Please Excuse....

To explain my absence from the most previous homegroup, I have submitted the following letter. Everyone else who missed is on his or her own, including Angie.

Dear LGHG,

Please excuse Robert Meeker from home group. He was not feeling well that evening. I believe he may have had a non-lethal form of the plague. I was afraid to take him to the doctor, so I can't be sure. I felt that it would be unwise to take the plague (should it have been the plague, of course) to a doctor's office. I am sure you understand.
He drank an overload of Vitamin C for three days and is feeling much better now, although he is very tired. This fatigue is not related to the plague. Rest assured. He is just not sleeping well as he has found TV on the internet and prefers to do dishes at 4 am rather than sleeping. But that's his problem not yours.
He is pleased to announce that he will begin a new job on Tuesday and is looking forward to sharing those details with you all at the next home group meeting. You can give him a call or stop by his house if you would prefer to chat in the mean time. We all know he's just sitting around bored.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Robert's Mom

P.S. - Craig, Angie and/or Brandi, if you ask me directly about this
letter, I will disavow all knowledge of ever writing it.

sooooo....

Well I have been absent from the blog for a long time now. During my hiatus I really wanted to write but I realized that in writing I would probably sound a bit whiney and I didn't want to come across that way. In writing now I KNOW I sound whiney but I am going to write anyway.


This has been a season of both enlightenment and frustration as well as hurt and anxiety. The type of enlightment I am speaking of is not that type where suddenly you know the right answers or have the right direction in life or even one of clarity. No this enlightened period is one that has caused me to question my core values and to question those "things" I held to be the truth or to be good or to be right. It has been one of those experiences that tells you who you are as a person and who you have relied upon in the past and to what extent. Just for the record so I don't freak anyone out that may be reading this. I AM NOT HAVE A FAITH CRISIS!!! I know without a shaddow of a doubt that Jesus is there in my life and I continue to trust him with my life. I think the best way to describe what I am feeling is that I have begun to question just "who else" I have relied upon. How much of my faith did I put into others that are, or were in my life. Just how much did I allow thier feelings or thier direction dictate my direction and my feelings. I think I have allowed this for most of my life. As I told a friend recently I never really gave much thought to myself or to what I wanted. Part of that is confidence but part of it, I think, is a warped sense of what I thought it meant to be humble or to be a servant. I thought somehow that I had to lose my identity and assume that of the "person God has chosen to do a work". Never suspecting that maybe I was to be the one that God had chosen or understand that God somehow wants everyone to live up to thier identity that HE has gifted them with and at the same time working towards one common goal as a community.


There is so much more that I want to write and so many other things on my mind but for now I will leave you as those others thoughts swirl around in my head. Thanks for listening.

Understanding | Sharing Understanding.

Hi gang. I wanted to pass along a post from my mom's blog to see if you might have anything to share with her. I think she is having trouble getting her head and heart around Bob and I going to Iraq for a few different reasons...I personally have some background to this post maybe, but since she posted only what's in this post, I'm just going to repost what she wrote and ask if you guys have anything to bring to the conversation that might be helpful. The last time she and I talked about the trip, it didn't go so well, so that's why she's not directing the question towards me.

Understanding?
This is a hard post to write because I know that it will upset some people, but I really don't mean it in a mean way, maybe just ignorant and need help in understanding.

I have been sitting here all day reading my Bible, trying to get some understanding about Bob and Angie's plans. I hope that maybe someone other than Angie (because I'm too close to her to talk to her about it) can help me understand.
I read every book in the Bible today about when Jesus asked His disciples to come follow Him, but nowhere did I read that He told them that they had to raise many thousands of dollars before they could do so. I looked everywhere and just couldn't find one single reference. I just don't understand.
I read about selling what you have to share with the needy. Key word is share. I was particulary struck by 2 Cor 8 12-14

"If you are really eager to give, it isn't important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don't have. Of course, I don't mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, everyone's needs will be met."

My question is how can you give, if you have nothing to give?

I understand about making sacrifices in order to follow the Lord. To me, it would seem as though if you have a goal that takes money to achieve, you work hard to earn enough to make that goal become a reality. Whether it be to start a business or to go into ministry full time. It takes sacrifice. But what sacrifice is really being made if other people pay your way, you don't have to worry about making a living,and you're housing and meals are provided? Anyone can do that. The hard part is just getting enough people to support you. It seems as though the only real thing that is being sacrificed is their time.

I guess the hardest thing for me to understand is the part of this is the blind faith. I really have pondered about that. To be so sure that what you are doing is right. But then I read Matthews 4 about where Satan told Jesus to jump off the temple and he replied, "Do not test the Lord your God."

Is this a test of God? Is God supposed to respond to what they want? Whose faith is being tested? Is this what God wants them to do or is this what they want God to do?

I really do understand the need for more workers for Jesus. I really do. I believe that the most important things that we need to share is to love God and love each other. I truly do believe that Angie and Bob have so much love to share.

