God’s intervention or my ability…what’s the difference?

21 Apr
God has equipped every believer with spiritual gifts, many of which we find listed in the Bible.  But we tend to separate those gifts from natural abilities which each of us posses.  A charismatic person might be described as having the gift of gab.  A person who is able to see down the road and anticipate opportunities could be called a visionary.  Are these spiritual gifts or are they natural talents?  For the Christ-follower, is there a difference?  A visionary might make a particularly outstanding call that results in great success.  Is it because she was at the top of her game, or was it God providing specific insight?  A naturally empathetic person may identify and rescue a person who is hiding a deep hurt.  Was it because he had developed his skill so much that he saw what others didn’t?  Or was it the Holy Spirit whispering in his ear? 
As I’m growing in my personal walk with Jesus, I am realizing that the reason I make those distinctions is because of who I think should get the credit.  If it’s of God, I want to acknowledge that, but if it’s because of my natural abilities and skills, I tend to take credit for it.  But from whom did I get those skills?  And for whose work should they be committed?  In reality, my own skills and abilities come from the same person who gives me the classic “spiritual” gifts.  So is there a distinction in God’s point of view?  Probably not.  He takes as much joy in me using my spiritual gifts as he does my other gifts. Perhaps in God’s world, there is no difference because they are all for his glory, not mine.

Dominoes anyone?

18 Apr

One of the pleasures of living here is playing a variety of games. We brought a number with us, but we’re always looking for new and challenging games. Our friend Eduardo brought over a game called “Mexican Train Dominoes” and it was fun for the entire family. A nice way to spend a weekend afternoon in the shade.

This is also a good way for us to reconnect as a family and enjoy our friends who come over to visit with us. Relationships are key in Latin America. We have to be ready at a moment’s notice to serve coffee and snacks. Of course, we also have to be willing to drop what we’re doing at the time and focus on the people who have come to visit. This is where real relationship occurs, and it is a privilege we have taken to with great joy.

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Easter sunrise service

12 Apr

Easter in Costa Rica hits during the dry season, but gets close to rainy season, which means the sky has beautiful clouds against a Carolina blue background. We celebrated Easter with Americans, Canadians, Costa Ricans and Guatemalans. Benjamin, who just received an electric guitar as a gift, played with me leading music this morning. We have seven songs in our repetoire, so they sang what we could play. Our message was brought by Bob Hanna with TEAM and was followed by a rich outlay of Costa Rican and American foods for breakfast. Although a sunrise service is part of my culture, it is strange by Costa Rican standards. We invited neighbors who thought we were nuts. But like it or not, they heard the worship music.

Happy Easter!

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Similar stories, different countries….God’s tapestry woven together….

11 Apr

Last month we were invited to cafecito ( share coffee) with a Costa Rican couple who are leaders in ministry here in Tres Rios. We ended up listening and talking for hours. Sharing our stories, in Spanish. Although our married lives began a continent apart, in the same year (we are both celebrating our 25th anniversary) there were similarities, common stories and the unusual ways the Lord showed us he carried us through different routes, careers and life circumstances but in His wisdom brought us alongside one another here in Costa Rica in 2009. How encouraging and how humbling to know that the exact thing I needed to hear was impressed upon my heart by fellow believers who spoke in Spanish, not English. My next few posts will be word “snapshots” like this of the people we encounter in Costa Rica. I’ll try and post a photo of this dear couple sometime soon!

Video of our life in Latin America

10 Apr

Dead duck

3 Apr

Have you ever had duck for dinner? Ever seen it in all its glory before eating? This duck s sliced and rolled in a soft wrap with a wonderful sauce and served with amazing panache at dinner. Maybe I won’t post the jellyfish that accompanied it.

Soaked in Bangkok

2 Apr

Guess what? It rains in Bangkok! After a very nice Thai dinner with my wife and our colleagues under the stars and trees, a few drops started coming down. Then a few more. Then the bottom dropped out. The walk back to our hotel turned out to be a shower before bed. There’s nothing like walking into a nice hotel dripping all over their marble floor. Thais are by nature and culture very polite and smile all the time. This was no exception, but I wonder what they were thinking as we walked in. Probably the Thai equivalent of “Crazy Gringos!”

Tomorrow we begin our 40 hour journey home. This time however, we will have 12 hours in Dallas where a friend has graciously offered to pick us up and let us recover at his home before returning us to the airport. That should at least give us a chance to arrive back in Costa Rica with some rest under our belts.

It has been a productive week, but we’re ready to see the family again!

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Night life in Bangkok

30 Mar

Life in Bangkok is a little crazy. Ten million people make it one of the world’s bigger cities and its streets could be like those in just about any big world city. Nights are loud, traffic is wild, and the mix of people, tuk-tuks and vivid lights add to the mystery of this Asian capital. Tonight as we were walking back from dinner we came across a sight you wouldn’t expect in most large cities…a baby elephant out for a stroll entertaining the residents. Although the camera in my phone isn’t the best, you can still get an idea of that interesting sight.

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LeadTeam in Thailand!

27 Mar

We arrived in Hong Kong, rested and breakfasted in the club which we were comp’d by the airline! Imagine our surprise when our Reachglobal colleagues Bob and Joyce showed up when we boarded the plane to Thailand…and where were they seated? Directly in front of us!  This morning after a full 12 hours or so of sleep, we worked out, showered and enjoyed fresh raspberries and sushi(Cathi) for breakfast!  Brian has meetings, but I’ll be checking out the shopping so I can buy some things at a lower price than in Costa Rica! Pics to follow later, and join me in praying for our day of fasting and prayer, Sunday( Saturday the 28th for those of you in the US and Latin America)March 29th.

 

 

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Friends well met in Hong Kong

26 Mar

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