Two links for two different kinds of people…

• The Bugis of Indonesia- have you ever heard of the Boogeyman? I wonder if this is where that name comes from.

• The Turkmen of Turkmenistan- there is tons of persecution in this country. Please consider praying for this group of people whom God loves greatly.

People are constantly in transition.  If it is not one thing it is another…we now have two kids, we now have a Kindergartner, oh my goodness I can’t believe my baby is all grown up, I bought my first  house, I made my first move, I made my second move…the list goes on.  WE are in transition in our lives also.  It is quite amazing, refreshing, scary and humbling.  Change always is and always will be.  Most hate change.  It seems we have been eating change for breakfast lately.  I have some thoughts concerning change and transitions.

1. Beware of the thoughts that you have anything to offer to God. I am not Mighty Mouse and you aren’t either…chances are  you won’t save the day at your new location.
2. We often pray, “Lord, Help me to do this or that…!”  As if we are going to do 70% or 30% and God does the rest…it is  100% with God.
3. Someone said, “Never doubt in the dark what God has revealed to you in the light!”
4. Feelings are extremely deceptive.
5. Transitions take time…don’t rush it.
6. Listen!
7. Learn!
8. Love!
9. Listen some more!  Learn the culture!  Love all people you meet!
10. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight.”

The Shahran Tribe

The Shahran tribe has an estimated 250,000 members, and is one of the largest in Arabia. The leadership of the Shahran tribe has belonged to the House of Mushayt for several hundred years and the tribe’s principal city is Khamis Mushayt. This is the largest city in ‘Asir province in South Western Arabia near the border with Yemen. Khamis Mushayt is the 8th largest city in Saudi Arabia with a population of about 630,000.

In 632 AD Surad Ibn Abd Allah Al-Azadi led a delegation of people from the ‘Asir region to declare their commitment to Mohammed and Islam. Mohammed made Surad ruler of the Muslims in ‘Asir, urging him to spread the Islamic faith and fight the polytheists. Surad returned to the ‘Ashir region and conquered it for Islam.

Prayer Starters

* There are very few followers of Jesus, if any at all, in this tribe at the present time. Remember the joy at your own salvation and pray along those lines.

* