Getting the King out of the Boy

So I'm studying the life of David right now. How God chose him when he was so young and took a good 15 years to work out some crap in his life to prepare him to be king. It's really cool. This poem goes along with the teaching of how we all have a potential to be a key player in God's kingdom. This really brings me hope.

"When God wants to drill a man
and thrill a man, and skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
to play the nobelest part
When God yearns with all his heart
to create so great and bold a man
That the whole world may be amazed
Watch God's methods, watch his ways

How he ruthlessly perfects whom he royaly elects
How he hammers him and hurts him
and with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay, that only God understand,
While his tortured heart is crying
and he lifts besetching hands

How God bends but never breaks
When his good he undertakes
How god uses whom he chooses
and with every purpose fuses him
With mighty acts induces him
to try his spender out
God knows what he's about"

Ok. Yes, I'm still alive.

I just wasn't in the mood to blog... so I didn't. For a long time. Today we celebrated Hudson's 2nd birthday. Also, 2 years ago today I was in Amsterdam with some guys from Riverview. I can't believe how fast time flies...

It's always humbling when a 3 year old looks in your eyes, and asks, "Missa, what are those red things on your face?"

Yes, they are zits kid. Get over it. You'll get them someday.

Thanks Jaden :)

I'm watching Jaden today. I was lucky to have yesterday and today off. When I found this out, I was so excited. I miss the little guy. I miss seeing him everyday. I miss the questions about zits : ) I got to have Lily over to play with Jaden today as well. She was scared of those little koosh balls or whatever they are called. The stringy rubbery balls. She was pretrified. Poor kid. It was kind of funny though, I'm not going to lie.

I could have been so productive yesterday, but I just wasn't. I had so much time on my hands that I didn't know how to manage it. I went shopping. Then I stopped by work. I actually miss the people I work with when I don't see them for awhile. They are all really awesome. My boss was maybe going to go to mexico with Riv this summer, but it looks like she might hold off for a different time. : ( I read maybe 6 pages in my philosphy book, took some notes on them and that was it. So.... this leaves me with probaly close to 4 or 5 hours of homework for tonight. Math, Philosphy and Astronomy. I'm not one of those super smart people so it takes me longer to get through stuff. Like to read the first two chapters in my philosphy book has taken me a few days. Mainly because I start reading and instantly my thoughts drift off to something else, then I start over. I end up reading the same paragraph 10 times before I actually understand what its saying. Oh well. I need to learn how to study again. I sit down with everything I have to do, and I don't know where to start. So I just don't start. I watch a movie : ) I'm getting better though.

I'm sort of glad I'm in school again. Maybe. A little bit. But hardly at all...

A few thoughts on the first snowy day of the year.

Oh the Holidays. This time last year, I was in a small Albion pub on the western shore of England, sharing thanksgiving with 3 of my English friends and a bunch of american's and candians. Oh and one australian. Then we we went to blessed Trevor and Vivian's cottage and cooked them their first thanksgiving meal. Vivan is from England and Trevor is from a small Island between Ireland and England called the Isle of Man. Megan cooked her wicked pumpkin pie and Paige and I made some awesome mashed patatoes toegether. Everything was home made and so delicious, because at the time, the only thing we had to compare it to was the dreadful hall food of Capernwray. That was the best thanksgiving ever. No pressure. No guilt. Just a good time with some amazing sisters. After our meal we spent hours drinking coffee and tea watching football and discussing life. This was one of the last times I got to spend some quality time with Stacey, a friend who passed away in a terrible car wreck a week after returning from our year long adventure. Today, I wonder how her family is doing, losing a daughter of 19 years just 6 months ago. The holidays aren't always so great are they?

I'm staying with Randi-Kay the next 4 days. I'm sad I had to leave her alone tonight. I wish I could curl up on her couch, drink some wine and watch a movie all the while, not watching it but talking about anything and everything. I'm glad we are becoming room mates in just 2 weeks. Yay!

