The Sun is Shining..

...and I'd love to have a picnic in the park.

...and it's the perfect temperature for a casual bike ride.

...and the farmers markets beckon.

...and a BBQ sounds lovely.

...and it should be captured on camera.

...and it makes me smile.

...and a dock with cool water sounds inviting.

...and I'm likely to break out in song.

...and I find myself eager for fall but clinging to summer.

Are we having fun yet???

In an attempt to add exercise into my regular weekly routine, I signed up for a "complimentary 7 day pass" at the local 24 Hour Fitness last Friday. While I can walk on a treadmill just fine, I want to find an activity that I enjoy, which will help me want to keep going. With this in mind, I have tried out two of their classes and I'm considering a third.

Friday night, I attempted a Zumba class for the first time. I must say that I laughed my way through it. Zumba involves a lot of hip and butt motions which I am not good at (and may possibly never be...) but I had fun and kept moving and walked away stinking like a horse. A overall success in my books.

Last night, I attended a "Shift and Lift" class. This is a cycling/spinning class interspersed with weights and exercises. The only time I laughed was about halfway through when I had to use my hands to fling my leg to the left to once more get off the bike. The rest of the time was filled with "what am I doing here? I think I'm dying! I'm going to go see Jesus tonight! Someone put a blanket next to the bike so I can fall off and curl up, I think I'm going to throw up..." The class started at 6:30 and by 6:50, I was already wondering how I'd make it to the end. From 6:50 to 7:15, my mantra was "just keep going, just keep moving." At when the clock said 7:15pm, I nearly shouted "Hallelujah, it's almost over!!" At 7:30, I was rejoicingly done. I was almost out of the building when I realized I forgot my purse in the class. So I had to walk all the way back to the room and then back out the front. The whole time, with every step my knees kept snapping into place, which made me walk funny and today, I could really use a donut to sit on as I'm pretty sure any bones in my butt are now bruised. However, despite all that, I would consider trying it again sometime in the future when I'm a bit stronger/healthier.

Tomorrow, I'm mulling over whether or not to take a Step aerobic class. I'm sure it will be amusing if I do especially as any arm and leg coordination is going to be awkward.

Anyhow, I'm not sure if I'm going to join 24 Hour Fitness or not. Part of me thinks that I'll go faithfully for about a month or two and then fizzle out and part of me said not to let that thought dictate my future and my need for regular exercise. So we'll see...

Thesis Paper Update...two interviews

As part of my research, I am interviewing certain missionaries and (international) national Christians about their experience with suffering.

On Sept 18th, I interview an Ethiopian Christian who is now living in West Virginia. Ethiopia is considered a hostile nation and Christians are severely persecuted there. This man's story was heartbreaking and shocking but all along he gave glory to God. Would you like to hear a snippet of his story?

• During one time of not being in jail, this brother was baptizing some new believers that he had just led to the Lord when some Muslim rebels surrounded them having been led there by a deacon in this brother's church. When refusing to denounce Christ, some of the new believers were gunned down immediately. However the Muslims took this brother to a jail and proceeded to torture them. They tied him upside down and began to pour hot oil over him and slash him, all the while demanding that he too denounce Christ as Lord and Savior. At one point, this brother cried out to God asking for death but God assured him that He has a plan for him. So he then asked for God to fill him with love for his captors. The love that immediately entered him so filled him with joy that he started laughing. At this point, his captors thought he was crazy...that he had lost it. So they let him down and asked him why he won't deny Christ. So this brother told them the Gospel and in the process, saw them come to know and believe in the Lord. Isn't that amazing???

Yesterday, I interviewed a friend who was in my youth group. She and her family are missionaries with Wycliffe in Tanzania although they are presently in Colorado. They spent their last term, 3 years, in language study and in seminary in Kenya. Every time I hear her story, it takes my breath away...but they too give constant glory to God, even in spite of what they experienced. Would you like to hear a snippet of their story?

• Jamie and Jeremy moved to Kenya in 2006, when their then youngest, Annabelle was only 15 months old.  Shortly after arriving, Annabelle starting having allergic reactions to everything. There were sores all over her body, raging fevers, constant crying and pain. For several months, they visited numerous doctors, trying antibiotics, medicines, diets, etc only to find that she is severely allergic to chemicals. This enabled them to help Annabelle, who is now doing just fine! From there, Jeremy started seminary and other experiences followed. In 2007, the Kenyan elections happened which provoked mobs and killings between two tribes. The seminary went into lock down but all around the school lives were being taken, affecting their friends. During this time, Jamie became pregnant. She's one of those ladies whose body struggles with pregnancies. This pregnancy was filled with gestational diabetes, low blood pressure, an intestinal parasite, a broken foot, severe weight loss, and hemorrhagic shock upon delivering...one thing after another. Needless to say, this was not what Jamie's picture of what it means to serve the Lord. But through this, she learned of God's presence and love. Jeremy, who kept up his studies in the midst of taking care of his wife and kiddos, spoke to me of God's faithfulness and how real that became to him, during this time. Despite this and more, they are anxious to go back and continue to serve God. They know that suffering will continue to accompany them but they also know God is in control of it all.

These interviews, along with the other research, are convicting me, challenging me, encouraging me, enriching me, and changing me. To God be the glory!

Men's Ministries

Is it okay to admit that I am envious of the men's ministries at my church?

During the last school year, they studied Galatians and Ephesians during one of the services. I wanted to go but alas I am not a man.

This year, they are doing a study on prayer with half of the time intended for actual praying...imagine that! Anyhow, I want to go but alas I am not a man.

Plus this summer they read Brennan Manning's The Importance of Being Foolish. I wanted to join but...you know! I know I can read this book on my own and I probably will one day. It's just the thought that people are studying these topics/books in my church and I can't join.

This is why I need a husband! So that he can participate and later on discuss with me what was learned. It would be like attending by proxy! Wouldn't that be nice!

Thesis Paper update

I administered a online survey for my thesis paper, through my facebook contacts. I know by doing so I'm excluding a number of non-facebook people but I figured that's okay.

I've been going through the results over the last couple days. I sent it out to about 140 people and I received 74 responses, which is about what I was hoping for.

I asked questions like:

• Should Christians expect to suffer because of being a Christian?
• Why do you think God allows suffering?
• What has helped or not helped during times of suffering?
• What kinds of suffering have you experienced?

Needless to say, it's been very interesting reading the responses. As I've mentioned before, in doing the research for this paper, I feel that my view of suffering has changed or developed in the process. Reading the answers, I see a lot of my former thinking and understand where they are coming from. What I think will be difficult is in how I choose to interpret the answers. I do think that some of the people have an incomplete view of suffering but just because I am studying this topic makes my view no more complete than they. Because the answers are all from people I know and love, I want to treat the results with care and respect.

Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom...boy, do I need it.

I'm sure I'll elaborate on this a bit more later one but I do find it amusing that about 8 of people included the statement that "God does not give us more than we can bear." This statement isn't Biblical and why wouldn't God give us more than we can bear...it is in those moments we will turn to Him and rely on Him for help. It is in those moments where His strength works through our weaknesses and ALL glory goes to Him. (I feel a soapbox coming on so I'll quit...like I said, I'll probably tackle this thought later on.)

At times throughout my research, I have felt that this topic is too big and too great for me. How does one study, understand, and present suffering? How can I endure story after story of unimaginable pain and persecution and who am I to be witness to their testimonies? But trod on I must, not just because the paper is required but because I want to know, I want to hear, and I want to understand.