I just need to understand.

James 3:1-12

1 Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.

3 We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. 4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5 In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire.

6 And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.

7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! 11 Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? 12 Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

James and Blankets

"But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?"
-James 2:20

To that end, we passed out blankets to men who had set up makeshift camps down by the Scioto. I hesitate to call them "homeless" because they had homes - as nontraditional as they may have been. They were very gratefull to receive; especially on a cold andrainy January afternoon.

Special thanks are due, I think, to Rick and Barb for making it all happen.

For next homegroup, read James 3:1-12.

The Meeker's Christmas Party

You're invited to join us after Carols and Candles for dinner at our apartment! We’ll have a 20 pound turkey to share (courtesy of Brandi, she bought one a few weeks ago just hoping that she's have an opportunity to make it one day, so we thought this was a great time! We are fixin' up some of the fixins', and if you’ll do your best to bring some of your favorites to share, or something to drink, we'll have ourselves a new Christmas tradition: Tinsel and Turkey after Carols and Candles! You know you always go out to eat afterwards anyway - just come over here instead! Robert will get the background Christmas music rolling, we'll have some Christmas movies playing for the kids (or even the big kids, if you're one of THOSE) and maybe, just maybe...we'll even take in a good Charlie Brown-eseque reading of Luke 2?! Who knows what will happen...we just know that it won't be the same without you.

If you think that you’re coming, let us know so we can make sure to have enough cookies (and chairs!) for everyone and if you need directions, shoot us an email!

See you at Carols and Candles!

From Saint Augustines Confessions

X. xxii(32) Far be it from me, Lord, far from the heart of your servant who is making confession to you, far be it from me to think myself happy, whatever be the joy in which I take my delight. There is a delight which is given not to the wicked (Isa. 48:22), but to those who worship you for no reward save the joy that you yourself are to them. That is the authentic happy life, to set one's joy on you, grounded in you and caused by you. That is the real thing, and there is no other. Those who think that the happy life is found elsewhere, pursue another joy and not the true one. Nevertheless their will remains drawn towards some image of the true joy.


XII. x(10) May the truth, the light of my heart, not my darkness, speak to me. I slipped down into the dark and was plunged into obscurity. Yet from there, even from there I loved you. 'I erred and I remembered you' (Ps. 118:176). 'I heard your voice behind me'(Ezek. 3:12) calling me to return. And I could hardly hear because of the hubbub of people who know no peace. Now, see, I am returning hot and panting to your spring. Let no one stand in my path. Let me drink this and live by it. May I not be my own life. On my own resources I lived evilly. To myself I was death. In you I am recovering life. Speak to me, instruct me, I have put faith in your books. And their words are mysteries indeed.

Y'all! I Didn't Even KNOW!

Hey, I found out on Friday that my beloved AVHG no longer existed. In fact, it's been gone for months.

In it's place I find LGHG. It seems much like AVHG, but with dogs instead of cats.

I think Bob Sjogren would approve.

God's Grace

Just an update for those of you who were at homegroup last time. Thank you all for your prayers for the little girls in my school. Today, I was walking toward the front of the buliding and I saw the mother of the two girls that we prayed about. She was beaming, for the first time in a long time. I looked at her and immediately realized that she was taking her daughter home with her. I don't know the full outcome yet, but I know that she is at least able to have unsupervized visitation now. I hope to find out more details, but just thought that I would share that with you. The look of happiness on her face was unexplainable! Praise God, and thank you again for the prayers.

For Megan

Click here to listen to this wonderful song...

Please Call!

Hey, if you are planning to come tonight, please call me, so I can tell the trainer how many books we need!

Also, we need a VCR. Can anybody make that happen?

Thanks!

"I love you" was written on the blackboard.

Last night, Bob and I watched a Kurdish movie called Blackboards. The movie itself was simple enough, you can read about it here if you'd like. But that's not why I'm writing. I mentioned to Brandy last night that during our time of praying and fasting last week, I felt like God was showing me that I am not praying enough for these three things: 1) Bob and I, 2) our crew and 3) our people and Iraq. Last night during the movie, at the very end, there was a scene where the people were coming out of the mountains, from Iran into Iraq (returning home after being driven out because of Saddam's chemical attacks), and I was again reminded of how I KNOW that these are my people, and how last week's confirmation must so be true. I've shared this before, but here's part of the vision God showed me back that scene in the movie last night, I sobbed just a little, then quickly wiped the tears away, just knowing that this thing is for real.

*sigh* How beautiful that God lets us be a part of this with him.

And I felt like God spoke to me and said, "THESE are my people, and someday they will be your people, too."

