God vs. Satan - which one rules your world?
The Bible talks often about "The World" system and how Satan uses it to trap us into sinning. The scriptures talk about Satan prowling around like a lion, looking for someone to destroy. We are told to be "in the World, but not of the World," that "the love of money is the root of all evil," we are to be "Salt and Light," and that "we cannot serve two masters," but we all struggle understanding this concept of "the World" versus "the Kingdom of God." I mean, what does that all really mean? It is so metaphorical, so rooted in first century Jewish culture that we don't really understand what they are talking about do we? Satan is called "the god of this world," and we are told that "if anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him."
First of all, have we ever heard this truth? If not, have we read it ourselves? If you've read any of the New Testament, you've read teachings warning about the dangers of this world, but do we really take it seriously? This concept of this evil world system on one hand feels right as we all know things are not right in this world, that things should be different, they should be different than they are. But do we really live like we take this seriously in our day to day lives? How much time have we spent considering whether our entertainment, job pursuits, wants and goals are "of this world" or are "of God?" How much of our lives and the things we spend our time, money, and effort on are determined by an evil world system?
Returning from a mission trip is always a disorienting time of reflection. We naturally reconsider how we spend every moment of time in our lives. The need is so great in so many areas of the world to hear the Gospel, to relieve hunger, pain, suffering, to cure disease, and to show God's love that we struggle with finding important so many mundane things in our "regular" lives. Part of this is the realization, after spending time in another culture, that much of our society is centered around the meaningless selfish pursuit of pleasure, things, and pride. Recognizing how we are caught up in these things leads to confusion and sadness. Sadness that so much of life is wasted on meaningless pursuits that glorify Satan and distance us from God, and confusion about how we could more authentically live as a true disciple of Jesus.
If you're reading this and wondering if this world system is really so evil, check out this link and see how marketers deliberately entice us through "the seven deadly sins": How To Use the “Seven Deadly Sins” to Turn Visitors into Customers - Smashing Magazine After reading this, see if you feel sick realizing how you have been manipulated by your own sinful broken desires away from God rather than towards God by marketing and this world we live in. Spend some time reflecting with me on how we can avoid getting entangled by our own evil desires. I don't have the answers, but I do have the questions and sleepless nights.
Jim
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Potluck Sunday 6:30 PM SonLight Community Church
See you Sunday!,
Haiti Team
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thank You!
Dear Friends and Family,
We would like to express a very heartfelt thanks to you upon our return from our recent mission trip to Damou Christian Mission in Haiti. Because of your great generosity, our team of 17 was able to deliver enough formula and funds to supply the Damou feeding program for approximately 6 weeks! You literally saved the lives of countless starving babies who would have no hope without your sacrificial gift. The 9 ladies on our team were able to attend the distribution of formula and personally deliver your gift to needy mothers.
The 8 men on our team completed a construction project for a beautiful lady named Nadean. She has been living in a very small home with 20 family members who evacuated from Port au Prince after the earthquake. She now has a sturdy home of her own, built with a strong foundation of love.
Our trip was marked by many highs and lows, too many to recount in a short letter. Our time in Haiti was extended by Hurricane Tomas, which was forecasted to hit Haiti on the day of our flight home. With a cancelled flight and many of our team sick at the end of the week, our faith was tested and we were tempted to define our trip with illness and bad weather. But God in His unfailing love sustained us through our struggles and blessed us beyond measure during our extra 3 days at Damou. We were able to help Tina and her family prepare for the coming storm, and we were able to help people in the tent city reconstruct their homes after the wind and rain. God used us as His hands and feet to show His love to hurting people, and we were so blessed!
Looking back on this trip, there are so many great stories we could tell. If you did not follow us on facebook during the trip, please check out www.drjimingram.blogspot.com for some amazing insights to our week. The most beautiful memory of all is how we were stretched out of our comfort zones into a place where we were sustained by God alone. We grew closer to God during the difficult times in a way that would not be reproducible in our everyday lives. Some of those times were very hard, but we consider it pure joy to face those trials, as the testing of our faith has developed perseverance. We look forward to the next opportunity to minister to God’s beautiful people in Haiti.
