Book Review: Wrestling for My LIfe, by Shawn Michaels

Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, The Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar, Shawn Michaels with David Thomas

This is a difficult to rate -- is it a 3-star or a 4-star book? -- and a difficult review to write. I am not a fan of professional wrestling and had absolutely no idea who Shawn Michaels is. I selected the book mostly because I have such a low regard for wrestling and wanted to see what one of these actors had to say about how his faith impacted his career.

This is not primarily a book about professional wrestling. There is a lot of the wrestling life, but the purpose of the book is to show the change that Christ made in Michaels' life and in his career.

My take-aways from the book:

• Professional wrestling is, as I've always known, acting. Victory and defeat are illusions that are determined ahead of any match. It is athletic acting -- the actors are incredibly strong and dedicated to their acting. They are agile and some of their moves are quite gymnastic. There is the very real possibility of injury with these massive bodies colliding with each other, with tables, with floors, and with other objects. But, in the end, it's only a show.
• I did like the inside look at professional wrestling even though I'm not a fan — decisions about who wins/loses, choreography, rivalries/partnerships, stage–persona vs real life.
• Shawn seems to have had a very real conversion experience. While some might argue that he tended to compromise his faith in his chosen profession, he did make what seem to be very honest attempts to live out his faith in the context of this very secular and often very non-Christian environment. And, I think he largely succeeded.

I think the writing was pretty flat, stilted. But I think David Thomas (listed as "Contributor", but I suspect his real task was to make the book readable) allowed Michaels' "voice" to come through and I suspect that fans of wrestling will like that -- one isn't hearing someone else telling Michaels' story. That is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a comment on wrestling fans, just an acknowledgement that the book is not sanitized they will hear Michaels tell his story.

There's nothing particularly new in Michaels' telling of his conversion and the change Christ made. However, I think he speaks to an audience that doesn't get many, if any, opportunities to hear this perspective in professional wrestling.

In the end, while this is a 3-star book for me, I expect that wrestling fans and particularly fans of Shawn Michaels will find this book a welcome and interesting explanation of his life and career.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher as a review copy as a part of their BookLook Bloggers programme. As a part of this programme, I am free to write the review I think the book deserves and receive no compensation other than continued participation in the programme — I don't even get a kickback if you click on the book title, go to Amazon, and buy the book.)

God's Story in 66 Verses, by Stan Guthrie

Great idea and execution. Guthrie makes a rather outrageous and bodacious claim in the subtitle, Understand the Entire Bible by Focusing on Just One Verse in Each Book, but has succeeded in his goal by choosing a key verse from each book of the Bible, one that captures the core message of the book. Then he gives a 2-3 page overview of each book. He has managed to capture the message of the Bible clearly.

This is an excellent overview and would be a good introduction for a new believer or for anyone who is not familiar with the Bible. It's also a good reminder for mature believers and helpful in pointing out the key themes — something that can be difficult if one gets caught up in the details of each book. Mind you, the details are important, but this book helps one to step back and see the whole of each book before digging into the details. For my first time through the book, I read 2-4 chapters per day as a part of my personal devotions and it was helpful. However, I think a better us of the book is to use this as one reads through the Bible — getting an overview and then memorizing each key verse while reading that particular book of the Bible.

(DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through their blogger review programme, BookLook Bloggers. I was free to write the review I thought the book deserved. My only compensation is continued participation in the review programme.)

Review: The Race Before Us

Bruce Matson is a Richmond lawyer who ran a marathon in college but is now 49, overweight, and out of shape. He's also a church regular who is questioning his faith — "Do I really believe what I recite in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds on Sundays?" He skillfully weaves together his twin struggles to get in both physical and spiritual shape. He took the spiritual quest seriously, wrestling with major philosophical and historical approaches to Christianity and finally realizes that, ultimately, though the intellectual assent is important, the key is trust. One of the things I liked about the book is that I know the places he ran (though, even so, I thought a couple of his descriptions of runs were a bit too detailed). I have also asked myself some of the same questions about faith.

He alternates chapters devoted primarily to running with those devoted primarily to his search for meaning in his faith. Matson deals with some questions and issues of faith that require some deep thought — a lot of Christian apologetics in this book. It was challenging and an excellent refresher on some of my seminary courses from 30+ years ago.

Some good appendices:

• Top Ten Arguments for the Existence of the God of the Bible — He touches on and explains most of these in the text of the book, but this is a good summary list. (Christian apologetics) Throughout the book, though, he emphasizes how much he was aware that Christian faith or trust was not solely dependent on the truth of these arguments.
• Bibliography — If one wants to explore any of the topics, these are all good sources. Matson does not just include those that support his final conclusion on faith.

