Virtuous Reality Blogtag:www.virtuousreality.com,2012:/blog//62011-11-20T20:12:28ZMovable Type 3.34Strugglingtag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5432011-11-01T19:04:32Z2011-11-20T20:12:28ZIs anyone out there really struggling? I know some of you are because I read your comments and prayer requests and my heart hurts for you. I hope you don't think you're alone...I've been having a horrible time lately. My...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
"Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us."
I think I have to tendency to put a prettier face on scripture than is actually there. There's nothing pretty about pouring your soul out to God in times of agony or despair, but there is something beautiful about it. It's beautiful that I have one relationship in which I can be completely honest at all times. That no matter what I say or do, I can't ruin it. And no matter how rotten this life gets, God's love for me stays constant and true - even when my love for Him is so shaky and pitiful. His desire is not that I put on a nice Christian facade and pretend that everything is great because I'm trying to follow Jesus; it's that I live honestly with Him, asking Him to make me what I can never be on my own. It's a fact that this world is going to keep trying to kill me - it kills everyone in the end - but it's also a fact that this world doesn't get the last say.
Jesus said "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the world." Moses had tribulation. Joseph, Mary, Esther, David, and Daniel had tribulation. All of the disciples and John the Baptist had the worst of tribulations and Jesus Himself suffered more than all of them combined. It's silly and dangerous for me to read their stories and think that for some reason God owes me a better life than they had. One of my mom's favorite sayings when we were kids was "nobody ever promised you fair" and she was dead on. Nowhere in scripture does God promise me fair, or success, or a dream life. On the contrary He promises that there will be suffering here because that's the natural outcome of sin, and we choose sin on a daily basis. But the truth I need to hang my hat on is that He also promises Himself and an eternity of fairness and dreams-come-true to those who belong to Him. On top of that, Jesus promised peace and abundance in this life to those who abide in Him. I need to work on that. Peace would go a long way in this messed up world.
I'm not struggling as much as I was just a month ago but I know that there will be other blows, so for now I'm working on replacing the lies that are stuck in my head about God with the truth of who He really is. The biggest one is that He doesn't love me as much as He loves everyone around me and that's why things keep going so horribly wrong. I'm getting back into my Bible and asking Jesus to show me how much He loves me because I can't see it on my own. And each morning the verse that pops into my head is one Moses prayed so many years ago:
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. - Psalm 90:14
If you're struggling too, feel free to join me in this prayer each day. God loves us more than we realize and much more than our circumstances seem to imply. Feel free to comment below so I can be praying for you. You're not alone here. ]]>
The Short Term Missions mentalitytag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5312011-07-01T14:00:00Z2011-07-01T14:04:37ZSummer's in full swing (which means it's the surface of the sun here in Texas) and I'm sure many of you are heading out on a short term mission trip, if you haven't already gone...which means I should have written...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Summer's in full swing (which means it's the surface of the sun here in Texas) and I'm sure many of you are heading out on a short term mission trip, if you haven't already gone...which means I should have written this 2 months ago. Oops.
Well I'm going to write it anyway because I think it needs to be said but if it's too late, save it for your next trip. Mull it over. You never know, it could be useful.
I will begin by saying I have gone on many mission trips, I've even led quite a few as a youth leader, so this isn't coming out of nowhere, nor am I just some moron sitting around spouting opinions without the faintest idea of what I'm talking about...well today I'm not that moron...so far.
Short term missions (or STMs from here on) have become a bit of an epidemic in this country and one of the main questions people are starting to ask is, are they doing more harm than good? You'll be happy to know I'm not going to tackle that one right now. It's a much bigger question than one blog can handle. Instead I'm going to challenge you on a different aspect of the STM mentality.
The idea that other people should pay for you to go on one.
