Starting Over To Just Start Again

Over the past year there have been many transitions that were expected, but many came at different times and paces than desired. I've spoken often of these transitions as really one big life transition of the process of sanctification. Its a slow crawl uphill at times or sometimes it can even feel like ONE step forward and TWO steps backwards. Right now in so many areas of life, I feel that I'm starting over, just to start again. What I mean by this is simple but not always desired. Sometimes we have to just start over on things we have historically started before at some point in the past... Currently for myself this has fleshed itself out in certain areas, for instance. 1- Having to have the same shoulder surgery that I previously had in 2005, all over again, while adding another 6 months of rehab. 2- Learning to write in a journal about what the Lord puts on my heart daily, or what He exposes in scripture again. An old discipline that has lacked to say the least. 3- Discipling young men. Thought I was moving into a season of planting a more holistic church and leading a team of both older and younger, yet Im back to the grind of getting young men to simply be obedient to the commands of Christ and act like men instead of boys. 4-Moving to a new location, and beginning to form community, after spending the past 6 years of building and being apart of a great community where everyone knows you and loves you for who you are. 5-After laboring years to build 2 major companies and then selling off most of the assets, to then move across the world (where everything is backwards and difficult to understand the simple things) and try to do something new all over again knowing it could fail or be swept away over night. 6- Relationships, going through 3 long term relationships looking and trying to discover one another, realizing your both broken, trying to love each other with Christ at the center, and then BAM! back to singleness to start all over again. 7-But the biggest and most difficult one of these occurrences is always repentance. Repentance is always the hardest thing for the heart to do. To turn from our idols, comforts, disbelief, and rebellion, and turn back to the cross looking to the perfecter and founder of our hope in Jesus alone. Repentance often comes in many forms, situations, confessions, but it mainly is accomplished when the heart gives up on trying to accomplish on its own what only grace can do, grace intervenes, and then we begin to start over where we originally started with the Lord, humbled, in need of Him, and trusting Him above all and for all. The only difference is, that after repentance, one doesn't really start over where it originally began. Although it may feel that way, we have truly progressed in our holiness and have become more like Christ. We have put off the old self, and on the new. We have turned from our sin, and trusted once again in something more satisfying and loving than our sin. We found what was never lost, just hard to see because we have been so blind. We've found Jesus all over again, to be sweet and loving comforter that He is. We have started over, just to start again.

Some Things You Cannot Control

So I consider myself a pretty safe driver. Been driving for almost 14 years in cars, jeeps, motorcycles, you name it I've probably driven it and never had any wreck or collision with another car. However last night I was hit pretty hard by a car that ran a red light (who then took off) while on my dinky 115cc motorbike. I dislocated my right shoulder (which has always been a problem, but not this bad) possible broken humorous, 11 stitches left leg, 4 in right leg. In some pain, but should be fine.
However my first thought was not "Praise the Lord I'm still alive". but rather why? Why so soon after just getting to Asia, why me, Why this same bad shoulder? I was inwardly focused... By Gods sovereign grace, the same guy I'm currently working with showed up on the scene a few minutes later. He helped out, translated, and even tired to put my shoulder back in place. It wasn't until an hour later we got it. However his prayer was different than my thoughts. "Praise you Jesus that Aaron is still alive"... It is a sober reminder that our lives are not a "right" but rather a gift form God each day. The scriptures teach us that each breath that is given to us is the Holy Spirit sustaining us and our fragile bodies as we move. I realize that there are things in this world we cannot control, but the greater hope and truth is that the Lord is in charge of it all...and by faith, we hope in something greater than finite self.
Please pray that I don't need surgery, so it doesn't set me back in the race (Hebrews 12:1-3) I've been tasked to run... Pray the security cameras picked up the guys plate (hit and run) so I don't have to pay for damages to bike. Pray that I would have understanding in this situation. Pray the Lord would be Glorified

New Beginnings

So after a busy few weeks I'm finally settled in. After the first four days of being here on a friends couch I found a decent little apartment in a good location, rented a moped, and found a decent coffee shop. For the most part things are going well. I've begun serving at Chiang Mai Christian fellowship, and I work right now down in the heart of Chiang mai, working with street kids, drop out teenage boys, and a few addicts. It’s called Khamsiri, and mainly it has been this German guy named Stefan and his wife Tina, who have literally poured out their lives over the last 8 years to this area and the people around them. Right now i think they are real burnt out, because they haven't had a lot of help, everything is breaking down physically at the facility, and the kids they have poured into over the past few years are growing up and wondering off. So far I really have no official responsibilities, but it’s looking like I will be fixing stuff for them, as well as developing out some teaching for the kids/ developing a missional community. This will allow Stefan and Tina to pour into the kids without having to try and fix everything, as well as constantly be creative with new things (which can be exhausting). One of the cool things they have set up is this aqua-hydroponics system. I've been messing with it the past few days, because it was run down and in need of some care. What it is, is a hole in the ground about four feet deep, that houses fish. Then a pump, pumps water out of the little pond and into these rock filled buckets (with plants in them). The plants filter out all the algae, acidity, and then the water drains back into the pond. They use the fish that are grown and the veggies as well to give "free of charge" to neighbors around them that need money. The neighbors can come take a fish (once grown) and go sell it in the market for about 100 baht ($3.33), thus allowing them to have a little money for stuff. Neat little project and great way to give back to their community. Well Stefan has no clue how this thing really works, or how to maintain it, because someone built it for them and then left 2 years ago. So due to my "great" experience with my swamp/pool, I was able to get the thing up and running and the PH balanced again, within about two days. Really neat thing will send some pictures soon. So ya, that’s’ a bit of what I've been doing and will be doing part time while in Thailand, as work towards planting in Burma. If you wish to contact me, send words of encouragement, your prayer request, or support the efforts, please email me at knownastheway@gmail.com. Other contact information below