(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the author in exchange for a review. However, I was free to write the review I thought the book deserved. I expect no further personal gain.)

Book Review — Intentional Walk: An Inside Look at the Faith That Drives the St. Louis Cardinals

I have never been a St. Louis Cardinals fan. I don't have anything against the Cards, but I'm a life-long Yankees fan and have also become a Braves fan in the past 30 years (yes, I'm old enough to have been a Yankee fan for much longer than I've been a Braves fan). Until this weekend, I probably could not have named a single Cardinals' player. So, when I saw this book, Intentional Walk: An Inside Look at the Faith That Drives the St. Louis Cardinals (Kindle edition), I didn't decide to read it because of the team. Frankly, I decided to read it because a good friend and my brother-in-law are rabid Cardinal fans and I wanted to know something about the team. Secondly, I decided to read it because I was intrigued that a baseball team would be known for its cadre of Christian players to the point that someone would write a book about that.

What I found is that this book is not really a book about baseball. You won’t find juicy tidbits of gossip about the players. There’s no recounting of deals gone sour. For the most part, there are no play-by-play retelling of games. Except for chapter 17, "The Postseason", about the Cards in the 2012 playoffs, this is really a book about baseball players and how their faith in Christ impacts their lives both on and off the field. I was disappointed at first and I really think the book would have benefited from a bit more baseball. In the end, though, I really enjoyed the book. I didn't find the book preachy but I recognize that I'm biased towards the perspective of this book.

With 2 exceptions, Rains uses a separate chapter to talk about the faith of each of 18 different members of the Cardinals' organization — almost mini-biographies. The 2 exceptions are one chapter in which he talks about 2 players and the 17th chapter in which he talks about the 2012 postseason.

There are several themes that run through the whole book, many of them in almost every chapter:

• God has a plan that may not match our plan
• God is not selecting the winners because he's more interested in the relationship (between Him and an individual and between individuals)
• Baseball is a game based on errors - you fail most of the time
• You have to understand that not every day is going to be a good day
• A believer has to be excellent in everything he does, do his best, because he's working as unto the Lord

Manager Mike Matheny's quote near the end of the book sums it up well:

I believe in every aspect of my life that I am called to excellence. I believe, through my faith, that I am called to high expectations....

This was a good read and I recommend it. (A book has to really grab me to get a 5-star rating.)

(DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of Intentional Walk through the publisher's blogger review program, BookSneeze, in exchange for a review. I was free to write the review that I thought the book deserved.)

Run and read well, y'all,
Bob Allen
Nairobi, Kenya

Calling All Skeptics — Could Jesus' Resurrection be True?

Christianity makes some pretty audacious claims. We celebrate one of those on 31 March — Jesus' resurrection. If you're a skeptic looking for truth or even a believer who wants to strengthen your belief, this may be a good book to read, "Raised? Doubting the Resurrection" by Jonathan Dodson and Brad Watson. It's free and available for Kindle (.mobi), Nook/iBooks/Sony (.epub), or as the generic PDF. The authors and publishers are encouraging people and churches to give it away. (I haven't, yet, read the book but read and liked another book by Dodson, "Unbelievable Gospel", so feel good about recommending this.)

Book Review: He Chose the Nails (Lucado)

Max Lucado has been a favourite writer of devotional material for Christians for decades. He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart will not disappoint long-time Lucado readers and would be an excellent starting book for those who have never read his writing.

I must admit that, though I have always enjoyed a bit of Max Lucado, I was a little hesitant to tackle the whole book. I just wasn't sure that I could take syrupy, tear-jerking stories. But, when I laughed out loud in the first chapter, that let me know I was going to enjoy this book. In the very first paragraph, Lucado describes a man trying to buy a Christmas present for his wife. Before the end of the first page, he passes on the sage advice that his father gave him about such a dilemma:

"There will come a time," he said solemnly, "when a salesperson will offer to help you. At that moment, take a deep breath and say this phrase, 'Es-tée Lau-der.'"

I'm reading this in the car and am almost rolling in the floor laughing so hard — I certainly would have except that I'm a bit large for rolling in the car floor. I'm hooked.

Lucado uses this story to introduce how lavishly God gives to us and how God's gifts shed light on God's heart, God's good and generous heart.

