Christmas in July?

I remember as a kid that stores would have "Christmas in July" sales.  I always thought it was the dumbest thing ever.  I mean, who buys Christmas presents in July?!  Of course, I'm one of those dummies who waits until Christmas Eve to do my shopping!  It's a rush!  Running through the malls kicking all of the trash & damaged boxes laying everywhere.  You know, the "junk" that nobody really wants & that gets knocked off the shelves.  I guess that's why I've never been voted "Best Gift Giver" by my friends, huh?  Sorry, gang!

Anyway, I think that Brazil was the country that introduced the United States to these blowout sales in July.  Not really...but that's what it feels like to me.  It's like I'm waiting for the big firework show on the 4th of July & just happen to pass by A LOT of "Christmas in July" sales here.  It's really weird!

To try to get into the Christmas mood, I put in one of my Christmas favorites..."A Christmas Story."  It was nice seeing all of the snow, everyone bundled up in coats, & watching Flick stick his tongue to the flag pole again!  (If you don't understand watch the movie)  But it was really weird seeing all of these things happen while sitting in my shorts, my t-shirt, no shoes, drinking a sweating cup of cold Guaraná, & using my mosquito bug zapper racket!  Trust me, I don't miss the cold weather!  But, I must admit that this is definitely different! 

It has help me focus though.  It has helped me to realize the importance of other cultures.  It has helped me to remember that Christmas isn't about snow, lights, trees, presents, or cold weather.  In fact, it's not even about the how hot the sun is here in Porto Alegre.  It's about the SON.  Take a moment to remember how much He loves you & me.  He left the glories of heaven to be born on dirt & straw with some animals in a barn.  Oh, how He loves you & me.  Even as a child, He had to flee with his parents to a foreign land because the king wanted to kill him!  Oh, how He loves you & me. 
 
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."   -Luke 2:11

Shoot for the Moon

The Haircut

When I was in college, I somehow got dubbed as the one who could give haircuts.  I'm not sure why...but this led into me cutting my own hair.  I usually keep my hair really short, so it's not like I have to use scissors to make it look good or anything.  A few years ago, I bought one of those hair kits with the clippers, attachments, scissors, comb...you know, the works!  It's a do-it-yourself hair kit for someone who doesn't like to spend money on a haircut.  Oh, and also for someone who might be affectionately dubbed as "The Barber."  (Not my real nickname, by the way.) 

Anyway, I have been cutting Camden's (excuse me...Tomás.  That's what he goes by here in Brasil since the brasileiros have a difficult time pronouncing his name) hair for a few years now.  Tomás' hair grows straight out.  If we let his hair grow long, he would look like the lead singer for Kool & the Gang.  It would be an all out Afro!  Maybe one day we will try it, but we've not experimented with that just yet.  Back to my story...

I started cutting my hair a long time ago because I didn't like to pay for a hair cut.  This has really proved to be a good decision.  I mean, do you know how difficult it is to find someone who can cut your hair JUST the way you like it?!  And, as many times as we have moved over the past 2 years, it has saved me some major stress!

Well, with our crazy language schedule & trying to get adjusted here in PoA, it had been about 10 weeks since I had cut my hair.  Now for those of you who really know me, I try to cut my hair every 3 weeks or so.  This was probably the longest my hair had been in over 10 years.  It was ridiculous.  I told Laura that since it was already so long I had decided to just let it grow until Thanksgiving.  That didn't go over well.

So, I got the clippers the out the other night & gave Tomás a trim.  After his cut, I caved in on trying to hold out until Thanksgiving & lowered my own ears.  I must confess...I was pretty happy with my cut.  It was WAY overdue!  Now I didn't have to wear my hat wherever we went.   :)    After my hair cleanup & shower, I came into the dining room where Laura was sitting at the table.  I was so proud to show off my new "do" to my girl.  I knew that she would be happy that I had finally cut it.  I sat down all cool & smooth & I said:

D:  So, what do you think?  You "like-ee?" 
L:  Oh, honey...wow.  (With big eyes & a little sarcasm thrown in there)
D:  What?  What's wrong?  Did I miss a spot?  Where?!
L:  Um...not sure how to tell you this, but...oh, wow.
D:  What?!  What's the matter?
L:  It's been a while since your hair was this short &, well...I think you may be getting a little older.
D:  What's that supposed to mean?
L:  Let's just say that you have some signs of "wisdom & maturity" showing up.
D:  Hey, it could be worse.  I could not have to worry about getting haircuts if I were BALD!