Merci, Thank You, God Bless!
Jim and Laura Ingram
We would like to express a very heartfelt thanks to you upon our return from our recent mission trip to Damou Christian Mission in Haiti. Because of your great generosity, our team of 17 was able to deliver enough formula and funds to supply the Damou feeding program for approximately 6 weeks! You literally saved the lives of countless starving babies who would have no hope without your sacrificial gift. The 9 ladies on our team were able to attend the distribution of formula and personally deliver your gift to needy mothers.The 8 men on our team completed a construction project for a beautiful lady named Nadean. She has been living in a very small home with 20 family members who evacuated from Port au Prince after the earthquake. She now has a sturdy home of her own, built with a strong foundation of love.
Our trip was marked by many highs and lows, too many to recount in a short letter. Our time in Haiti was extended by Hurricane Tomas, which was forecasted to hit Haiti on the day of our flight home. With a cancelled flight and many of our team sick at the end of the week, our faith was tested and we were tempted to define our trip with illness and bad weather. But God in His unfailing love sustained us through our struggles and blessed us beyond measure during our extra 3 days at Damou. We were able to help Tina and her family prepare for the coming storm, and we were able to help people in the tent city reconstruct their homes after the wind and rain. God used us as His hands and feet to show His love to hurting people, and we were so blessed!
Looking back on this trip, there are so many great stories we could tell. If you did not follow us on facebook during the trip, please check out www.drjimingram.blogspot.com for some amazing insights to our week. The most beautiful memory of all is how we were stretched out of our comfort zones into a place where we were sustained by God alone. We grew closer to God during the difficult times in a way that would not be reproducible in our everyday lives. Some of those times were very hard, but we consider it pure joy to face those trials, as the testing of our faith has developed perseverance. We look forward to the next opportunity to minister to God’s beautiful people in Haiti.
Merci, Thank You, God Bless!
Jim and Laura Ingram
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Finally Home!!!
Today is Wednesday, Nov. 10th. We have been home now for a little over 24hrs. It was a long journey home. I had an emotional reunion with my boys and shed a lot of tears. I was not quit sure how I was going to handle my official first day home. I had woke up to my coffee and quite time with the Lord. I just sat in His presence and reflected all that I had just experienced. I am very thankful for all that had happened in the course of our 10 day journey. I was very thankful for all the prayers and support that was poured out from family and friends near and far. I am still trying to digest all that had happened to us. Im very thankful to be home and in the comfort of my surroundings, but I can't help thinking of the part of me that was left in Haiti. I will never forget the individuals that I meet, the kids I loved on, the projects we completed, and the relationships that were planted. I am forever changed and completely humbled by my experience in Haiti. If asked to do it all over again, I would say yes.
I will never be able to fully explain my emotions and experiences on the trip. But I can tell you that God had meet every need and had stretched me in some many ways. I am forever changed and gloriously ruined.
In Christ we serve...
Haddi
I will never be able to fully explain my emotions and experiences on the trip. But I can tell you that God had meet every need and had stretched me in some many ways. I am forever changed and gloriously ruined.
In Christ we serve...
Haddi
Monday, November 8, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A Day in the Tent City after the Storm
Today we ventured again to the Tent City, the first day was a quick tour, but this was a down and dirty all day work fest. We got there before lunch and found there were many tents were flattened. We found that the government bussed many people out before the storm to safe locations only to find upon return that many of their possessions had been stolen.
We got to work on the first tent - a tent lived in by a woman with out a husband or other relatives to help her. She said the police had been in and had taken most of her belongings after she evacuated, hoping she and others would not return.
Well, there was water and mud everywhere. The first order of business was to pull her remaining possessions carefully out to dry ground. Carefully, because it all looked like trash to us, but it was all she owned in this world. It was impossible to know what was valuable to her or trash, so we treated it all as treasure. We then spread the tent out and set it up as best we could. The first one was a little rough, but we quickly got a plan.