In He Chose the Nails, Lucado reminds us of what God did through Jesus to provide salvation for us. We certainly don't deserve God's love or His provision of salvation. Lucado provides abundant examples of how we have fallen short. However, God in Christ chose the cross and Lucado also provides abundant evidence of how hard a choice that was. Chapter two is subtitled, God's Promise in the Soldier's Spit. How can you resist that? Lucado talks about how the Roman soldiers treated Jesus once he was sentenced. The soldiers wanted blood.

So they scourged Jesus. The legionnaire's whip consisted of leather straps with lead balls on each end. His goal was singular: beat the accused within an inch of his death and then stop ... No doubt Jesus was near death when his hands were untied.

 Each subsequent chapter looks at a different aspect of Jesus' suffering, his crucifixion, and his resurrection and how God demonstrated His desire to save us. It is a powerful, provocative, piercing reminder of our need for and God's provision of salvation.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers' program . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

It's Not All the Same

While I've never tried to hide my most deeply held convictions on this blog, neither have I tried to regularly use it as a forum for discussing those beliefs. But, I read a blog post by Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, that touched those convictions in a positive way and felt the need to post about it.

Up front, let me acknowledge that there are all kinds of examples of individuals, groups, and movements that claim to represent biblical Christianity that are an embarrassment to the name of Jesus because of what they propound. There are many, even within the group with which I'm intimately identified, who hold biblical beliefs but who express those in ways that are unChristlike. I am also sure that there have been times -- probably more than I care to acknowledge -- when I have fallen into one or the other of those camps. None of that is a surprise to me because there is no perfect person, not even the most saintly of Christians. While I would plead with people to judge Christianity based on Jesus alone, it is natural that Christianity is judged by the words, actions, and attitudes of (less-than-perfect) professed followers of Jesus.

One of the most foundational tenets of Christianity is Jesus' claim to exclusivity found in John 14:6 -- Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. In many ways, that single statement -- two short sentences -- sums up the entire message of the Bible. It is the motivator behind the desire of Christians to share the good news (gospel) of Jesus with their friends and neighbors and people around the world. We hold that statement as immutable, absolute truth. Or do we?

In his blog today, Dr. Mohler says that maybe there are many who are changing. The fact that many people are changing and perhaps moving away from that doesn't change the truthfulness of that foundational belief. Absolute truth is not dependent on the whims of a majority vote -- it just is, even if no one accepts it as truth.

Here's what Dr. Mohler had to say: Are We a Nation of Hindus?

Shared via AddThis

Run (and live) well, y'all,
Bob
(1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

An Eternal Perspective

The Ringmaster writes about life and running on her blog, Mile By Mile. Her blog is always a good read. On Friday, she talked about her frustrations with tapering before a race and with not being able to run as she recovered from a non-running injury. Then she talked about her husband's gracious acceptance of his inability to do something he dearly loves. Her reflection on that really resonated with me:

I’m reminded that God’s grace is not about me! When I’m benched, when I’m disciplined, when I’m taught something about character and grace and endurance–not in sport but in life and faith–it’s about something much bigger than me.

And in the end, I pray I always remember, while I want to be a great runner, I want to be a great Christ follower more than that.

While I want to get a medal at my next race, my true goal is to earn a crown that will never tarnish.

And while I would love to hear the crowds roaring as I come to the finish in–dare I hope it–1:48–more than that, I want to hear the quiet voice of my Lord saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God, give me an eternal perspective–yes, even on my knees!

As much as I love to run, if there every comes a time, either temporarily or permanently, when I cannot do that, I want to remember that there is something much more important. I want to keep my eyes focused on the right one (Hebrews 12:2)

Thanks, Karina, for the reminder.

Run well -- and run the race of life well -- y'all,
Bob

"Bitter" Words

You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them...each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. --Barack Obama, fundraising speech in San Francisco, CA, 6 April 2008-- (Audio of speech and partial transcript from blog by Mayhill Fowler, The Huffington Post, 11 April 2008)

It is not my intent for this post to be particularly anti-Obama. While I don't know that I would or could vote for him, remember that this blog is titled, Random Thoughts While Running. These are thoughts, not judgments or decisions. I also reserve the right to be wrong and the right to change my mind. :)

The isssue with Obama's bitter statement, it seems to me, is not saying folks are bitter. That may be too strong of a term but is probably reasonably accurate -- bitter about paying $3.xx for a gallon of gas while oil companies announce record profits; bitter about US soldiers dying in a war that seems unrelated to America; bitter about the loss of a stable, common set of values. But, to state that the result of that bitterness is to retreat into deeply held values is an insult.

