event or whether you stayed at home and only saw one or two family members, chances are pretty good that you saw some other human beings besides yourself in the past 24 hours. Of the people you saw, how many of them are important to you? How many have been a part of your life or influenced the person that you are today? How many of them do you love? Perhaps an even better question now that you're thinking about it is this: how many of them have you told that they are special to you or that you love them? If you don't tell them, they may not know.

Here is the reasoning behind this post. I just watched a slideshow of old photos of my family and friends from the past 15 years - talk about nostalgia! It reminded me of the great times we have all had together. It brought to mind the things I have learned. It saddened me to think of the things I have missed in the lives of people who mean so much to me during my time away from home for school. I hate missing piano recitals, weddings, holiday dinners, family outings, and so much more that goes on in my absence. It is saddening to think of people who choose work over family and spend their lives traveling to cool places, making a big paycheck, or gaining notoriety and fame all at the expense of their family. I grieve for the children and the wives who have to learn to live on their own because of their workaholic father or husband. It breaks my heart to see people neglected, mistreated, or ignored by those that they love. I have made mistakes, wasted time, and missed many chances to be at important events, to say a kind word, or to simply spend time with someone that I care about to prove their importance to me. That is unfortunate, but the future isn't always dictated by the past. My failures should only motivate me to not fail in the same way again. As they say, live and learn.

Why are we here on this earth? It has to go beyond ourselves. There must be more to this life than meeting our fleshly desires, catering to our selfishness, and trying to be the person who ends up dying with the most toys. I believe that our purpose is ultimately to bring glory to our Creator, but I think that one of the most important ways to do that is to be a blessing to other people. God created man in his own image, and He cares deeply about all of us. How can we mistreat another human being, and then expect to live a life that glorifies God? It doesn't work that way. There's a song by The Afters that says, "this is what we're here for; to show the world how You love it." If we are to demonstrate the love of God to the world, what better place to start than with your family and friends? It should be fairly easy to love them compared to a complete stranger that you know nothing about and with whom you have never spent any time.

This, then, is my proposal. As my fortune cookie from a few weeks ago said, "Let someone know how special they are to you." I grew up listening to a song by Paul Overstreet that said, "What's going without saying should be said." We may think we've made something evident (like our love) to someone through our actions or hints over the years, but we shouldn't assume such things. It's too important to overlook because of assumptions. Tell your family and friends how much they mean to you. Tell a stranger how much they mean to Jesus. Our lives are full of people. We need to stop letting those people walk through our lives untouched by us. One kind word, one selfless deed and you could make a lifelong impact on somebody. Just do it.

"Say the words, say the words, say 'I love you.' Say the words I long to hear..." -DC Talk

Surrender

I am helpless. Seriously, what can I actually do in my own strength? My very life, breath, and ability to do anything at all comes from God. Without God I am nothing - quite literally. In the end, I can't fight hard enough to win the battle. I can't work hard enough to achieve salvation, to accomplish goals, or to fulfill a calling. I can't think hard enough to come up with all of the answers. Yes, I can still do my best at fighting, working, and thinking but it all eventually comes down to God choosing to make my efforts actually be successful, my circumstances to actually work out, or my brain to actually decipher an acceptable answer. I can do nothing on my own simply because God is in control of everything. I rely wholly on His strength.

Have you ever been worried, scared, or stressed? We all have. Was there anything you could actually do to take away your feelings at that moment and attain peace? For me, whenever I find myself worrying or stressing about something, it is much more effective to simply quit. Quit worrying. Don't give in to fear. Let go of the doubts that are plaguing you and taking you captive. In the words of Jesus to His disciples in the midst of a storm on the Lake of Galilee, "Where is your faith?" I can, should, and must trust God with my life - both the seemingly small details and the overwhelmingly massive situations. He is big and strong. He's got it all under control. As my pastor said in church today, "We worry because we are not resting in the sovereignty and providence of God." We simply need to cease striving and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). 