>Email: knownastheway@gmail.com
Like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way/231453560280619

Prayer for The Way

So I haven't posted anything on here in a bit, but as of today I will be attempting to write on here at least once a month. Here is my latest prayer letter.

Welcome to the official prayer letter of our church plant, I hope that you will enjoy and pray for these letters as they come to you. First off our name will be “The Way”, because we want people to see Christ and know Him by “the way” we live our lives founded upon the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was chosen mainly because the scriptures called the early church “The Way”, but there was also another interesting connection I found in the Buddhist culture. In order to get out of the cycle of sin people have to be released from it, usually by obtaining Nirvana. The term for release in the Burmese language also translates release as “a way or the way” to enlightenment. The scriptures show that Jesus is “The Way”, to be released from the cycle of sin, and that He is the world’s only true hope for restoration to the Father. Therefore I found it appropriate to name our church body, simply “The Way.”

One of my hopes and dreams for being the lead pastor of “The Way”, is that we would live our lives so in line with the gospel of Jesus Christ while being led by the power of the Holy Spirit, that we would look like one big family that everyone wants to be apart of (John 13:34-35). In this big family we would continue to follow Christ great commandments, Loving God and loving our neighbors (Matt 22:36-40). I’m not sure about you but this type of love is one that I struggle with daily. It is a struggle because it is only done through the power of the Holy Spirit, with a heart that has been regenerated through the atoning work of Christ. Nothing more, nothing less. This means that my heart has to be completely surrendered to Christ and led by The Spirit, in order to accomplish this type of love. When it all boils down to it, this type of obedience to love is all that is asked, and often the most difficult. If we’re doing this, according to the Matt 22, we’re following all the commandments of God. This as a pastor would be my main hope for me and my flock, and that it would continue to multiply long after I’m gone.

Now I know that I get several prayer letters a month, and due to my busyness and short attention span, I tend to neglect reading and really praying through them on a continual basis. Knowing this I would like to keep these letters as simple as possible in the hope that you would not neglect them or miss out on what God is doing in South East Asia. As some of you may know by now, I will be moving over to SE Asia in late March. My main prayer request is two things: That I would be obedient where I’m called to now, and that I would continue to check my hear every step of the way. Lately many people have asked if there were ways they could give to our efforts. Because of the requests I have decided to let you just give by mailing me any checks, that my parents will deposit into my personal account. Because of our strategy to build a business in which we will use as a foundation to launch, fund, and keep us in the country, we cannot give a tax deductible non profit deduction at this time. If you wish to contact me, send words of encouragement, your prayer request, or support the efforts, please email me at knownastheway@gmail.com. All contact info is also below. I don’t blog much but will start more at: http://pushbackthedarkness.blogspot.com Thank you all for your time and prayers please continue to walk along side me as we begin this journey together.

In Christ^

Conviction

Convicted by the Holy Spirit this morning, on how ungrateful we are, and how undeserving humanity is to receive the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. This song / video from Jeremy Camp and the The Passion resonated well with my soul this morning, and gave me a clear reminder of the sacrifice that was made for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBAhvI0TRDs

Eph 2:4-9
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 i n order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Mission trip to San Miguel-

The town of San Miguel

Little girl from VBS

Kids playing on the new playground equipment

Veggie tales Movie night
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The church in the city

Imitation of Christ Eph 5:1-2

hanging out with the older guys at night over a cerveza, fire, and talks about God.... "22 I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Cor 9:22-23

The joy of a child




This was an amazing / draining / learning experience / all kinds of messiness mission trip. God takes all things and uses them for His glory whether we understand it or not.

Updates

Well things have been really hectic and busy... First of all the "Door" is still open on the bike shop but its really a pain and time consuming, but if we pull this off (only c the shop will be used as a great platform to launch several other opportunities to further the kingdom. I pray that it all turns out well... Seminary is also very busy and I've been real behind, somehow I pulled off both my mid-terms (also by the grace of God), and surprisingly I feel pretty confident that I did well on them both.

This Friday we will be leaving and doing missions in a small town called San Miguel in Mexico, which is located in the central mountain range area of Mexico. I think this will seem more relaxing and a deep breath of fresh air, even though we will be doing some intense work, it will be therapy to my soul.

Special thanks to Terri for all the diapers that were donated, and special thanks to James for his wonderful contributions. Also thanks to everyone else who have either donated items, or just supported us in prayer.

God is blessing so much right now, its hard to stay up with it all, and at times I feel like giving up...but I know that deep down the Lord will strengthen and finish what He started...

Exodus 15:2The LORD is my strength and my song,and he has become my salvation;this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.