Perhaps there are some who, when faced with circumstances out of their control, arm themselves against a perceived coming fight. I don't own a gun but the folks that I know who hold to a strong conviction in the right of Americans to own guns do so because they believe that the US Constitution gives them that right (and, they don't want the government telling them what to do).

Maybe there are some who revert to long-ignored religious practices when they confront life issues that seem to subvert their values and desires. However, I and millions of other disciples of Christ do not cling to our belief in and faithfulness to Christ because we're bitter. I cling to those because Christ is the foundation of my life in good times and bad.

It's easy, when under pressure to misstate something. Our minds, emotions, and tongues work together in a remarkable way. But, sometimes, our emotions cause us to think and say things we would not normally think or say. And, maybe that's what happened with Barack Obama last week. Still, I must say it concerns me. How can one possibly treat deeply held religious beliefs and xenophobia? True, there are some who attempt to justify their xenophia based on an incorrect interpretation of Scripture, but that doesn't mean that Scripture or true Christianity is actually supports xenophobia.

Little slack was given to Mel Gibson when he uttered anti-Semitic comments under the influence of alcohol. It was claimed that those sentiments were an inherent part of Gibson's thoughts and were just released by the alcohol. I can't help but wonder if, deep down, this is how Obama views those who have strong beliefs with which he doesn't agree. Or, did he say this to cater to an audience who he thought would appreciate this particular point of view? Or, was it really and truly a slip of the tongue, an honest misstatement?

Finally, for now anyway, despite Obama's protestations to the contrary, this is a pretty serious slip of the tongue, no matter what precipitated it. Is this how Obama would function as President? I certainly hope not.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Kenya Relief Work

Some pictures of the relief work in Kenya

I thought some pictures of the relief efforts in Kenya might help you understand how people are working together to demonstrate love and concern during the humanitarian crisis in Kenya. (My apologies for the odd formatting -- I don't quite have the hang of finessing pictures into a decent alignment.)



Families arrive at safe locations by a variety of means. Some come by punda (Sw. donkey) cart...






... others arrive on the back of large lorries.





Once in the safe havens -- police compounds, churches, schools, etc. -- there's not a lot to do but wait.



Many fled to the safe havens with no possessions -- only the clothes on their backs. Kenyans donated sacrificially to help.





Baptist Global Response brought in blankets.








Relief workers tried to register everyone in the camps both to ensure equitable distribution of food and to try to enable families to locate missing relatives.









This was an incredible scene. The lady on the right had been displaced from her home by the riots. Still, she brought sugar cane to one of the camps to share with those who had lost more than she. The youth registering the donation are from a local Baptist church.

In the Midst of Chaos and Suffering...

(Kenya ethnic map is from the BBC)
I thought it would be good to give a bit (OK, this is longer than a bit) of an update on the situation in Kenya. Since I pointed some folks to my blog last week, I figure they might come back to see what else is happening. (DISCLAIMER: Except for quotes and references to articles, the following comments represent my personal thoughts and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts of anyone else, including my employer.)

The news coming out of Kenya is not real encouraging. Last week, Kibaki selected his Vice President and most of his cabinet prior to mediation attempts. It appeared to be a move calculated to firmly entrench himself in power and to effectively cut out the opposition (those who claim the election was stolen from them) from any meaningful part in the current government. That, alone, could cause tensions to go back up again. Then, neither side seems to be willing to budge from hard-line positions and the two leaders still haven't talked face-to-face. The opposition has called for rallies on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week. Not good.

The man who was chosen as VP, Kalonzo Musyoka, was a minor third-party candidate for President who received only 9% of the vote and didn't even carry his home province. I was privileged to meet and have lunch with him about 3 years ago as part of a trip to his district to see some water catchment work that had been done by Baptists in Kenya. He seemed to be a sincere, clear thinking politician. His agreement to be the Vice President in these troubled times and in partnership with one who had been accused of fraudulent election practices has puzzled me. I'm not alone in that as the following editorial makes clear:

Irony of Kalonzo-Kibaki Relation

One of Kenya's leading daily papers pointed out the complexity of this crisis, giving credence to my own thoughts:

Kenyans are fighting inequality, not ethnicity

NPR has a good selection of stories on the political issues and the crisis that has resulted -- NPR stories on Kenya.

