In Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible, under the heading “Place Your Life Before God,” Romans 12:1-2 says:So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing … Continue reading The Transformation Story [Mth 7-Day 1-Post 43]

I interrupt the regularly scheduled program (my "Do What, Now?" multi-part series on Missions) to share an update on the "70 in 7" Project. As I began this post, I was closing a crazy month of travel (in August!) on a flight home from Providence, Rhode Island, where I participated in a dear college friend's … Continue reading The Five-Month Low-Down [Mth 6-Day 4-Post 42]

One day Alex came home from the local San Juan market with a surprise--He had bought me an elliptical trainer! I could hardly believe it! We had never owned any kind of exercise machine ourselves in the U.S., let alone Peru. But we certainly had need for it. Well, at least I did.As I started … Continue reading “Do What, Now?” Part 5: Settled, Unsettled [Mth 5-Day 11-Post 41]

"We're moving to Peru, babe."I waited for the "Do what, now?" retort, but it never came."We are?" Alex said."Yes, I'm going to teach English there; you're going to oversee the mission teams and general projects."He didn't look the least bit surprised. I was a bit baffled, but then again, Alex has never been one to … Continue reading “Do What, Now?” Part 4: A Broken but Blessed Road [Mth 5-Day 8-Post 40]

“Unfortunately, no, we can’t, I’m sorry,” I replied. I had practiced that speech on the way to church that morning. I knew the pastor was going to ask us if we wanted to go on the Peru mission trip that summer. I just knew it.“We just had another couple cancel,” the pastor said. “They had already paid … Continue reading “Do What, Now?” Part 3: Mid-night Sessions with God [Mth 5-Day 3-Post 39]

In three years’ time, I had relocated to Georgia to attend a discipleship school, where on a Monday evening, October 6, 2003, the Vice President of a missions organization was teaching our class. At the conclusion, she invited the President of the ministry to speak about an upcoming short-term mission trip to San Juan de … Continue reading “Do What, Now?” Part 2: Mixed Messages [Mth 4-Day 28-Post 38]

“Do what, now?” is an expression I’d never heard until I moved to Georgia. It must be a Southern thing. For my fellow eyebrow-raising Northerners, this expression is often heard in response to a question or comment not completely or not correctly heard or understood. Where I come from, we prefer the blunt retort, “What?” … Continue reading “Do What, Now?” Part 1: An Unfavorable History [Mth 4-Day 27-Post 37]

It was just a regular seed. In a bowl with other seeds. And July 2nd was just like any ordinary day. Until that seed was planted on that day. In a Dixie cup. Yep. With just a little scoop of soil surrounding that seed, a plant was born. A week later it was just a … Continue reading Journey [Mth 4-Day 19-Post 36]

On the street with countless New Yorkers as the sun disappeared into falling ash—“Nicole Lovejoy” was running for her life.Amid the confusion, the frightened chaos, the screaming commotion, she had no choice but to flee in the opposite direction and pray that nothing worse was coming.She had been late for work that morning. So instead … Continue reading “Add to Your Faith, Goodness” Part 4 of 4 [Mth 4-Day 15-Post 35]

At 8 AM on September 11th, 2001, I sat in the ANTS Colby Chapel for the New Student Orientation “Call to Worship.” The Rev. Dr. Sharon Thornton, Professor of Pastoral Theology, welcomed all of us and began to share a story that united us, that had brought each of us to that very moment—a story … Continue reading “Add to Your Faith, Goodness” Part 3 [Mth 4-Day 12-Post 34]