What I saw next was thousands of dark skinned Muslims, a "people" sort of, but they were a country, too, because some of them carried a flag (only I could tell that they WEREN’T a country somehow…it didn’t make complete sense then)....not all necessarily dressed in the traditional Muslim garb, at the base of a green/grey mountain, tired and ragged from being sent their separate ways, and they were starting to come back together from all different directions. At the top of the mountain was Jesus, dressed in a brilliant white robe and gold sash, and as he came down the mountain towards them, he extended him arms towards them and when he did, he drew them closer and closer together. The closer he came down the mountain, the tighter they came together as a people. Then, he said, "You've heard it said, "When my mother and father and forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." No longer will you be forsaken. I will be your Father and you will never again be alone."

Volunteering?

It's official. ANyone interested in helping with the Family Partner Program through CRIS (the one we discussed at the last HomeGroup) should meet at my house this Thursday at 6:15 pm.

A representative from Comunity Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) will be here from 6:30 to 8:30 to train us all on how to help immigrants in our area. Here's what's involved again:

Basically a Family Partner Team is composed of 2 or 3 volunteers who work closely with a newly arrived refugee family. The volunteers meet at least once a week with the family for the first month. You would help with transportation, tutor in English, help them navigate our complex bus system, teach them about "junk" mail, take them to apply for library cards etc. The commitment is approximately 6 months and training is given to potential volunteers as is on going support

Additionally, it're really awesome that they are willing to come to us to train us. I can't think of another organization that would be willing to do that. To me it proves that this is a group willing to do whatever it takes to serve the community.

It's pretty sweet.

Buried

I didn't want the following post to go unnoticed, buried in all the Ramadan posts, so here it is again:

I'm enjoying the James discussion (or at least, I enjoyed the first week of discussion, and the recap of what we missed last week). I wondered, Craig, if you might be able to give us a heads up before each home group as to what chunk of scripture we're going to be looking at so we can look at it before home group? It might help those who are like me and like to have some time beforehand to let the scripture roll around in our hearts and minds and lives... (Not the questions or anything like that - just the address of the scriptures). What do you all think?

Sounds like a god idea to me, too.

The End of Ramadan: Eid ul-Fitr

Eid ul-Fitr is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. In the Philippines, the day is a national holiday in recognition of the importance of the event to our Muslim citizens. Fitr means "to break" and symbo-lizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all sinful habits.

On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers in mosques and in large open areas, stadiums, or arenas. The prayer is generally short, and is followed by a khutba. The festivities start after the prayer with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet Muhammad with his companions and relatives after the victory of the Battle of Badr.

After a full month of Ramadan, a religious tradition of surrender and obedience to Allah where adult Muslims observe the difficult fasting from dawn-to-dusk fast, Eid ul-Fitr is indeed an important and joyful event with great religious significance. Muslims dress in holiday attire. After attending the special congregational prayer in the morning, worshippers greet and embrace each other in the spirit of peace, love, and brotherhood.

Eid ul-Fitr is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood, and unity. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but are also thanking God for the help and strength that He gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control.

Eid ul-Fitr is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. It is a time for peace as all Muslims in the world to devote the day to prayers for peace and wellbeing. We join our Muslim brethren in these prayers. May the peace of the One God be felt throughout the land.

Article "borrowed" from Tempo, the Philippines' fastest growing newspaper(!).

Prayer for Day 7

Today is the 30th and final day of Ramadan. The following is from the Mafatih Al Jinan, a Shia prayer almanac.

O God, on this day,
make my fasts worthy of appreciation and acceptance,
according to what pleases You, and pleases the Messenger,
the branches being strengthened by the roots,
for the sake of our leader, Muhammad, and his purified family.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Prayer for Day 6 (A Little Late)

Today is the 29th day of Ramadan. The following is from the Mafatih Al Jinan, a Shia prayer almanac.

O God, on this day,
cover me with Your mercy,
grant me in it success and protection,
purify my heart from the darkness of false accusations,
O the Merciful to His believing servants.

Verses for Home Group

I'm enjoying the James discussion (or at least, I enjoyed the first week of discussion, and the recap of what we missed last week). I wondered, Craig, if you might be able to give us a heads up before each home group as to what chunk of scripture we're going to be looking at so we can look at it before home group? It might help those who are like me and like to have some time beforehand to let the scripture roll around in our hearts and minds and lives... (Not the questions or anything like that - just the address of the scriptures). What do you all think?

Prayer for Day 5

Today is the 28th day of Ramadan. The following is from the Mafatih Al Jinan, a Shia prayer almanac.

O God, on this day,
grant me a share in its nawafil (recommended prayers),
honor me by attending to my problems,
make closer the means to approach You, from all the means,
O One who is not preoccupied by the requests of the beseechers.

Prayer for Day 4

Today is the 27th day of Ramadan. The following is from the Mafatih Al Jinan, a Shia prayer almanac.

O Allah, on this day,
bestow on me the blessings of Laylatul Qadr,
change my affairs from being difficult to being easy,
accept my apologies,
and decrease for me my sins and burdens,
O the Compassionate with His righteous servants.

The Laylatul Qadr is the "Night of Power." The night when the Qur'an was revealed.