I was recently talking with friends of mine who are missionaries overseas and they were telling me that this summer they're having trouble raising support because most of their regular supporters have been swamped by letters from STMers asking them to help pay for their one week trip to (you fill in the blank). I myself get a new one every week and I don't even HAVE any money, so I can imagine what it's like for those who have, or seem to have, plenty. Well...here are my thoughts on that:
First - I feel as if the church has helped spread the idea that because you are going on a "church" trip to do "missions" work, you are entitled to ask other people to pay for your trip. Where in the world did that come from? Even Paul didn't expect people to cover his expenses all the time and he was the greatest missionary the world has ever seen. He was a tent-maker by profession, and would often work to support himself in the city he was ministering to because he never wanted to be a burden to the rest of the church. It is true that sometimes he was supported by those who loved him, and he was incredibly thankful for it, but he didn't assume it of them. I feel as if we've lost the joy of working hard for something. Like we aren't teaching you guys what it means to want something enough that you sweat for it. There's a wonderful sense of accomplishment in working hard to attain something you've been dreaming of, but for many of you, you've never felt that. With that in mind, I'll move on to my next point, which is simply...
Perhaps you should consider getting a job.
If an opportunity has presented itself for you to go to the Dominican Republic, France, Uganda or Albuquerque, instead of asking others to pay for you to go, DO something that will generate enough income to pay for your trip so you don't have to ask others to cover the cost. Babysit. Mow lawns. Set up a lemonade stand or have a neighborhood garage sale. Get a summer paper route. I realize that for a few of you, no matter how hard you work, you're still going to need help, and that's fine. But at least make the effort to raise as much of the trip cost as you can yourself. No one will be excited about helping you get to Costa Rica for a week if your contribution to the trip is shopping, going to the movies, or playing video games.
I know some of you are going to disagree with me on this and that's ok. My main issue is with this entitlement mentality I feel we're feeding in our youth and how that's going to hurt you in the long run...and how it might be hurting long term missionaries right now. I should also disclose that I grew up in Wyoming where nobody had much money and the general belief was that if you wanted something badly enough, you would work to make it happen. Ahhhhh the good 'ol days.
God has given you youth, a strong body, and boundless energy - go out there and use it for His glory and the good of others.
For my pen-pal friendstag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5282011-05-01T14:00:00Z2011-05-01T14:07:43ZI just wanted to throw out a quick thank you to each girl who read last month's article on the Power of Being a Girl and wrote in asking if I could hook them up. You guys are beautiful! It...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Power of Being a Girl and wrote in asking if I could hook them up. You guys are beautiful! It was so encouraging to see e-mails coming in and know that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in our teen girls. Well...I KNOW that He is but sometimes it's easy to forget, so to me you were all a picture of the church doing what it's supposed to be doing in loving our neighbors...even though they're in Uganda :)
I want to encourage you to write often and pray for the girl you're writing to. There's been some civil unrest in Uganda just this week and often, when things go bad in a country, it's the kids who pay the biggest price. Also remember that these girls are hurting when it comes to loss, so let them know they haven't been forgotten and that God is crazy about them. Consider yourself part of their family...because you are. Holler with any questions - I'm here for you.
love
Jamie]]>
A surfer you should get to knowtag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5232011-04-01T22:41:10Z2011-04-07T23:40:35ZOn Halloween morning 2003, thirteen year old Bethany Hamilton went out to catch the morning waves and her entire life changed. You see there was this 14 foot shark... That right there makes me shiver a little. So Bethany goes...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Bethany Hamilton went out to catch the morning waves and her entire life changed. You see there was this 14 foot shark...
That right there makes me shiver a little.
So Bethany goes out surfing and has a little (not really so little) run in with a tiger shark, who decides he wants her left arm...so he/she takes it. And one month later, minus a left arm, she's back out there surfing. That alone makes this a story worth checking out, and if you're like me and you love a good story of redemption and coming back from a really hard hit, then you'll probably want to be at the theaters this Friday the 8th when the movie Soul Surfer comes out. It's Bethany's story, but I'm hoping it's really Jesus' story since this whole big convoluted, ugly, beautiful, messy, painful, brilliant mess of a story that we're all in, is really all about Him.