Not too long after we got started we were joined by the UN and an organization called IOM. That's when all the commotion started. We had been following Charlotte's direction, picking the tents of the widows and single women, and not working on those that had able bodied men who could set them up themselves. Many of the IOM staff and the UN were very helpful, but the big Boss wanted us to go in the order that they had in mind. Unfortunately, they also planned to move some families from one tent to another, to consolidate tents and decrease the number up. In the spirit of Martin Luther King, we just kept doing what we were doing, smiling and playing nice. While they walked around debating things, we got 7 tents up and a couple of others repaired to the two tents the UN and IOM guys got up.
There were a couple of themes - muck, yuck, mice and trash, battles for control of the work, hungry people politely asking for help, and many desperate people fighting and jockeying for the best help possible from the help available. We were thrilled to be of help, but discouraged by the lack of internal organization and apathy that some of the men exhibited. Discouraged that God's sons and daughters have to live this way. Why do people need to live in mud, mice cities, and fire ant colonies? The tents were sturdy and even cooler with the flaps up than in direct sunlight, but with four families in each 20 x 30 tent may mean 24 people or more in a tent.
In the midst of this our team was joking, singing hymns, encouraging people, and just showing God's love as best as possible while stomping mice, stepping over and through sewage, and working their butts off.
One of our new friends said we shouldn't be there at dark. The gangs are too dangerous. As the afternoon wore on we would see fights over rope, priority, and attention from people desperate for relief. The potential for real danger seemed to dance around, but we rejoiced that our God is indeed greater and kept it at bay. We piled 14 people into the Nissan SUV, bodies piled on one another, sharing stink and sweat, and pain. Several of us couldn't feel a limb by the time we got home and pilled out at the main road and walked the rest of the way.
We left with mixed feelings. Pride in a good day of benevolent work, frustration that we couldn't do more, sadness that people have to suffer so much, and gratefulness that God in his sovereignty chose that we would live where we do. It is only God's good grace that is responsible for our good fortune. Let us not waste it and let people continue to suffer. This can be helped if we all do our part a little at a time.
We Love You all and Thank You for your continued prayer and support! To God be the Glory!
Jim
We got to work on the first tent - a tent lived in by a woman with out a husband or other relatives to help her. She said the police had been in and had taken most of her belongings after she evacuated, hoping she and others would not return.
Well, there was water and mud everywhere. The first order of business was to pull her remaining possessions carefully out to dry ground. Carefully, because it all looked like trash to us, but it was all she owned in this world. It was impossible to know what was valuable to her or trash, so we treated it all as treasure. We then spread the tent out and set it up as best we could. The first one was a little rough, but we quickly got a plan.
Not too long after we got started we were joined by the UN and an organization called IOM. That's when all the commotion started. We had been following Charlotte's direction, picking the tents of the widows and single women, and not working on those that had able bodied men who could set them up themselves. Many of the IOM staff and the UN were very helpful, but the big Boss wanted us to go in the order that they had in mind. Unfortunately, they also planned to move some families from one tent to another, to consolidate tents and decrease the number up. In the spirit of Martin Luther King, we just kept doing what we were doing, smiling and playing nice. While they walked around debating things, we got 7 tents up and a couple of others repaired to the two tents the UN and IOM guys got up.
There were a couple of themes - muck, yuck, mice and trash, battles for control of the work, hungry people politely asking for help, and many desperate people fighting and jockeying for the best help possible from the help available. We were thrilled to be of help, but discouraged by the lack of internal organization and apathy that some of the men exhibited. Discouraged that God's sons and daughters have to live this way. Why do people need to live in mud, mice cities, and fire ant colonies? The tents were sturdy and even cooler with the flaps up than in direct sunlight, but with four families in each 20 x 30 tent may mean 24 people or more in a tent.
In the midst of this our team was joking, singing hymns, encouraging people, and just showing God's love as best as possible while stomping mice, stepping over and through sewage, and working their butts off.
