Red Letters

Here's a great post by my wife, an amazing follower of God! This post will invite you into our world and introduce you to a great book by Tom Davis!

My older brother is an amazing, Godly man. He's one those guys whom when you meet him, you wanna get to know him. He's the guy who has been supporting a child through Compassion Intl since high school...that's my brother. He is a big reason I am who I am today. (Read More)

Follow our journey at www.longingforafrica.com

TACTICA

My twin brother Jon announced to his church this last weekend that he was going to be joining a unique ministry to the National Authorities in Costa Rica.
Check it out here :

Work in Progress

Ok some of you may know that I’m currently working on my marriage and Family Therapy degree through Liberty University. So far, so good! God has bee using this to stretch, challenge, and grow me in ways that I’ve never experienced before. Right now, I’m in the middle of a Career Counseling course… Hmmm. Kinda a tough one! Here’s a great quote I came across this week in the course work.

Vaclav Havel: Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed.

The Road Map has Gone National

The Family Road Map has gone national! As of this last week, The Road Map is officially being carried by Empowering Kids, owned by Craig Jutila, former children’s pastor at Saddleback Community Church in Lakeforest, CA, and his wife Mary. Craig is a great friend and mentor and we’re excited to see what God has in store for the Family Road Map.

Check it out here

Coming Soon –

Craig and I are working on a resource for ministry leaders. This interactive resource will help new ministers (as well as those of us who have been doing this for a while) WIN in your next year of ministry!

Thought of the day from www.longingforafrica.com

"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending the night in a closed room with a mosquito."

-African Saying

Be sure to check us out Here

Stand by Me...

There are few songs that have made such an impact! Personally, I love this clip!
What do you think?

Living in a new reality

Over the last few months, one of the hottest topics to discuss was the fact that we all live in a new reality. When the markets crash, houses stop selling, and jobs are being lost…we live in a new reality that is very different than that of years past.

Let me give you another example: My wife and I are watching my twin brother’s children while they are in Costa Rica on a mission trip. Their four kidos + our four kidos =not enough seats! Not at the dinner table, so we’ve called in the reserves… cold, metal, folding chairs. Not enough seats in our nice new Toyota Sienna. This last summer, Aime and I finally replaced our 1998 Dodge Caravan, which had cost us several thousand dollars to keep fixing last year. With a newer van that has seats that fold down into the floor and a ridiculous amount of deep cup holders, unlike our Caravan, which caused me to spill my coffee nearly every day. Again we called in the reserves! We now have our van and my brother’s van, a newer Dodge Caravan with the same cup holder issues. I am amazed at how fast I’ve gotten use to my new van. I discovered this when I accelerated out of the school parking lot yesterday in my brothers Caravan only to dump my entire cup (a VERY hot cup, mind you) of coffee onto the drivers seat and down the back of my leg. Side note: I know that I’m growing as a follower of Christ, not necessarily by what I do and say, but by what I don’t say and do…I kept my cool! A new van, deep cup holders, a new reality!

As a family, we’re living in a new reality. We have prayed for months for God to protect and care for a little girl in Ethiopia whom we have never met. We have worked countless hours on paperwork and traveled to doctors, notaries, and the Secretary of State’s office. The home study is complete, the dossier has been submitted, and now we wait! The new reality we’re living in is one with our heart being torn in two. One half is here with the day to day demands of life, family, and ministry and the other half is 7,558 miles away. Matthew 6:21, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” is the best reference for this new reality. We find ourselves one minute consumed with the busyness of life here in Indiana, and the next minute so distracted by the thoughts and images of the 143,000,000 orphans looking for their “forever families”. Hang in there kidos…

Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the Oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans!”
God’s heart is for the often forgotten “Orphan”. Where’s yours?
Chreck us out over @ http://www.longingforafrica.com/

Testing new technology

It's been difficult to keep up with my Owned by God blog lately

It's been difficult to keep up with my Owned by God blog lately! Here's why...

http://www.longingforafrica.com/

ster·e·o·type


1. A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image.
2. One that is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type

We all have stereotypes. It’s only been as of late that I have come to terms with a few of mine (read more)

With over 143,000,000 Orphans worldwide it's about time we make it personal!

To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while.

-Josh Billings

Check out this helpful post we have on our

longingforafrica site.

Five practical steps that will move the concept of orphan care from your head to your heart.

Jessica Jackley is co-founder of Kiva.org, the world's first peer-to-peer online micro-lending website. Kiva.org allows internet users to lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in the developing world, providing affordable capital to start or expand a small business.
In just three years Kiva has helped raise over $61 million and connected thousands of people across 120 countries. A graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Jackley’s work has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. She brings a fresh perspective on the personal nature of giving and how new generation leaders can innovate through technology.
In an interview with Jim Mellado, Jim referenced Kiva’s approach to being as difficult as “herding cats”. Both her approach as well as this her response “You say that as if herding cats is bad…” has sparked several conversations about how the face of leadership is shifting in the 21st century.
Watch the video… the check out www.kiva.org to find out more about this awesome business that’s changing the face of Africa one small business owner at a time.



http://www.kiva.org/

Benefit Concert at Stoney Creek Roasters - October 3, 6-9pm

Hey Everyone! Clay Band , our close friends and amazing musicians, Josh and Liz Fronduti are holding a benefit concert on behalf of our Ethiopian Adoption.

When: October 3rd, Cedarville University's Homecoming weekend, from 6-9pm.
Where: Stoney Creek Roasters, located downtown Cedarville, OH.

We are so excited! We'd love it if you stopped by, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy a night out with us!
*We are stoked...our new Longing for Africa t-shirts and Longing for Africa, special blend Ethiopian coffee will be available for the 1st time.
Clay Band CD's will also be available.

The Office - Fire Drill

One of my favorites!

Listening to THE NINES

http://thenines.leadnet.org/

OSU - Navy September 5, 2009

GO BUCKS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3Z52GKONPc