It's a story about danger, and an enemy who wants to destroy us in a world that's not really on our side.
It's about a God who's bigger than that enemy, and this world, and whatever monsters come out of nowhere and try to tear us apart one piece at a time.
It's about Jesus..who loves us so much that He let Himself get ripped apart, piece-by-piece, right alongside us, and then came back whole again to beat the living daylights out of all that wants to hurt us. Only that Guy can bring great things out of tragedies and suffering, and He absolutely LOVES getting His girls back in the game when they've been mangled, and seemingly defeated.
So I think I'll go check it out and look for Jesus in the story, and the waves, and even in the shark. Because He made that shark and knew exactly what day it and Bethany would meet. He also knew the good that would come of it and how we sometimes need to see Him triumph in a rotten situation so that we know He can help us in our own. Fairy tales are nice but they aren't true to life for most of us. Monsters, on the other hand, tend to pop up in everyone's life at one time or another.
If you go see the movie, come back and let me know what you thought and what you saw in the story. Think beyond the obvious and look for Jesus.
Love you guys,
Jamie]]>
Looking for Jesus in Africatag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5182011-03-01T14:00:00Z2011-03-03T16:54:28ZA few years ago I started following Katie Davis on her blog (kissesfromkatie) and for the first time in my life I wanted to go to Africa. Through Katie's blog I learned about Renee (Serving His Children), also living, working...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
(kissesfromkatie) and for the first time in my life I wanted to go to Africa. Through Katie's blog I learned about Renee (Serving His Children), also living, working and loving in Uganda and I REALLY wanted to go to Africa. It isn't because I love the heat and am dying to experience malaria and dengue fever. Nor is it because I think Africa desperately needs me...or that I can save anyone...Jesus already did that and I can barely take care of myself sometimes. It's because in these girls' lives (and I call them girls because they're both in their early 20s) I can see Jesus so much clearer than I can here in the land of the spoiled and the idolatrous. I'm somewhat familiar with suffering, and how those two girls can hold babies while they die of starvation, take in orphan after orphan, and fight the evil that is poverty and disease on a daily basis without losing their joy in the Jesus who saved them, tells me that the Holy Spirit is doing what only He can do in their lives.
I want to see that.
I want to be part of that.
I want to know Jesus like that.
It's so easy here to trust in ourselves, our stuff, our medicine, and our money to get us through life, that I think we've lost the ability...or maybe the desire...to trust only in the Holy Spirit. It feels like we've traded a life filled with His wonders for a small manageable life that we can control. We don't make eye contact with the needy, or take in the homeless, because that would be uncomfortable. Instead we pour our resources into ourselves and our homes, trying to make them perfect and we hoard what we have because what if...
What if tomorrow our world falls apart?
What if we try and just end up getting hurt?
What if we trust and our worst nightmare comes true?
I really think it's the "what-ifs" that keep us from trusting God and really living. There are a million of them and the truth is that sometimes they happen. Jesus said that in this world we WILL have trouble, but that we should take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Translation - "There's no way to avoid pain and suffering in this life, but walk with Me and see what I can do with those things." What I see in these girls' lives is what happens when someone simply obeys Jesus and follows Him without needing to know how it's going to end.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Uganda to see that for myself, and I'm praying that my life starts looking more like that too.
If you want to pray for the kids we'll be visiting and the work going on over there, check out Canaan Children's Home and Amani Baby Cottage.]]>
For all you pet loverstag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5162011-02-01T14:00:00Z2011-02-28T22:25:23ZI grew up in a home where there was always at least one rescue animal in the house. It would be easy to say that it was my mom leading the charge since she would happily welcome not just pets,...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Austin Pets Alive! (that's not an "I'm so excited" exclamation point, it's part of their name) here in Austin Texas. APA! is an organization that's working harder than I've seen any animal rescue operation work to make this a "no-kill" city. They're trying to stop all unnecessary animal kills by shelters and so far they're doing a phenomenal job. The really cool thing about them is that they see each pet as an individual animal worth saving and more than once I've gotten on their website and ended up in tears because some poor dog or cat has been injured beyond belief, and hours before they were to be put down APA! swept in and saved them. Like Trudy pictured below(click here to see her facebook page with the latest updates), a 5 month old puppy with the worst case of mange I've ever seen, but because a few people cared, she's in a foster home and is doing much better.
