Sabb-baptism

Our longtime church from Everett First Baptist came to Post Falls, Idaho for their annual family camp, and we joined. Our two loves: the 'Inland NW' region and Everett. Dietrich had decided after his miraculous change of heart in mid June, that he wanted to be baptized, to express his new life and a fresh start with Jesus and his plans for us. This past Friday night was the time. Our church gathered around a beautiful, shallow lagoon in the Spokane River for baptisms. While sitting around the fire, a young child piped out 'I'm excited for people to be alphaBAPtized.'  Dietrich belly laughed at the kid's mis-use of the word baptism.
 

Dietrich asked his longtime children's ministry leaders/teachers, Alice and Lynne, to baptize him. Alice told his story well, sharing that Dietrich is a future world changing kid, a 'thinker' yet struggled to let go of his anger towards us parents from following God's call for us to move from Everett to Spokane.  Dietrich had finally made peace with God and with us, and baptism was a perfect expression of leaving his former life behind, and coming alive with God and accepting his 'new life' ahead. What a beautiful picture. (Click here to see it!)  His dunk was right up there with Air Jordan's leap from the free throw line and Dee Brown's no look, Reebok Pump slam.
 
As I continue my last 6 weeks of sabbatical, I am looking for ways to leave my former life behind, and receiving the new life he gives me.  Shedding old ways, attitudes, short-sighted leadership styles, little faith, and 'doubts' that lead to instability, as James 1:6 expresses.

Reading 'Leading Change,' studying James 1 and the book 'Habit' this week have been great friends in my own, renewing 'sabb-baptism.' 

I pray I can follow Dietrich as he follows Christ!

Willingly Being Stretched?

Do you like being 'stretched'?  Does anyone?

I just started reading the book of James. Each day I'm focusing on just one verse at a time to journal on and pray about. Verses 2-4 of chapter 1 feels like stretching my hard to stretch spiritual glutes and piriformis. "Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds...". Say what? It may as well read: "Consider stretching your left ankle to tuck back behind your head, while smiling." How can we consider it pure joy in facing trials?  Trials are what we aim to avoid, right?  Except of course in the case of going on a helicopter tour of Kauai like Tanya and I just did Sunday, that's not a trial, right?

 

I have had a fair share of trials this year, mostly including a strained relationship due to my son's depression, sparked by moving away from Everett. After almost a year and a half of battling through trials, suffering and relational pain related to this, I clearly have been stretched. Taking this sabbatical, especially the past few weeks while in Kauai and Sisters Oregon, I am just beginning to open my heart to prepare to stretch more, like a silver medalist, Olympian, Ukrainian gymnast. 

My capacity to live through conflict and hurt have stretched beyond what I ever would have 'signed up' for. In it, my eyes have been opening to see the 'good' that God is working in me. I can handle more than before.  I can empathize much deeper with the pain that others' trials brings them. I appreciate family relationships even more. I am more willing than EVER to enter into my kids' space and interests and forsake my own. I understand God's unconditional love towards me by even attempting to stretch myself towards his downward dog-like posture.  All indications show that this family dibilitating storm, 'Hurricane Huber,' has passed.  Another may come, but in the post-storm recovery, how could God stretch my willing heart?

James 1:2 says "Don't resent (trials) as intruders, but welcome them as friends." (JB Phillips.)  

James 1:3 says "Realize that trials come to test your faith and produce in you the quality of endurance."

I don't know about you, but I LOVE the idea of me possessing the results of strong faith, endurance through all kinds of trials, and "mature character...with no weak spots." (James 1:3, JBP.) However, I don't love the idea of willingly putting myself in stretching positions that align with welcoming trials.  But I conclude that the outcomes are worth it.  It takes a willingness to be a 'stretcher', and not just when I 'have to,' but consistently.

The past week in Kauai, and in entering my 6th week of sabbatical, I'm hardly facing a trial. Yet I am reading, journaling, praying, and seeking out wisdom for stretching myself in leadership, parenting, and everyday life ahead.  I read "Leading Change" by John Kotter, taking voracious notes of how to lead change in spite of certain resistance, reading "Habit" to build inside me healthy habits, and re-reading Henri Nouwen's "Life of the Beloved" to further cement inside my soul WHO I am and WHOSE I am, so that when trials come, my identity is as solid as it can possibly be.  Here's a pic of the hidden beach, Pali Ke-Kua where I re-read it and entered into a long prayer-time I'd been avoiding for some reason.  It was pure joy.

So perhaps, welcoming trials as friends is an act of hospitality. It may simply start with willingly preparing our hearts and the table for our guests (trials) to come and fellowship, rather than investing in double latches on our doors to keep them out.  Let's keep stretching, pre-season, mid-season and post-season.  What does stretching look like for you?

Sisters, the Little Mister and a New Sister: Weeks 3 & 4.

