Merry Christmas!

     Merry Christmas from the Ingrams! 2010 has been an amazing year for us, filled with God’s blessings and many adventures. We have been challenged by God to step out of our comfort zones in several areas and have been blessed beyond measure. Jim had the privilege of serving on 4 mission trips this year, 3 of which he personally lead: two trips to Panama and two trips to Haiti for construction and medical missions. Sam turned 13 over the summer and went with Jim on his first mission trip to Panama as a medical helper. He had a great time and looks forward to returning this summer. I was also able to accompany Jim on a trip to Haiti in October with other members of our church. It was the most difficult yet most rewarding experience I have ever had, an experience that will forever change my life.

     Our boys continue to grow and mature, especially our Sam who at 13 years towers over us at 5’8” tall. He does well in school and resembles his father in personality and appearance (except for the tall part, and lots of hair!). Jake and I have taken up the adventure of homeschooling this year, as he was looking for a greater challenge. Now I spend all my free time trying to be smarter than a 5^th grader! Having school at home is fun, we start late, finish early, and even study in the tree fort when the weather is nice!

     We are looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2011, planning several return trips overseas. Spending time in a different context with a different culture has me contemplating why so many image-bearers of God suffer while I am over-induldged. At this time of year however, I am reminded that the imager-bearer of God, Jesus Christ himself, was born as a humble baby and suffered as a man for me to be my way of salvation. There are many hard issues in life that I cannot understand, the love and grace of God being the ultimate. Take time to try and wrap your mind around the miracle of Christmas, you will be so blessed!

     Much love from our home to yours, Jim, Laura, Sam and Jake

On Faith Panelists Blog: What we tell our kids about Santa - Mark Driscoll

I still remember the disappointment and confusion figuring out the truth about Santa.  Back when GI Joe was a real man, not the little pint sized GI Joe, I'm talking the 12" GI Joe big enough to save the day.  Big enough to save Barbie from any danger, whether man, monster, or mystery, GI Joe was there to save the day.  He already had the amphibious assault vehicle conveniently sized for Barbie to ride beside him after her rescue, but he still needed a tank.  His masking tape armor wasn't enough to protect him when he fought the clothes basket monster, he needed the GI Joe tank.  Jimmy prayed Santa would bring it, he wrote the North Pole, and he also wondered was it true?  Could it really be true, I mean come on - flying reindeer and stuff?  All the cartoons, stories, and malls testified to his veracity, but was it true?

Well, snooping around the house and actually finding the GI Joe tank in the closet increased my doubts but maybe, just maybe Santa was true and this was only an extra gift from my dear mother.  Lying awake Christmas eve, trying in vain to sleep, afraid the legend was true but hoping I wouldn't miss out for being awake, I tried to feign sleep and figure out the truth, hoping to trick Santa if he was real into leaving me presents, while confirming once and for all the situation.  Looking for a sign, any sign, I could have sworn I heard something on the roof - could it be?  I could have sworn I saw a warm red glow outside the window.  What to do, what to do?  Do I run out bravely to see Santa and Rudolph and finally know the truth, never again to see his presents, or do I pray for instant sleep and hide under the covers?  Greedy chicken that I was, I chose the latter.

Waking up at the break of dawn I tip toed into the living room to see what was under the tree.  Had Santa been there?  Did he know I was awake?  Did he give me presents anyway?  Was GI Joe going to be able to save the day?  Well, the tank was there and all was not lost, but the joy was tainted by the guilt of discovering one of my mother's few secrets.  Discovering the joy she had in Saint Nick bringing me the things I dreamed about and knowing I had taken something from her.

Well, as any good kid would do, I forgot about all that and woke her up with squeals of joy that Santa had been there and I got my beloved GI Joe tank!  I wanted to show her how Joe was going to save Barbie from the evil Blob and the other forces of darkness.  Seeing her smile made it all right again and showed me where Santa really lived.

Christians - Do we reject, receive, or redeem Santa? What do you tell your kids or grand kids about Santa? An interesting article for this Christmas season.  Hope you enjoy it!

On Faith Panelists Blog: What we tell our kids about Santa - Mark Driscoll

Enjoy,

Jim

New Years Bible Reading Resolutions

As we head into the Holiday Season I am reminded of one year end ritual I always have - feeling guilty about not  completing my goal of reading through the Bible in a year.  If you're like me, you start well but get stalled.  Something comes up, you get off a day or two, lose your place, the Bible collects dust on the table or in the car, and you get discouraged.  Over the years I have tried many different things - Guilt, no Bible - no breakfast, Guilt,  enrolling in online college courses, Guilt, Small group leading, making online Bible sites my home page, and many others.

What I've learned is, there are a few keys to success -  First of all, there may be some dude who spent three hours each morning reading his Bible Scrolls and Praying before work, but I don't know him.  We all have to give ourselves a little Grace and room for error.  If you fall off the horse - get back up and start again!  Second, just because that dude said you have to have your Bible study in the morning, doesn't mean you have to!  Find a time when it works best for you.  We all have different schedules and preferences for morning or night.  Figure it out for you and make it happen!

Reading in a language I don't understand just doesn't work for me.  I wasn't born in the middle ages, so I don't read the authorized King James anything.  If you can't understand all the Thees and Thous, check out The ESV or NLT translations, you'll find they are much easier to read and understand than even the NIV many of us were raised with.  If you can't understand the language, you're wasting your time, get a good translation.  

Bible Reading also needs to be convenient.  One of the best ways I have found is to have a Bible with me at all times.  I used to be too shy to carry my huge NIV study Bible around, now I can carry the NIV, ESV, and numerous other versions around on my iPhone with YouVersion.  Now whenever I have a free moment I can get into the Word.

Bible Reading should also be systematic.  Random opening and reading can get you in real trouble.  YouVersion has also allowed me to track my reading progress on a specific read through the Bible in a year plan.  That way, I haven't skipped any of those parts of scripture I might have in the past.  

Lastly, Bible Reading should be for the right motivation.  You shouldn't do it because me or your pastor said so, you should do it because you know and Love Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith.  You should read because you are fascinated that the God of the universe chose to come as a baby, live a perfect life, and die on a cross for your sins.

If you're considering reading through the Bible this year, check out these sites to find a good plan.  Better yet, download You Version, carry the Word with you wherever you go and get to know your Savior.

- Jim

Bible Reading Plans

All About God  – All about Bible reading plans.

Bible Gateway.org - Comprehensive plan, Biographical plan, Key passages in 61 days, and Chronological Plan

Discipleship Journal – 5 minutes a day, Book at a time, and 4 books at a time complete Bible plan

ESV Bible Plans - Read through the ESV with one of ten different plans

You Version – Online Bible and Smart Phone Bible with electronic reading plans!  This has >20 plans to choose from – whole Bible, partial Bible, and Topical plans.

Bible Software

ESword -  Free Bible Study software

"The World" system and the scriptures

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

Potluck Sunday 6:30 PM SonLight Community Church

We're having a good old fashioned potluck at SonLight Community Church this Sunday at 6:30 PM to share pictures, videos, and stories about our experiences in Haiti!  Come share food, fellowship, and faith as we tell what God is doing in Haiti through the Damou Christian Mission and what he has done in our lives through this mission trip.  Hear stories filled with danger, drama, intrigue, sickness, sacrifice, worship, and even a Hurricane!  You will not be disappointed!

See you Sunday!,

 Haiti Team

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

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

Coming Home!

We're awake and starting the journey! See everyone soon!

Love,

Jim and the team

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

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