I honestly believe that God's expectation of us when it comes to animals is that we care for them and do what we can to relieve their suffering. Our God is big enough to care about animals as well as people and anyone who tells you that people are all that matter to Him has a very tiny vision of who He really is. We need people like Dr. Ellen Jefferson in this world as badly as we need Katie Davises and families like the Betors. If you have a heart for animals as well as people who are suffering or need help, then run with that. God has filled this earth with His people so that we can work together to make it a better place for every hurting thing, not just a select few. ]]>
Resolutions - then and nowtag:www.virtuousreality.com,2011:/blog//6.5092011-01-02T00:29:12Z2011-01-08T19:19:20ZHow many of you do the whole New Year's resolutions thing? I know a girl who resolved to only drink sodas three times this year and by January 2nd she had already used up two. I'm gonna guess #3 was...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
"Resolved, not to talk about myself or feelings. To think before speaking. To work seriously. To be self restrained in conversation and actions. Not to let my thoughts wander. To be dignified. Interest myself more in others."
and just 90 years later:
"I will try to make myself better in any way I possibly can with the help of my budget and baby-sitting money. I will lose weight, get new lenses, already got new haircut, good makeup, new clothes and accessories."
In less than a century it seems we have become so focused on ourselves that becoming a better person means simply looking different, not actually BEING a better person. There are a lot of factors that brought us from one mindset to where we are today, but what I really want to know is where do you fall on the scale? If the more Victorian idea of focusing on character development and others more than self is a 1, and the modern mindset of me, me, me, and more me is a 10, where would you rank yourself? What were your resolutions this year, if you had any, and what do they tell you about yourself?
I stopped doing resolutions several years ago because I realized they never really did me any good. Instead I pray each year that by the end of the year (if I make it all the way through) I know and love God more than I did at the beginning. How about you guys? What have you resolved to do or not do? And if you follow through on it, does it actually make you a better person from the inside out?]]>
All I want for Christmastag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.5032010-12-02T03:23:25Z2011-03-23T04:14:31ZTell me what's messed up about that title. You might not have any idea because it's how you've always done Christmas; Mom and Dad ask you to make a list of what you want and from there you pretty much...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
"days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.". They celebrated by giving. Not by getting. Isn't that what we're supposed to be celebrating at Christmas? We have a Savior who lived and died to set us free from our enemies, and once a year we celebrate His birthday, because without Him we're all dead. So how is it celebrating Him to get completely focused on ourselves and obsess over what we want and hope to get at the end of the month?
The problem is we've all been brainwashed and it's coming at us from every side. Think about it. Your parents encourage you to make a list so you get what you want. Then Santa gets into the game and you're supposed to send him a list too, except he's not nearly as nice as Jesus because he only gives gifts to the good kids (Jesus gave to all of us equally even though we're all technically on the naughty list). Then the advertisers and marketers throw in and now nobody stands a chance, because they want you to think that you need to buy X number of things in order to be happy. So now your parents, a larger-than-life historical icon, every song on the radio, and the entire United States free market is telling you that the best way to celebrate Christmas this year is by making a list of everything you might ever want and throwing all your energy into getting it. Merry Christmas.
Well I'm here to tell you that it's a lie. At some point in your life this method of celebrating Christmas is going to let you down completely. Your parents won't always be around to get you whatever you want and there's no guarantee that anyone else will either. If you let Christmas be a celebration of you instead of a celebration of the One it should be about, you're headed for some big disappointment. But if you shift the focus, starting today, to making this about Jesus, and think about giving gifts in celebration instead of getting stuff, you might just learn what the holiday is really about. How better to celebrate the gift of a Savior than by sharing that gift with others instead of asking for more gifts.