I'm getting old...gray hairs everywhere.  You know, God says that even the hairs of my head are numbered.  I've just kindly requested that He only number the gray ones less than 20!  Maybe next time I really will wait until Thanksgiving to cut it!  I keep telling myself, "You're as old as you feel, not as old as you look."  Ya...keep fooling yourself, grandpa!    :)             

Slow Down!!!

I'm usually a pretty easy-going guy.  I don't usually lose my cool & like to "go with the flow."  But sometimes I find myself looking to the next thing that's on my list.  I like to look forward to events that are coming up or start planning ahead for the weekend activities.  Trust me, planning is a necessity in our day & age!  But...when does it reach a point that our plans & thoughts about the future, even the very near future, get in the way of what God is trying to do in our lives?

Here's my story...
It must have been Friday morning, I was sitting at the table with the boys eating breakfast.  It was our usual routine before school.  We usually drag the gas heater into the dining room & close the 2 doors so all of the heat stays in.  I sit & have coffee while they eat breakfast & argue about the color of the milk in their cereal.  You know, the things that 6 year olds & 4 year olds do.  Anyway, I was checking emails, replying to Facebook messages, & chugging my coffee before I took the boys to school.  It was a normal morning.  My mind was racing about language class that started at 9:00, the other tutor that comes at 1:00, & the events that would take place that night on our evangelism trip to downtown.  When I realized that we were going to be late for school, I jumped up out of my seat & reached to open the door of the dining room.

I've often heard the phrase, "God opens doors for us to walk through & He will also close doors if it's not His will."  I'm sure you've heard the same thing or at least something similar.  Well, God must have slammed this one shut!  As I grabbed the door handle & swung it toward me so I could walk through, it hit one tiny part of my shoe & kicked back closed.  I didn't break stride...SMACK!!!  It hit so hard & loud that Laura came from the other room to find out what had happened.  I've always laughed at the cartoons when they get hit on the head & see stars, but I wasn't laughing after having seen them myself!  It hit just beside of my right eye between my eye & my temple.  I almost staggered to the ground, but I was able to find my chair.  The bad part was, all I could do was laugh!

God has a way of slowing us down.  I'm not the most "in-tune" person with the Spirit, so He often uses measures like these to get my attention.  But as I was in the car to & from the boys' school, I began to realize that God really was telling me to slow down.  "Take time for Me.  Take time for your family.  Take time for yourself.  Hey, moron...slow down & enjoy today!!!  By the way, sorry about the blue-ish purple-ish lump on the side of your head."     -God

It truly was a great reminder that I need to stop looking so far into the future.  I tend to miss the current & not enjoy what is happening.  It's always good to enjoy life's bumps & bruises, too.  The way I see it, it's a way to learn from my mistakes.  But sometimes...learning hurts!!!  

PoA Night Life

Last night I was able to take part in a street evangelism outreach.  This particular outreach began at 10pm & finished around 1am.  Being my first time to take part in this outreach, I was somewhat nervous & wasn't for sure what to expect.  I wasn't so much nervous about being out late at night or having to talk to people on the street...this specific outreach took place in the prostitute district of our city.  This was definitely a new experience for this small town boy who grew up in a "city" of 3,500 people!  This was something I had never done in English, let alone Portuguese!  But, I went with a heart focused on prayer for those who would do most of the talking & with a learner's attitude.

What I found after the first 10 minutes on the street were people who were trapped in a way of life that they think is impossible to get out of.  I use the word "people" because they are not all "ladies" of the night.  These people are prisoners of one thing...sin.  They are so blinded by the fact that there is no other way to get money, affection, attention, love, etc., that this lifestyle binds them to the only thing that they know how to do.  

We approached one young lady, probably no more than 18-20 years old, who refused to take a piece of candy on a paper that shared God's plan for her life.  She would not even put it in her purse to read later.  As we stood 100 feet from the front door of the Catholic church in that neighborhood, her words will forever be engrained into my memory:  "God & sex don't mix.  I'm Catholic & I pray everyday, but I can't take your paper to read.  I will be fine." 

Last night, the Father of Light invaded the prince of darkness.  My heart broke for those who know no other way than being blinded by the father of lies.  My convictions for sharing my faith with others was intensified last night.  The urgency of reaching a lost city was magnified by what I saw, by what I felt, & by the overwhelming darkness that we encountered.  Jesus must be shared...PERIOD.

Please, let me encourage you who read this post...share your faith with others.  Let those who are blinded by the evil one know that there is a Hope that is within you.  Love them, see them through the eyes of Christ, & show them how to break free from the chains of sin that bind their life.