At the current moment in my life a lot of unknowns exist. I don't know what I'm going to do about this, that, and the other problem that is popping up in front of me. Daily issues and future questions both seem to stare me in the face all of the time and demand answers that I can't give. The who, what, why, and where of life often confuse and baffle our finite minds, but we don't have to worry about them. God is in control. He is the good shepherd and will take care of His sheep. There's a good analogy - sheep. Can a flock of sheep control the food they have around them to eat, the weather they have over their heads, or the animals that try to attack them? No. Will worrying about it help? Again, the answer is clearly no. The shepherd controls what food they have by leading them to green pastures. The shepherd protects them from bad weather by building a place of shelter for them. It is the shepherd who also protects them from the beasts of prey that would love to devour the helpless sheep if they just had a chance. What then is the job of the sheep themselves? Surely they have to do something. The role of the sheep is to seek out the shepherd and learn to hear and recognize his voice. It is to follow and obey the shepherd's lead. It is to trust that the loving shepherd knows what is best for his flock and to surrender any worry, fear, or stress in exchange for trust and faith. 

As the old hymn says so well, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I choose to lay my burdens at the foot of Jesus. I choose to wait for God to answer my questions in His own time. I choose to surrender my will to the King of kings and The Lord of lords, because I can trust Him. There's no better way to win the battle than to surrender.

"Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's." - 2 Chronicles 20:15

Overhaul

Sometimes our hearts need an overhaul. Like the compressor section on this turbine engine, we need to be taken apart piece by piece and examined carefully for defects, inconsistencies, missing parts, and overall condition. It takes a lot of time and work to remove the outer protective layer that often shields us from deep introspection that can threaten our security. We like who we are enough to be comfortable not digging down deep and looking for the root causes of problems or the motives behind what we're doing in and with our lives. 

Axial Flow Compressor

Sometimes when we initially look at our hearts we think the same sort of things that might have crossed your mind looking at this picture. Questions like How does all of this work? What are all of these little pieces here for and do they really make a difference? What is this supposed to look like when it's in perfect condition? What we have been taught to do in school to answer our questions is look in the manufacturer's manual. In it we can find a description of proper operation, pictures of how it should look, and ways to fix problems that we see during the inspection process. If we keep developing the analogy, the manual we read to find out about our hearts is the Bible. God is our maker, and He knows how we work, how we should be, and what we need to fix our problems. It's all in His book! 

Just like this axial compressor, we were each created on purpose for a purpose. We will each need different components in our makeup to accomplish what it is that God has for us. No heart is quite the same, but that is how it should be. The compressor is only one part of the engine. Each one of us is just a single part of the church as a whole. We are meant to complement each other with our differences and all work together for the greater good and glory of the kingdom of Christ. 

The internal workings of our hearts are what drive us, guide us, and allow us to fulfill our purpose. It's important to keep them in good working order. Is it time for an overhaul?


"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." - Proverbs 4:23

Safe and Easy

Music is a powerful medium. Whether it's the catchy beat or the perfect harmony of a song that gets your attention, nearly everyone likes to hear some good music. It's just enjoyable. Personally, I love songs that are musically catchy but still have powerful lyrics that speak truth. There's a time for songs that worship God by proclaiming His goodness and glory. There's a time for songs that remind us about what's important in life and how much hurt there is in the world. And, there's even a time for songs that are simply for enjoyment and our listening pleasure. Whatever songs we listen to, however, they absolutely do have an effect on us by changing our attitudes, influencing our beliefs, or flooding us with certain emotions.

A song that I heard for the first time a few days ago that really prompted me to think is called "It's Good (Love's Not Safe)" by the Christian music group Sidewalk Prophets. It starts off talking about the fact that love isn't always safe and easy but that it's still good regardless. The bridge says,

     "Anything good in life's gonna take a sacrifice,
     Don't let up when it's tough, don't ever give up the fight,
     Everything you need in life was given by His sacrifice,
     I will give it all to You, I will give it all to Christ"

Then it ends by changing the word love to He, since God is love, and it ends by proclaiming that "He's not safe" and "He's not easy, but He's good." It struck me as odd at first that they would say that God isn't safe or easy. It's so common and popular today to talk about God's goodness and grace that we sometimes forget about the hardships, trials, and persecution that Jesus said would accompany His followers through their lives. Following Christ isn't safe. We have to be completely vulnerable and open before Him. Following Christ isn't easy. We have to die to our selves, take up our crosses, and resist the world and the devil constantly.

In C.S. Lewis's great series, The Chronicles of Narnia, the lion Aslan is used to symbolize God. At one point in the first book of the series one of the characters says this about Aslan the lion: "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." Obviously, we can see how an actual lion wouldn't be considered safe. They are wild at heart and innate killers. While I don't think classifying God as wild is appropriate, He is ferociously against sin by His very nature. It's not safe to be an unrepentant sinner, because God hates sin. His good side comes out, though, when He extends His grace and mercy to us and offers us salvation and forgiveness from our sins. He is kind and forgiving, but He is also just and holy in a perfectly balanced way.