One of my most memorable Christmases was the year my Mom died and I ended up alone on Christmas Eve. There were no presents, and my family was all somewhere else, and I remember thinking I had this great opportunity to get it right in that moment. So I put on some worship music and stood looking out at the stars and singing praises to the One who saved me. And as I sang, my thankfulness grew bigger and bigger and I wasn't alone anymore in that house. It felt like I was singing with Jesus and His choir and as we sang the snow started falling, big and slow, like a pure gift from God. I've gotten a lot of Christmas gifts over the years, and to be honest I've forgotten most of them, but that one... I'll remember forever. I think that was the closest I've ever gotten to celebrating Jesus and nothing else for His birthday.
Merry Christmas everyone!]]>
Books, books and more books!tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4972010-11-01T17:01:01Z2011-03-23T04:15:26ZThis one goes out to all my reading friends out there. If you, like me, know the beauty of getting lost in a good story and losing track of the world around you for a while, then have I got...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot - For all of you struggling to figure out how to keep your love life under God's control and not let it ruin you, this is a great story of two people who were crazy about each other, but wanted God to be first in their lives. In sharing her own life and struggles, Elisabeth Elliot addresses the big questions of whether or not to marry, who might be the right one, how to stay sexually pure when you're crazy about someone, and fighting to keep your commitment to Christ the priority instead of romance. It's a great read whether you're currently dating, wish you were, or aren't quite sure where you stand on all that guy stuff.
God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew- A true story about a guy who has lived a life of faith few people ever attain. I was blown away by what God did, and continues to do, in Brother Andrew's life simply because he has chosen to walk by faith and take God at His word. Here's a man who regularly puts his life on the line to share the truth with people who don't know it, and trusts God to do the impossible and save him from anyone who would get in the way. This book has been a faith builder for me.
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom - Another true story (because God writes the best stories) of a Dutch family who stepped up during Hitler's reign and hid Jews in their home, helping them get away from those who wanted to kill them and into safety. Their lives, and how they reacted to what happened, continue to challenge me whenever I feel that life is unfair or that God is making things too difficult for me. It's a beautiful reminder that this world is a mess and people are wicked, but God is always good, even in the worst of times.
Mister God, This Is Anna by Fynn - This one had me bawling my eyes out at the end, but oh man it was worth it! It's the true story of a little girl who was rescued from the streets of London when she was 4 and the impact her life and faith had on the people around her. I re-read this book every couple of years because Anna seemed to know instinctively some things about God that I tend to forget. Like the fact that He loves everyone equally and sees the beauty in even the worst of us. And that going to church doesn't make anyone a Christian, it's our relationship with God that does that. This one will shake you up a bit and make you rethink some things you thought were biblical but maybe they're just cultural or church rituals.
I could keep going but I think I'll stop for now and not overload anyone. If you're anything like me, you're probably in the middle of five different books at any given time, so if you're keeping a list of good books to check out, add these and then let me know what you thought of them after you read them.
If you're interested in buying books online, consider doing it through this site (Makbooks.org) and you'll be helping feed and educate kids in need.]]>
BJ Higginstag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4912010-10-01T14:01:00Z2010-10-04T18:08:52Z You know when you say you would die for someone? I wonder how many times that's actually true. I honestly don't think you know what you would really do until you're in that situation, and I wonder how many...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
You know when you say you would die for someone? I wonder how many times that's actually true. I honestly don't think you know what you would really do until you're in that situation, and I wonder how many of us really do love someone enough to give up our life for them. I also wonder if really living for someone is harder than dying for them. I'm not talking gooshie romantic, stupid movie love - that's not real love most of the time anyway. I'm talking the kind of love Jesus asks from us. The kind that's so huge we're willing to give up all our hopes and dreams and follow Him anywhere, even if it means death. I just finished a book called I Would Die for You and it's about a young man who heard about Jesus and was willing to not just die for Him but to live for Him with everything he had.