As of now, I'm tucked away in the woods in a small town called Gaylord. I'm staying at my dad's lodge, or cabin or resort. (They are still trying to come up with a creative name for it.) I'm here with my dad, my brother Jacob and my dad's girlfriend Kelly. Her daughter's and family are here as well. They love Jesus. It's cool. Before we ate we all prayed together holding hands and thanking God for things we had. This was so awesome, but wierd. I've never held hands with my dad before and prayed. My heart was quietly exploding inside. Part of Kelly's family, some people I've just met today who share a passion for serving and doing missions as well, were interested in the past year of my life. Just earlier I was able to share my expieriences in Bosnia, England and with God. I showed them pictures and explained to them what this meant for me. They were thrilled. So was I.

I had a bunch of sutff in storage up here. Pictures, furniture, clothes, shoes, movies, cds. Those sorts of things. I found all of my old yearbooks, all of my old writings for the newspaper. My old paintings and so many pictures from times I can't ever believe existed. It was wierd. I found the cheesy boyfriend album of when we were so 'in love'. Haha. I thought I threw it away so it was funny to find. I found tons of pictures of when I was a cross country runner. 'The best times of my life'. Whatever. It's fun rediscovering these passions after a few years of being so lost in who I was. I didn't love Jesus then, so I'm excited to see where life goes now that I have him in my life.

I'm thankful for so much today that I can't really express it. At all.

Jesus loves me. 'Nough said.

Please Pray for Bosnia.

So I went to Bosnia this year with a group of people from England. My friend Jo who I went with decided to go back and she just moved there 2 weeks ago. She'll be there for 6 months. But I just got this email from her and another friend who is there.

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Dear Family and Friends,

The MSNBC news article reads “Rising nationalist rivalries are pushing Bosnia-Herzegovina towards its most acute crisis since the 1992-95 war and may soon grow worse because of related tensions in Kosovo, according to western diplomats based in Sarajevo.”

Politically, the country is falling apart. A few weeks ago the UN high representative, Miroslav Lajcak, imposed an action to streamline the government. Basically this action was to reduce the number of parliament members needed to create a quorum, trying to remove the deadlock in parliament. The Serbs interpreted this action as a direct assault on the sovereignty of the Bosnian Serb entity know as the Republic Serpska (RS). They claim that Lajcak, in cooperation with the federation of Bosnia (Muslim entity), are trying to do away with the RS.

In response to this, the RS Prime Minister resigned which brought the entire government to a stand still. They are presently in a 30 day negotiation trying to resolve this issue. The problem is that a new PM must be appointed by the RS parliament members but they are refusing to appoint a new PM until Lajcek rescinds his reforms—they are in a stalemate. They are talking about holding an emergency election if they cannot resolve this during the 30 day negotiation period.

Serbia and Russia have also gotten in on the action claiming that Lajcek’s actions are unconstitutional and they are supporting the RS position. To make the situation even worse, Serbia is threatening that if Kosovo is given their independence on the Dec. 10th deadline that they will support the RS in their secession from Bosnia. It seems their intent would be to incorporate the RS into Serbia. Think about where that would leave Goražde, we would be completely surrounded with a new international border which would come within two kilometers of the Hope Center.

Although I don’t think it will happen, the talk of another war has become very prevalent in the media and with the locals. I don’t know what they would hope to gain from this but I am often confounded by the Bosnians and their logic.

The economic situation is pretty bad too, in that inflation is going crazy & food prices are getting really high. As most of the people here struggle to survive anyway, this situation would just make the poverty worse.

This is very brief overview of what is happening in this place we can home. I would like to give you a very specific prayer but truly, I don’t know what the answers are. Please pray for the Lord’s direction and intervention in this situation so that His will be done and His Kingdom come!

Thank you for your continued support without which this ministry would not be possible.


Until All Have Heard...

Steve Reitz

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Wow. Please Pray. Bosnia is such a beautiful country that holds an extremely special place in my heart.

Here is a picture of the team there.