What I believe about all of this, then, is that while it does take sacrifice to follow Jesus and it does take us out of our comfort zone to be Christians, the alternative is much less safe. True, we might have an easier time on earth in some ways if we follow the ways of the world, but that wide path is not safe when it comes to eternity. It's much easier to go through a few storms and a little persecution from man while we're on earth than to spend eternity separated from God and suffering the consequences for our sin. The true safety and security that we have comes from our faith in God's ultimate goodness towards those who have become His children and have received salvation. We're not safe only in the sense that we have to surrender control, and as control freaks, that makes us feel insecure. God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, so we are ultimately safe in Christ.

This whole concept applies to human-to-human love as well, not just between us and God. It's not safe for us to love another person. Think about it. If you really love someone, there is a personal attachment to them on at least the most basic of levels. You can love little African children and then be filled with extreme sorrow when you see them hungry, sick, and alone. You can love a close friend enough to open up to them and share who you are as a person, only to have your trust betrayed and to be left with deep hurt from the betrayal. There are different levels to what we generically call love, and the deeper the level of love, the less safe it is. It isn't always easy to love either. When we think of the part of love that involves sacrifice, commitment, and making hard, selfless choices, it's evident that love isn't an easy thing to do in those instances. In the end, though, love is good. It is good to risk for love. It is good to be hurt because you love. It is good to do difficult things out of love. All of this can make the love that much deeper, stronger, and more meaningful. Ultimately, living a safe and easy life is selfish. We were called to more than that. Follow the example of Christ. Love God and love others. It's not easy, but it's good.

Fear and Faith

The following is an excerpt from the book Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis. The book is about a girl who leaves her home and family in Tennessee to follow the Lord's call to Uganda. I've only read a little less than half of the story so far, but I definitely recommend it. This section stuck out to me as I was reading through another chapter of it today:

"How often, as human beings, we are crippled by our fears. We are afraid of change, of loss, of being hurt. We cling so tightly to what we have because we are afraid of what would happen if we didn't have these things anymore. . . I had recently been back to the States and seen and realized this fear. A very real fear that if we gave everything away, we wouldn't have enough for ourselves. Back in my new home I saw the consequences: children starving to death, sleeping under rags and in chicken feces, withering away from disease. In our fear, even many of us who claimed to believe in Christ were failing to do what He said for the least of His people.

"Fear. It's part of human nature, but it's not something we got from God. Second Timothy 1:7 says: 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.' When I imagine God creating each one of us and planting a purpose deep in our hearts, I never imagine that purpose being mediocrity. While the Bible doesn't tell every person on earth specifically what his or her life's calling will be, it does include a lot of general direction. . . mediocrity and abundance aren't there. However, mediocrity and abundance, comfort, and ease, do seem to be safe choices for many people, myself included. In stark contrast, leaving our possessions, following Jesus when we don't have a well-defined plan, and entertaining strangers-well, that does sound a little scary. But what if, just beyond that risk, just beyond the fear is a life better than anything we have ever imagined: life to the fullest."

 There are lots of things in our lives and our futures that could easily scare us if we aren't careful. Fear of the unknown is a big one for many of us. Fear of failure, fear of change, fear of missing God's will, and other individual fears can creep into our minds and influence our views and decisions about life in a negative way. It's much easier to read "do not be afraid, nor be dismayed" from Joshua 1:9 than to obey it. The end of the verse, however, is the key phrase that shows us how it is possible for us to overcome all of our fears. "For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." When we give in to fear, it is because of our human limitations and frailties. What we lack in the midst of our fear is sufficient faith. God will never leave nor forsake His children. This promise doesn't guarantee us immunity from pain, failure, change, or battles, but it does remind us that whatever happens we have our Shepherd right beside us. He will pick us up, heal us, lead us, fight for us, and ultimately bring us into His presence for eternity.

Just think, what would you do right now if all of your fears were suddenly gone? What is fear holding you back from accomplishing or pursuing? It is so crippling to live in fear. It holds us in the middle of mediocrity, where we are most comfortable but perhaps least effective. I believe God gave us life, both physically and spiritually, for His glory. We can glorify Him by obeying Him. John 14:15 says, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." If we love Him, we will obey Him. If we obey Him, we will glorify Him. Here are a few of the ways that the Bible gives us to show obedience:

1. Go and sell your possessions and give to the poor (Matthew 19:21).

2.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19).

3. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). 

4. Treat 'the least of these' as you would treat Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40). 

5. Visit orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). 

There are plenty more commands in there, but I just picked out a few that seem to especially apply to those individuals God calls to places like Uganda or Botswana. I may not write a book like Katie Davis did, but I hope to be glorifying to God by obeying His commands and His call and stepping out in faith despite any fears that try to hold me back.

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Botswana Bound

Over a year ago, I began the process of applying for a pilot position with Flying Mission Services (FMS) in Botswana, Africa. I knew about the organization through a friend and former Liberty flight instructor who had left to go fly for them a year or two before. Scrolling through Facebook posts one day, I noticed that FMS was in need of pilots for their single-engine aircraft program, and I already met the minimum requirements. That intrigued me. Most missions groups wanted pilots with at least 50 hours of time in high performance aircraft, but I didn't have that or have any way to get it. Here was a group that would take me with what experience I had and work with it. I liked that. So, I emailed in my resume and began to dialogue via the internet with their human resources department. In the midst of this, I was given the opportunity to go through Liberty University's Aviation Maintenance Technician School and decided to pursue my aircraft mechanic certificates through Liberty's one-year intensive program before leaving to go anywhere.

Since last August, I have been studying airplane systems and components like it was my job - the only difference is that I'm having to pay money for this job instead of getting paid for it. I'm more than halfway through the program and can honestly say that I am very glad that God led me to stay in Lynchburg for awhile longer and go through all of this extra schooling. I was initially dreading having to be in class eight hours a day, five days a week for an entire year, but the Lord has shown Himself strong on my behalf and turned my poor attitude around. Not only have I had the great blessing to learn a ton of material about aviation, but I have met and become friends with a lot of great people that God has used in my life already. It has been a great experience so far. By the middle of August, it will be over. I will have both my Airframe and Powerplant ratings on my Mechanic certificate and will be able to legally work on aircraft and their engines if the opportunity presents itself.

So now, with the end of school in sight, I have recently been back in contact with Flying Mission Services and within the past two weeks have done a phone interview, sent in my application form, and been offered a pilot position with them. My official start date is September 5th of this year! There are lots of question to ask, details to confirm, things to arrange, and so on, but I am very excited to be finally setting out from the school environment (even though learning continues through our lives) and heading into the "real world" where I can apply the things I've been learning for so many years. I know that it's going to be a great journey because I have seen God's hand working and moving to bring me here. If He is in it, then it will go beyond all that I could ever dream or imagine. The journey continues!

FMS Website

What's in a Name?

When thinking about what to name this blog, I wanted to come up with something catchy and creative. Rhyming words might do the trick. Or perhaps alliteration would provide more possibilities. Then, of course, there was also the matter of the name actually making sense and having some sort of reasoning behind it. That further complicated the issue. After much deep thought (3 or 4 minutes, I guess) I decided to call it The Journey Journals. It is somewhat catchy and perhaps even a little creative, but most important of all, it has meaning to it. Let me explain.

I believe that life is a journey. It begins at conception and continues on until our physical bodies give out and we die. On our tombstone it may be only represented by a little dash in between the years of our birth and death, but that little dash can contain a lot of time, trials, tries, and triumphs. Looking up quotes about journeying, I fond one accredited to George Whitefield.

"Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you."

I don't think that means we should rush through life and never stop to smell the flowers, as they say. In regards to the Christian life, however, it can be a warning to us to never stop pressing "on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" as Philippians 3:14 says. In other words, never be content with where you are spiritually. Always be striving to become more Christ-like. Neither coasting nor being lukewarm in your faith are acceptable options if our hearts are truly the Lord's. The journey is hard - nobody denies that. We often struggle and feel alone, yet Psalm 46:1 reminds us that "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Hence, while the journey is no walk in the park, we are led "beside still waters" by our Good Shepherd.

While we're on this journey, it can be of great benefit to continually track our current location. Not only does this keep us on the narrow path we are called to follow, but it also gives us a way to learn from past mistakes, rejoice over progress made, and keep a history of God's faithfulness in our lives. Journaling can be a personal means of communing with the Spirit, it can serve as a way of remembering where we've come from, and it can also be a way of sharing our life journey and testimony with other people. That's predominately what this blog has been created to do. As I progress down the pathway of life on this journey of faith, I will post updates on here of happenings along the way. More to come soon...