I Would Die for You is the true story of BJ Higgins and it's written by his parents, so get ready to cry your eyes out if you choose to read it. I seriously blew my nose and prayed the whole 181 pages of that thing. And it wasn't all sad crying, sometimes I was just so convicted it was all I could think to do. How does a kid meet Jesus when he's eight years old and understand so clearly what many of us can't figure out for decades - that in order to really follow Jesus you have to be willing to die.
It's a weird paradox, dying to live, and it's probably one of our biggest struggles in this life. How do I even begin to hand my life over to Jesus and roll with whatever He has planned? How do I stop making my own plans and asking Him to bless those, and instead pursue Him and whatever life comes with following Him? That's what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:25 when He said "whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." but it's a challenge I think few of us accept. And that is what was so convicting about BJ's life.
He wasn't the perfect kid but he sure seemed to want Jesus more than anything else in this life. And when confronted with his own apathy and laziness, he was heartbroken that He could even consider walking away from God. On his last mission trip to Peru he told a few friends that he thought God was calling him to be a martyr and he was ok with that. What he couldn't have known was that he would die only months after getting back from that trip. Before his 16th birthday BJ died in a hospital from a disease he had picked up in Peru, and since then the story of his love for Jesus has traveled the world, and his bible is currently in the hands of a young evangelist in Africa who loved God but just needed a Bible. It's amazing what God can do with a life that's handed over to Him, even when it's such a short one. In just 15 years this kid talked to hundreds of people about Jesus and now that he's gone his life is still bringing praise and glory to God. What does your life say about you? What in this life do you think you would die for? Or maybe the better question is do you love Jesus enough to both live and die for Him?
I highly recommend the book if you're up for a challenge or if you're just lost as to what it might look like to live for Jesus instead of yourself. Your life won't look like BJs but it's a good glimpse into the heart of a person who loved, lived for and died for his Savior.]]>
Who is the Holy Spirit?tag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4882010-09-01T21:37:24Z2010-09-05T21:13:37ZI have a question for you guys and I'm hoping, hoping, estoy esperando (throwing in a little Spanish because I'm in the Dominican Republic this week) you'll respond. What do you know about the Holy Spirit? Who do you understand...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." which is exactly what happened back then.
Now that's the kind of church I want to be part of. That's the kind of church I want to BE. Church isn't what happens on a Sunday morning in buildings around the world, that's just a gathering of THE Church. We are each, individually, supposed to BE the Church in the time and place where God has put us. And in order for me to really represent Jesus, the Holy Spirit has to be part of the equation, but I feel like He's always been somewhat ignored in the church I grew up in. That probably explains the lack of power in that church and why we look so much like the world. I'm tired of being part of that church and am ready to start over and do this on Jesus' terms instead of my own. I'm reading through Acts and the Gospels and praying that Jesus will fill me with His Spirit and make me the person He wants me to be instead of the person I can pull off on my own. I don't really like her much anyway...she tends to be a jerk. ]]>
Rules of the roadtag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4802010-08-01T14:00:00Z2011-03-23T04:16:06ZThis is a little something I thought I would put together for those of you who, like me, are born with a travel bug and who also, like me, are sometimes so embarrassed by our fellow travelers abroad. It's not...Shawna Petersonhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
This is a little something I thought I would put together for those of you who, like me, are born with a travel bug and who also, like me, are sometimes so embarrassed by our fellow travelers abroad. It's not that everyone is trying to be embarrassing...although I know a few who do consider it a hobby; I think it's just that we don't know better. So for those of you who want to travel to new places, meet new people, and maybe even help out after a big catastrophe, here are a few tips that will help...trust me:
1) Never ever ever, when out with a group, wear matching shirts. Nothing screams "I'M A WEALTHY TOURIST, PLEASE MUG ME!" louder than that. So unless that's the statement you're trying to make, please be an individual and dress normally.