We Have Already Wrapped up Sabbatical Weeks 3 & 4.  Three Highlights:

The Little Mister:
Dietrich, our little man, went on his own 'camp' from June 30th-July 9th.  He flew solo from SPO-SEA, picked up by Dad and Carolyn Huber. The next day, spent it with 'Frandma' (friend grandma) Susan (included church and brunch), a day with lifelong friend/staff person, Brittany, from Everett/Mill Creek YL, then best pals, the Schwenkes (and friends!), then 3 days with his friend since pre-K, Micah Bell, and wrapping up with grandma PJ (my mom) and Dave, before flying solo to meet us in Bend, OR.  He returned with a high smile on his face and excitement to reconnect with us. Honestly, we were in prayer that he would not pull away from us or revert back to depression after his 10 days away.  He is still FULLY 'Dietrich,' the creative, funny, sweet, little 'mister' we know and love...and THAT my friends is a gift!


A New 'Sister':
Janna and her Young Life leader, Claudia, brought three 7th grade friends to camp at Washington Family Ranch, Creekside.  Each of these 3 friends were among her very first friends when we moved here, and Claudia has gotten to know them from times she volunteers at Northwood Middle, at club, and during FroYo (Frozen Yogurt) hang outs throughout the year.  All of the girls .  Each of the girls received scholarships for camp that Young Life supporters have invested in helping change kids lives forever. This is the first time we were impacted by others' generosity for camp.  A few of the kids' parents would not otherwise have been able, or willing, to contribute towards them coming.

It was a joy to see the girls arrive to camp like tens of thousands we've seen before.  But THIS time, it was OUR daughter and her friends who were enthusiastically welcomed to camp, wow-ed by the meal, tractor-beamed in to the high energy club, and refreshed by the simple message of God's love for them.  This new perspective through Janna and her friend's eyes was like seeing the gospel unveiled to kids at camp for the first time.  It was like magic seeing Claudia take each girl for a one on one to ask what they are thinking and hear their stories even deeper.  And after meeting with one friend, she decided she was ready to open her heart up to starting a relationship with God.  I know angels in heaven rejoice when any person turns from living for themselves and turns to faith in Jesus, but this time, like never before, Tanya and I felt like two of those angels. Our eyes consistently were filled with tears, we fist pumped about once every 15 mins, began to swing our arms as we walked around camp, prayed a little louder, and dreamed of how eternity just got sweeter with a new sister.  After 19 years leading, and Tanya's 22 years, it is ALWAYS a joy to see up close, and even hear about, kids' lives turning to the Lord.  But this time, it simply tasted sweeter than ever.

Sisters:
Our family just returned from Sisters, Oregon with our pals the Ingrams for a super low-key vacation full of biking, jogs, hikes, tennis, swimming, kids playing, reading, journaling and relaxing.  I shifted to a low enough gear that my fast spinning brain allowed me to read an entire book in 4 days. This is highly unusual for me!  After finishing "David and Goliath" (a superb read) I gobbled up "The Insanity of God."  A few takeaways:
1. When asking 'why' God allows such suffering, starvation and pain in the world, in places like in Somalia; greed, corruption and sin (life with God pushed out of it) is not far from the answer. Its the absence of God we feel.
2. The real enemy in the World is not ISIS, communists, racists, or oppressively religious people.  The real enemy is LOSTNESS.  Lostness is the terrible enemy Jesus commissioned his disciples to vanquished, He came to seek and save the lost, and pursue lost sheep who don't even realize how lost they are, and to welcome back those sons and daughters who purposely left home with God.
3. The stronger the discomfort, persecution and suffering that believers face, often, the more significant the vitality of the faith you will see in them, and more likely, miracles & God sightings.
4. Believers from oppressed nations don't often understand who people like me make such an effort to journal and share so many 'God stories.'  They consider that the Bible shares them, and we should not be so surprised.
5. We can learn SO much from listening to people's stories of how they have survived and thrived coming out of difficult living situations, holding onto their faith. 
6. It is always possible to share Jesus with others. Even if it means being rejected, imprisoned or attacked. Rejection and persecution is completely avoidable however, just DON'T share Jesus. ;)
Good stuff.  So much to chew on and consider in how comfortable of faith we seek to live, yet how God rarely moves in that. God moves through faith. He is pleased by it. How can we exercise faith and love in new ways this year?

Excited now to go on our biggest family trip EVER this next week, to Kauai.  Sounds like I'll be at Shick Shadle, detoxing...but I will be leaving my iPhone and laptop to the side almost all week. Maybe a few 'sips' but otherwise, I'm going 'dry.'  Praying for my focus to be on Tanya, Janna, Dietrich, myself, and the Lord!  Thanks for listening. Keep pressing in your faith alongside us!  There is so much more, his love is higher, wider, longer and deeper than we can imagine.   -JH-