One of our new friends said we shouldn't be there at dark. The gangs are too dangerous. As the afternoon wore on we would see fights over rope, priority, and attention from people desperate for relief. The potential for real danger seemed to dance around, but we rejoiced that our God is indeed greater and kept it at bay. We piled 14 people into the Nissan SUV, bodies piled on one another, sharing stink and sweat, and pain. Several of us couldn't feel a limb by the time we got home and pilled out at the main road and walked the rest of the way.
We left with mixed feelings. Pride in a good day of benevolent work, frustration that we couldn't do more, sadness that people have to suffer so much, and gratefulness that God in his sovereignty chose that we would live where we do. It is only God's good grace that is responsible for our good fortune. Let us not waste it and let people continue to suffer. This can be helped if we all do our part a little at a time.
We Love You all and Thank You for your continued prayer and support! To God be the Glory!
Jim
Saturday bonus day
Woke up with a smile on my face that God gave me another day to help the Haitians in the tent city. We're planning on helping with clean up and setting up the tents that have blown down.
Also smiling that the Euchre score between Ingrams and Farnsworths is now 2 - 1 Ingrams after a decisive two in a row partner's best hands for the win. Pray for them as God molds them in their loss.
Jim
Also smiling that the Euchre score between Ingrams and Farnsworths is now 2 - 1 Ingrams after a decisive two in a row partner's best hands for the win. Pray for them as God molds them in their loss.
Jim
Friday, November 5, 2010
Keeping Busy on a Rainy Day
When it rains, it pours! We had buckets of rain falling from the sky last night as we slept, and it has gradually slacked off throughout the day today. We have kept busy playing with kids, napping, singing our favorite Christian music, and cleaning like crazy. Some of the guys organized the tool closet and have been doing general maintenance and some much-needed plumbing repairs. We now have a light in the girls' bathroom! Then there's Deb VanGordon on a cleaning mission--that woman has a one-track mind and it's all about cleaning and organizing. She took on the insurmountable task of cleaning the laundry room today, she is simply amazing! I think Tina wants her to move in with her!
Maria is now sitting in the kitchen while the Haitian ladies braid her hair in tons of tiny braids--we'll be sure to take pictures of that!
I must say the highlight of the day for Jim and I was when we beat Jake and Haddi at euchre. It was a long-awaited victory that has eluded us for years! They claim it doesn't count since we are out of the country.
Lunch was perfect today--chicken noodle soup and homemade yeast rolls. It was just the right meal to soothe our aching bellies. Everyone is much better today--thanks for your prayers!
Today I've started reflecting on what I will tell people about my experience in Haiti when I return home. It will be so hard to put into words what this trip has meant for me, but I will do my best. Words can never do justice to what we have all seen and to the beautiful people we have met. I suppose the best response to "What was it like?" will be "Come see for yourself!". I hope all of you are inspired to come see Haiti for yourselves after you hear our stories.
Can't wait to see you all soon!
Laura
Maria is now sitting in the kitchen while the Haitian ladies braid her hair in tons of tiny braids--we'll be sure to take pictures of that!
I must say the highlight of the day for Jim and I was when we beat Jake and Haddi at euchre. It was a long-awaited victory that has eluded us for years! They claim it doesn't count since we are out of the country.
Lunch was perfect today--chicken noodle soup and homemade yeast rolls. It was just the right meal to soothe our aching bellies. Everyone is much better today--thanks for your prayers!
Today I've started reflecting on what I will tell people about my experience in Haiti when I return home. It will be so hard to put into words what this trip has meant for me, but I will do my best. Words can never do justice to what we have all seen and to the beautiful people we have met. I suppose the best response to "What was it like?" will be "Come see for yourself!". I hope all of you are inspired to come see Haiti for yourselves after you hear our stories.
Can't wait to see you all soon!
Laura
Weather the storm, whatever it means!
