Pray For Korea!

Turmoil in Koreas

I cannot begin to describe the overwhelming pain and sadness I feel for the people of North Korea. They have been in a constant state of famine, fear and faithlessness for over 40 years. The horrors and atrocities are unimaginable to our complacent-comfortable-convenient reality. 

I cling to the Hope I have in salvation through Jesus Christ - my just and sovereign Lord!

 "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." 

- Luke 12:6&7

"Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice..." - Deuteronomy 24:17

"But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.... Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." - Psalm 10:14 & 82:3

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." 
- Romans 15:13

Give Thanks!

 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." - Romans 5:1-11

We have so much to be thankful for...

Pack Light

If you have been following the blog you may remember the picture of my close companion, "Yellow Backpack." My dear friend and I were literally and not always happily inseparable from march to august of this year. 

Throughout the summer and changing locations every three to four days, I became a master packer - no really I have perfected the art! I gradually, strategically and systematically over four months eliminated all unnecessary weight and bulk. The Nalgene went, the water filter, the sleeping mat and the full size towel. Now those may seem like crucial and to some extent even life preserving items, but if you're resourceful enough you can get by without them - trust me!

Now when I decided to fly home for Thanksgiving this past week, I knew I definitely wanted to only bring a carryon. One, because I didn't have a suitcase and two, I didn't want to pay the fee. I figured, if I can live out of a backpack for four months, then I could totally get by with a tote bag for a four-day-weekend!

Sure enough it worked, and I even remembered to leave my knife at home this time!

During the holidays we seem to come down with Bass-syndrome; we get hooked on bright lights and fancy displays that tell us what we "need" and how last year's "necessities" are now obsolete. I've decided for the next month when twinkling stars and aromatic smells make me wish for the next can't-live-without item, I will remind myself of Matthew 16:24-26,

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?'"

This world has nothing to offer, but emptiness and dissatisfaction - Follow Him!

Sweet Home Alabama

This past weekend I spent three amazing days surrounded by some of the most awesome people I have ever had the privilege to know. It was our Nehemiah Teams reunion. Those of you who have been reading my blog, know that Nehemiah Teams (NT) is the missions organization I have been working with since 2005 and the group with whom I just spent seven months working for in the Philippines this past January to July and the reason for the creation of this blog. I am extremely passionate about this project and the founders' intense passion to take the gospel to unreached and hard-to-reach peoples of the world. I thoroughly encourage any high school senior or college/grad student to strongly consider taking one summer and experience the world through a Nehemiah Team. I promise you, your life, will never be the same!

Till * ALL * Have * Heard


Romans 10:14-15

LOVE IT!

EVERYONE needs to check out my new favorite charity Hope Coffee.


15% of their revenue goes to support missions and their farms are worked by vocational pastors and missionaries who otherwise would not have funds to do their ministry.


Their website recently went public and just in time for your holiday shopping. I mean, whats better than delicious coffee, at a fair price, that also gives the gift of life? What an appropriate way to celebrate the birth of our Saviour!

More Than Conquerors

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.


What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

'For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " Romans 8: 28-39


I have to admit, my transition back to the states wasn't very easy. A lot has transpired over the past couple months and things continue to pop up in my path and try to get the best of me. However, I take great courage and encouragement from the promise of Romans 8, that I am MORE than a conqueror! I read this passage and I can almost hear the Rocky theme song playing in the background as I continue to blitz through my day, my to-do-lists, and everything else that has gotten me bogged down and bummed out from time-to-time. My doubts about life and my ability to do life gets a nice Balboa one-two straight to the kisser. Nothing can separate me from the love of God, and therefore nothing can stop me.


And while the fictional Philly boxing legend's instrumental processions gets just about anyone physched and amped up for a fight, my personal more appropriate rendition has lately been Chris Tomlin's "Our God,"

Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There’s no one like You
None like You


Into the darkness You shine
Out of the ashes we rise
There’s no one like You
None like You


Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…


Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
There’s no One like You
None like You.


Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…


Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…


And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?


Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

Do you have theme songs and special pick me up remedies? Do share.