But, I'd like to focus on a different aspect of all of this. In the midst of this crisis, many believers have refused to be drawn into the conflicts and the tribalism and are demonstrating their faith in practical, loving ways. This is one of the things that differentiates the Kenya situation from the incredible violence in Rwanda in 1992 -- believers are showing that when Christ truly rules in one's heart, that person is changed, she is different, he does not respond based on prejudice or the normal expectations of culture. The following news articles and snippets from various e-mails demonstrate those responses by both Kenyan nationals and expatriate missionaries:

Kenyan needs trigger Baptist ministry

Kenya refugees sheltered at Baptist school

9 January 2008 -- Mark Hatfield, Africa Director, Baptist Global Response

I have used an additional about $5,000 (Baptist Global Response had already used $25,000 for relief work) for the IDP (Internally Displaced Persons, I think) center here at the Tigoni Police station and the KRC (Kenya Red Cross) center in Limuru. Most of that has gone for blankets and non-food items. I may have to have the pit latrines pumped tomorrow :) They are overflowing

There are about 800 in Tigoni that we are feeding daily. For the first three days I hauled about 1500 liters of water to them daily but we were able to get the Tigoni water to turn on the police tap so the water hauling has slowed down.

I have been pleased with the KRC's ability to manage something this size and even more amazed at the generosity of the community around here. Many donations come in daily. We have not had to buy fresh Veggies yet. The Limuru center is better off in all areas than those at the police station.

The Barton's (Baptist family) have been super and Kathy fixes something daily to bring to the police station. Ian helped me haul food from town and has been very involved.

We had 50 KG (about 110 pounds) of beans soaking in the bath tub last night that were served today. Tomorrow is Ugali day.

We have enough food depending on what all is donated locally for about another 5 days. What we are doing is not large but I think significant.

12 January 2008 -- Bert Yates, Prayer Coordinator for Kenya

We will not take an oath or join the homeguards. We will stand in the centre. As we awaited the delivery of relief food last week, Arthur Kinyanjui [Baptist pastor and past moderator of the Baptist Convention of Kenya] repeated these words to us. He and others at a Bible School in the Rift Valley first made these statements over 50 years ago. As God’s servants, this was their answer when they were asked to join either the Mau Mau soldiers or the homeguards, the soldiers with the colonial British government. Later as we visited the camp for the displaced at the Nakuru Showgrounds, Arthur and an elderly friend shared that they had seen many difficult situations during their lives, but what was happening today could only be compared to what they had seen during the Mau Mau Uprising in the 1950’s. Both men had tears in their eyes as they shared. Arthur, who has started churches in Kenya and Uganda during the last half century among many, many different tribes, finds it impossible to accept that once again as an ambassador for his Saviour, he must stand in the centre in his own country.

Jack and I continue to praise God for how our Kenyan friends are looking beyond economic or tribal boundaries to meet the needs of those around them. During the relief efforts when tribal clashes erupted in the Rift Valley in the late 1980’s, most of Jack’s calls from pastors and church leaders began with the list of their needs and requests for outside help. Yes, much of our job at that time and today is to encourage those hurting and give them the opportunity to share, but this time is different. Even as the needs are shared, the emphasis is on what they can do to meet their needs and praises for what God is doing already!

But, the needs are there and they will need outside help. We are certain that some of our churches have been burned and destroyed, but we are awaiting confirmation before we share the facts with you. I asked Jack today if he had received word yet on the churches in Burnt Forest, an area between Nakuru and Eldoret which has especially felt the fury of the election madness. Jack answered, Not yet, but I have delayed calling my contact there. I don’t think I want to hear his answer. I helped build almost all of those church buildings. I know where each Baptist Church is located. I know their people. As you pray for the thousands displaced and hurting in our country, please also pray for the Kenyans and others like Jack who are ministering to them. Pray for strength and compassion as they listen and encourage. Pray for wisdom as the IMB and many other groups seek to find the best ways to help meet the incredible needs around us. Pray that new attacks and threats will not continue. And pray especially for those who are in national leadership positions. Pray that they will look beyond any political, tribal or personal desires or rivalries and truly seek true and lasting peace for all Kenyans.

13 January 2008 -- Bert Yates, Prayer Coordinator for Kenya

Regardless of what is happening in our country, THE LORD IS KING! These are the words our worship leader, Carol, spoke this morning before leading us in singing We Crown You Now. She also reminded those of us at Parklands Baptist that in spite of what we see in the news and all around us our Lord is Good. We then sang, Lord you are good and your mercies endureth forever. As I sat among my Kenyan friends this morning, I was awed once again by their desire to praise God and totally depend upon him in times of suffering and sorrow. Many arrived this morning with guests – after the service I learned from a friend, that as I expected, these were displaced family members now sharing their homes, yet they all joined fervently in the praise songs.