2) If you must take your anit-bacterial hand wash with you, PLEASE learn to use it discreetly and only when necessary. Slathering on the Purel right after shaking someone's hand or holding their naked kid is so very uncool...and rude.
3) In poverty situations, when a local family makes you dinner you eat it...even if you don't like it. I have been in situations where they killed one of the few family chickens and spent a months salary to feed visitors because they wanted to honor us, and a few very spoiled group members ruined it by complaining about the food and refusing to eat. Bad bad bad manners people.
4) Please don't assume that "our" way of doing things is the only and/or right way. Sometimes it isn't.
5) Listen more than you talk. If you want to really help people you have to first get to know them and find out what they really need as opposed to what you think they need.
6) Only rich people joke about being poor and only the well nourished joke about starving to death. When around people who are actually poor and starving don't do either of those. Remember that if you are an American and you're traveling abroad you are wealthier than the majority of people in the world...even if you're a college student working part time at a coffee joint.
7) Don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself when it comes to talking in another language. Making the effort tells people that you're interested in them and would love to get to know them, whereas sitting by silently and staring at people says something else entirely...like "Hello, I'm a stalker from another land." or "I'm sorry but you're just not worth the effort".
Remember, humility goes a long way in any country, so if God blesses you with the gift of travel, please use it wisely and represent Him the best you possibly can. It's really all about Him anyway.
Phil's bookstoretag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4762010-07-01T14:00:20Z2010-07-01T22:50:30ZYou might remember Phil from this post. He's grown up a bit and is now a long, lean, hunting machine (grasshoppers mostly) who loves to play in the rain and is quite helpful in the bookstore. Weird I know. He...Shawna Petersonhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
this post. He's grown up a bit and is now a long, lean, hunting machine (grasshoppers mostly) who loves to play in the rain and is quite helpful in the bookstore. Weird I know. He also loves boxes. Hiding in them, jumping out of them, leaping over them. One of his favorite games is a little something we like to call Phil-in-a-box, where some unsuspecting victim strolls by on her way to...let's say the bathroom. As Betsy-Wetsy passes by the innocent looking box, out jumps a ferocious white and red cat and she immediately wets herself. Fun game. Anyway - if your mom ordered you something from the VR store recently, like if you got one of the new Betweens, you might have found a little piece (or a chunk) of cat hair somewhere in the book or box or envelope. And this is why:
He also likes to attack the printer while it's doing its thing and sometimes his tail feeds in with the shipping labels...which ruins a lot of shipping labels as you can imagine. Here he is in a calm moment waiting for the print monster to make its next move.
So if you ordered something from us and didn't expect it to be furry you now know why it is. Just think of it as a little love from Phil to you.]]>
Fashion for the Nationstag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4612010-06-02T04:05:18Z2010-06-04T01:08:35ZDo you even get tired of trying to find cute clothes that don't make you look desperate or like you're still trying to fit into the stuff you wore when you were 10? We just found out about Nations Outfitters...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Do you even get tired of trying to find cute clothes that don't make you look desperate or like you're still trying to fit into the stuff you wore when you were 10? We just found out about Nations Outfitters a little while ago and thought we would pass on the info in case you like their stuff or just need some good ideas. What we like about them is that they aren't just out to sell cute clothes, they want to hear about you guys and what you're doing so they can highlight those of you who are positive role models for your generation. Pretty cool for a clothing store. Check them out and if you're doing something with your life that will encourage others, let them know about it.
"After all, we all have to wear clothing, but it’s what you do in that outfit that makes you stand out!"