Well, as one could expect, God takes care of his children once again! The hurricane has taken an almost calculated path through open water just to our west in Jacmel. We prayed, our friends and family back in the U.S. prayed, and God answered. Yesterday was quite a test of faith for all of us, including our friends and family. Almost all of us were sick yesterday as we heard the news of our cancelled flights and the hurricane was tracking head on for us. Through all of this we found that those at home seemed much more worried than we all were. This is where we have found how strong is our faith. We all had peace about it and many commented that they were more worried about their family at home, but especially those stranded here in the tent cities. We have to remind ourselves that we really do not know what true suffering is compared to these unfortunate people. These are God's children and we need care for them as God does, we need to be broken-hearted as God is. Hopefully during our extended stay here God will use us even more to help these people, maybe meant to be. So weather the storm is what we shall do, and love our God in the midst of. Praise and Glory to him.
Terry
Terry
He Opened My Eyes to the Work of His Hands
Mid summer I received a song video from a friend. It was Hillsong's "Oceans Will Part" From the minute I heard the song I knew God had sent it to me. The song became my daily pray request to God as preperation for the trip. These are the words of the song: "If my heart has grown cold,there Your love will unfold: As you open my eyes to the work of Your hand. When I'm blind to my way, there Your Spirit will pray; as you open my eyes to the work of Your Hand. Present suffering may pass, Lord, Your mercy will last; As you open my eyes to the work of Your hand. And my heart will find praise, I'll delight in Your way, as You open my eyes to the work of Your hand. Chorus: Oceans will part; nations come at the whisper of Your call. Hope will rise; glory shown. In my life, Your will be done.
I had no idea how God was going to open my eyes. How He planned to break my heart as His heart is broken. Each one of the team have had a defining moment - each different and on a different day, in a different place, where we truely felt the broken spirit that God wanted us to know and understand. My bone rattling, cut to the core, moment was Monday. All the ladies went to the school to see your wonderful donation of formula passed out. I was very excited to see God's hand at work bringing hope to many with out hope.
Chuck advised us to ask if we could photograph them first. We understood and respected this. Some had arrived at 7 AM waiting 2 hours. You could see small groups gathered around the yard talking, laughing, sharing conversation. My eyes floated over the group and back again. My heart was smiling because I knew babies were going to have food for another week. As I surveyed the area again, my eyes stopped at a very thin mom dressed in white, holding a small baby wrapped in a white blanket. She was all alone leaning against the building. We made eyes contact, as I proceeded to walk toward her. I ask if I could "photo" pointing to the camera. Her head shake said, no. I smiled, said thank you and started to walk away. Another Haitian lady must have been watching, she spoke words of Creole to the mom. What ever she said, changed the mother's mind and she nodded, yes. This little girl that lay in her mother's arms was so emaciated, skin over a very frail form. The mother lifted her dress, the belly of this black baby was white with scabbies, ribs visible, arms and legs the size of a pencel. I took several shots, thanked the mom and started to walk away. Words of Creole were spoken as mom placed her hand on my arm. I thanked her again, turned and went to walk away. The Haitian lady that had been there began to speak to me, jesture to her breasts and point to the mom. I finally understood what they were saying. Mom needed milk. I shook my head no and said, "I don't have." They didn't understand my words but my head shake was clear. The Haitian lady knelt down and put her fingers around the mother's leg. Yes, her fingers encircled the mother's leg. Mom's hand reached out to me again, with desperate eyes looking straight through me, I felt she thought if she let me take "photo" she would get formula.
I did not have the athority to hand out formula to them. There is a very structured procedure that gives Tina ways to track who can and can't receive the milk. As they arrive they are given a number and served in that order. Any change to that procedure would create total chaos. I just wanted to run, I wanted out of that space. I heard the voice of our Lord say open your eyes see the work of My hand. But all I could feel at the moment was a 2 ton rock in the pit of my stomach. This mom thought if she allowed me to take her "photo" I would give her formula. I was in a state I deep saddness. The feelings of defiling this women filled me, I had robbed her hope for a "photo". My heart was broken in a way I had never experienced before. Tears filled my eyes and I had to get out of there. Sweet Laura saw my dispare and warapped her arms around me, as I tried to tell her what I had just done to this women. Laura ran up the steps to the office where the formula was handed out to see what would happen to this mother and if she would get formula that day.