Later, as we sang our usual welcome song, we were challenged to sing it to our neighbours this week. Pastor Simon Mwangi shared, For peace to be generated, it is not just the job of politicians. All of us must get involved. Can you imagine what would happen in our city and country or even in our world if everyone honestly sang, God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it should be to their neighbours in the coming days?

Pastor Simon added that Kenyans need to focus on God totally, not politicians, newspapers, or even international help. He said Kenya must look to God and only to God for help and for peace. In the morning prayer, Deacon John Rono stated, The best mediator is Lord God Almighty. Later, Pastor Ambrose Nyangao repeated this by asking us to not focus on current circumstances, but to join him in singing, Turn your eyes upon Jesus…and the things of earth will grow dim in the light of his glory and grace.

I’m afraid that all these positive comments might make you think that those at our church are imitating the ostriches that we see in our game parks and on open plains. Yet, in all I heard this morning, no one was hiding their head in the sand and denying the current problems of Kenya. Pastor Simon shared how his family had visited the many displaced camps in our area yesterday. As his children joined in playing with the displaced children, he realized that there was a great need for comfort, not just food for the many who have been through such trauma. When Pastor Ambrose stated that the devil is working hard to get our focus away from our Saviour, there were many, many nods and sounds of agreement. There was also great understanding when Ambrose asked if we remembered how Jesus calmed the sea and the storm and added, For there to be a great calm, there must be a great storm.

I am proud of my church and my Kenyan friends, but I am not sharing these things to brag. I want you to see the other side of what is happening in our country – the side that gives me hope among all the turmoil and pain of recent days. I am certain the message and challenges Jack and I heard this morning are being heard in churches throughout Kenya today. Please continue praying with us for not just a time of peace in our country, but a lasting peace that is a result of an end to the tribal, political and economic problems that have fed the discontent and anger that has caused current clashes/attacks as well as destruction and death in the past. Join us in praying Deacon Rono’s plea this morning for the leaders of Kenya – Pray that they will prefer peace for all above all personal and political ambitions and desires.

13 January 2008 -- David and Robin Stow, Volunteer Coordinator, Baptist Mission of Kenya

As I write to you, we have just returned from another wonderful worship service at our church where the focus was prayer for the nation of Kenya. Three groups went to three different areas in the town to see first hand the situation. In all three areas, the groups consisted mostly of women with small children and the elderly. After returning, they reported the most urgent needs in these specific areas are underwear, diapers and wipes for the babies, sanitary napkins for the ladies, water and a means of cleaning their bodies. Today we collected money specifically for these items. There has been an outpouring here with people donating clothing and food and while there is still a HUGE need for all of these things, the items they identified are items not being donated as readily and are critical to the needs of these displaced people.

There are refugee camps all over Kenya trying to meet the needs of those displaced. Many have found refuge with other family members as time has gone by, but there are many who do not have anywhere to go. Many have had to leave the only home they have ever known just because their tribe was not of that area. Many marriages are suffering because of the intermarriage that has taken place. Many camps are for an individual tribe so families are split. One of the groups from our church learned that in one camp they visited there had been violence within the camp because it was a mixed group.

What can you do? Most importantly, you can pray as requested in the e-mails that I've copied above. The International Mission Board, SBC maintains a fund for Human Needs Ministries from which it draws in situations like this. Help is given regardless of religion or tribe and 100% of the contributions go to providing help because the programs overseas are administered by missionaries and Baptist relief workers. Read about that here -- IMB Human Needs Ministries. If you want to give, you could designate your gift for Kenya disaster relief.

Run (life) well, y'all,
Bob

It's About the Cross

On Christmas Eve, I attended the evening worship service with my parents and most of my brothers, sisters and their families. We participated in the Lord's Supper as a family. It was pretty moving.

One interesting element of the service was a short worship video featuring a song by a group that was new to me, Go Fish. I don't think I fully agree with the theme of the song -- that Christmas is all about the end of the story, Christ's death on the cross. Christ's death is the most important event but His birth is extremely important. God incarnate is an incredible thing. Christ gave up His glory to accommodate himself to us -- He became one of us, He stooped to our level, He spoke our language, He lived our lives! I'm sure we could discuss that topic (the importance of the incarnation versus substitutionary death) for a long, long time. The video is thought provoking -- enjoy and think:



Happy New Year,
Bob