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."              -2 Corinthians 4:3-4 

The Hard Days

It's days like these that make it hard to be away from family & friends.  Early this morning, my best friend's father passed away.  I used to be able to make a phone call & hop in the car to drive to see a family member or friend when they needed me.  Now, over 6,000 miles away, it's an almost impossible task to get from point "A" to point "B" in time to help.  These are the hard days.  It's knowing that I can't hug my friend's neck, cry on each others shoulders, & give the support that I know he needs right now.  These are the hard days.  It's these days when I feel helpless as a friend because I can't be there for him.  These are the hard days.

But there is a Friend...He's the one that sticks closer than a brother.  He's the One that I know will bring peace to my friend & his family during this time of grief & loss.  Blessed is the "Spirit [who] helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."               - Romans 8:26 

He's also the One that has promised me that "there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."   - Mark 10:29-30

It's during these hard days that my faith grows stronger because my prayer life is richer.  It's during these hard days that the Spirit comforts my friend far better than I ever could have.  It's during these hard days for me...that God reminds me just how little time there is on this earth to do what He has called me to do.

Can you repeat that?

So, over a week ago, Sunday the 7th, I started getting a sore throat & a runny nose.  No big deal.  I mean, it's been rainy, windy, cold...all the things that come with winter in Porto Alegre.  I started running a fever that night & it spiked at around 102.5.  Not much fun.  But I took some Tylenol (yes, we have that here, it's US$11 for 20 pills, and it's pronounced "Tcheelonol) & the fever came down to about 100.  This lasted for 5 days.  I never could get my fever to get below 100.  Well, I take that back.  It did go down on Tuesday night & Wednesday to 99 & I thought for sure that I was over the worst of the cold/flu/junk that I had contracted from who knows where.  On Thursday, I couldn't take it anymore.  Being the MAN that I am, I tried to tough it out & not go to the doctor.  This was for 2 reasons:  1.)  I'm a man.  Men don't go to the doctor unless they are dying.  I have sense wised up & realize that it's really the MOM's who don't go to the doctor unless they are dying!  Then again...mom's never get sick!  2.)  I thought the doctor would just tell me to get over it because it's going around & everyone has it.

She told me I had a severe ear & throat infection.  (Where I come from, this is probably known as Strep Throat.)  She gave me some antibiotics & sent me on my way.  The next morning, Friday, I woke up to the sound of NOTHING!  My left ear was completely clogged & I couldn't hear.  It sounded like I had an earplug crammed in there!  It was horrible!!!

Today is Wednesday...the earplug is still in there.  I broke down today & went to an ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat Specialist).  After I told her my story, she examined my outer ear by looking into it with one of those cone-shaped things...you know, the regular tool used for checking ears.  THEN...she informed me that she needed to check my nasal cavities to ensure there was no internal obstruction.  No problem, Doc!  Yeah right.  She came back with what appeared to be a firehouse that had a light & a camera on the end!  I said (all of this in portuguêse, I remind you), "You're going to stick that thing where?!"  

She told me that I wouldn't feel any pain (easy for her to say) but that it would be a little "strange."  Um...ya.  That was probably an understatement!  The good thing is that she found no blockage.  The bad thing...she sent me for a hearing test to rule out "Sudden Hearing Loss Syndrome."  I tested ok, but not 100%.  She then informed me that her "hunch" was right.  She diagnosed me with an internal ear VIRUS.  Never heard of it.  She gave me some meds to help advance the flow of fluids, said that it may take a few days for my hearing to return, & told me to come back next week.  So, as of tonight I'm still saying, "What did you say, Laura?"  

It's been a fun week of trying to speak, hear, & learn Portuguese while I constantly hear an echo.  I actually have a joke now with my language professor.  She will ask me something (something that I don't know the answer to) & I will blame my incorrect response on my ear!  Gotta have fun with it, right?!

However, my devotion times this past week have gone hand-in-hand with my life's events.  God has been speaking to me about slowing down & "listening" to His voice.  I think He has my attention now.  :)   Life gets so busy that we often lose track of our time alone with the Father.  Ministry, language, children, spouses, careers, sports, reading, friends...all of these are great things, but if we are losing our time with God because of these great things, then we are missing the most important thing of all.  These things will automatically come together if we are spending quality time, not "checklist" time, with our Creator.  If I knew that Laura wouldn't slap me, I think I would "clog up" my ears more often so I could hear the Spirit speak clearly. 

Jesus spent one-on-one, uninterrupted time with the Father:
"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."    - Mark 1:35 

Let's find our desolate place today so we can spend it with The Almighty One.