The answer was yes, she would but not till all the regulars had been taken care of. That eased the pain some but I continued to feel I had robbed her of hope. She moved right beside me knelt down holding her baby. Out of the corner of my eye I would see her look up at me. I had to move.
My joy was restored when Cork came back. I was scanning his images on his camera, there was mom and baby in the office. Baby was being weighed, measured and a record started. Mom received her formula. God knew I needed this conformation. Cork had no idea what he had photographed, we were in different groups, he didn't know the story till I collected my sobs long enough to share the story with him.
Thank you God for gloriously breaking my heart.
Marie Quick
I had no idea how God was going to open my eyes. How He planned to break my heart as His heart is broken. Each one of the team have had a defining moment - each different and on a different day, in a different place, where we truely felt the broken spirit that God wanted us to know and understand. My bone rattling, cut to the core, moment was Monday. All the ladies went to the school to see your wonderful donation of formula passed out. I was very excited to see God's hand at work bringing hope to many with out hope.
Chuck advised us to ask if we could photograph them first. We understood and respected this. Some had arrived at 7 AM waiting 2 hours. You could see small groups gathered around the yard talking, laughing, sharing conversation. My eyes floated over the group and back again. My heart was smiling because I knew babies were going to have food for another week. As I surveyed the area again, my eyes stopped at a very thin mom dressed in white, holding a small baby wrapped in a white blanket. She was all alone leaning against the building. We made eyes contact, as I proceeded to walk toward her. I ask if I could "photo" pointing to the camera. Her head shake said, no. I smiled, said thank you and started to walk away. Another Haitian lady must have been watching, she spoke words of Creole to the mom. What ever she said, changed the mother's mind and she nodded, yes. This little girl that lay in her mother's arms was so emaciated, skin over a very frail form. The mother lifted her dress, the belly of this black baby was white with scabbies, ribs visible, arms and legs the size of a pencel. I took several shots, thanked the mom and started to walk away. Words of Creole were spoken as mom placed her hand on my arm. I thanked her again, turned and went to walk away. The Haitian lady that had been there began to speak to me, jesture to her breasts and point to the mom. I finally understood what they were saying. Mom needed milk. I shook my head no and said, "I don't have." They didn't understand my words but my head shake was clear. The Haitian lady knelt down and put her fingers around the mother's leg. Yes, her fingers encircled the mother's leg. Mom's hand reached out to me again, with desperate eyes looking straight through me, I felt she thought if she let me take "photo" she would get formula.
I did not have the athority to hand out formula to them. There is a very structured procedure that gives Tina ways to track who can and can't receive the milk. As they arrive they are given a number and served in that order. Any change to that procedure would create total chaos. I just wanted to run, I wanted out of that space. I heard the voice of our Lord say open your eyes see the work of My hand. But all I could feel at the moment was a 2 ton rock in the pit of my stomach. This mom thought if she allowed me to take her "photo" I would give her formula. I was in a state I deep saddness. The feelings of defiling this women filled me, I had robbed her hope for a "photo". My heart was broken in a way I had never experienced before. Tears filled my eyes and I had to get out of there. Sweet Laura saw my dispare and warapped her arms around me, as I tried to tell her what I had just done to this women. Laura ran up the steps to the office where the formula was handed out to see what would happen to this mother and if she would get formula that day.
The answer was yes, she would but not till all the regulars had been taken care of. That eased the pain some but I continued to feel I had robbed her of hope. She moved right beside me knelt down holding her baby. Out of the corner of my eye I would see her look up at me. I had to move.
My joy was restored when Cork came back. I was scanning his images on his camera, there was mom and baby in the office. Baby was being weighed, measured and a record started. Mom received her formula. God knew I needed this conformation. Cork had no idea what he had photographed, we were in different groups, he didn't know the story till I collected my sobs long enough to share the story with him.
Thank you God for gloriously breaking my heart.
Marie Quick
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