Click here to go to their website.]]>
Longing for Africatag:www.virtuousreality.com,2010:/blog//6.4672010-04-17T00:39:25Z2010-05-04T18:45:41ZI've been listening to Brooke Fraser on repeat all morning. Albertine, Shadowfeet, and C.S. Lewis song, over and over and over. I'm sure if anyone else were here they would hit me over the head but I just can't stop...Jamie Lambhttp://www.virtuousreality.com
Mwangaza Children's Choir traveling parts of the states to help raise awareness and money for kids in Uganda who need the help. Imagine that. Imagine traveling halfway across the world at that age, without your parents, and ending up in a country where everyone is white and scary (they did tell me they were afraid of all the white people when they first got here.) Imagine all the food being weird and nobody looking like you and being stuck here for six months without being able to talk to your mom and dad. They're so brave and so beautiful. And boy do they love to sing, dance and make videos of themselves doing those things. As soon as I get my computer fixed I'll post one of them here...they're hilarious!
These girls and their love for Jesus (every video on my camera is a song about or prayer to Jesus) along with my obsessive reading of the Kisses from Katie blog has me longing to go to Africa, which is weird because I never really have the desire to do that. I want so badly to be used by God to help orphans. Maybe that's where we're headed. You never know really with this great God of ours. When you take your hands off your life it all becomes one big unknown adventure...and I like it that way. ]]>
I honestly believe that God's expectation of us when it comes to animals is that we care for them and do what we can to relieve their suffering. Our God is big enough to care about animals as well as people and anyone who tells you that people are all that matter to Him has a very tiny vision of who He really is. We need people like Dr. Ellen Jefferson in this world as badly as we need Katie Davises and families like the Betors. If you have a heart for animals as well as people who are suffering or need help, then run with that. God has filled this earth with His people so that we can work together to make it a better place for every hurting thing, not just a select few. ]]>
You know when you say you would die for someone? I wonder how many times that's actually true. I honestly don't think you know what you would really do until you're in that situation, and I wonder how many of us really do love someone enough to give up our life for them. I also wonder if really living for someone is harder than dying for them. I'm not talking gooshie romantic, stupid movie love - that's not real love most of the time anyway. I'm talking the kind of love Jesus asks from us. The kind that's so huge we're willing to give up all our hopes and dreams and follow Him anywhere, even if it means death. I just finished a book called I Would Die for You and it's about a young man who heard about Jesus and was willing to not just die for Him but to live for Him with everything he had.
I Would Die for You is the true story of BJ Higgins and it's written by his parents, so get ready to cry your eyes out if you choose to read it. I seriously blew my nose and prayed the whole 181 pages of that thing. And it wasn't all sad crying, sometimes I was just so convicted it was all I could think to do. How does a kid meet Jesus when he's eight years old and understand so clearly what many of us can't figure out for decades - that in order to really follow Jesus you have to be willing to die.
It's a weird paradox, dying to live, and it's probably one of our biggest struggles in this life. How do I even begin to hand my life over to Jesus and roll with whatever He has planned? How do I stop making my own plans and asking Him to bless those, and instead pursue Him and whatever life comes with following Him? That's what Jesus meant in Matthew 16:25 when He said "whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." but it's a challenge I think few of us accept. And that is what was so convicting about BJ's life.
He wasn't the perfect kid but he sure seemed to want Jesus more than anything else in this life. And when confronted with his own apathy and laziness, he was heartbroken that He could even consider walking away from God. On his last mission trip to Peru he told a few friends that he thought God was calling him to be a martyr and he was ok with that. What he couldn't have known was that he would die only months after getting back from that trip. Before his 16th birthday BJ died in a hospital from a disease he had picked up in Peru, and since then the story of his love for Jesus has traveled the world, and his bible is currently in the hands of a young evangelist in Africa who loved God but just needed a Bible. It's amazing what God can do with a life that's handed over to Him, even when it's such a short one. In just 15 years this kid talked to hundreds of people about Jesus and now that he's gone his life is still bringing praise and glory to God. What does your life say about you? What in this life do you think you would die for? Or maybe the better question is do you love Jesus enough to both live and die for Him?
I highly recommend the book if you're up for a challenge or if you're just lost as to what it might look like to live for Jesus instead of yourself. Your life won't look like BJs but it's a good glimpse into the heart of a person who loved, lived for and died for his Savior.]]>
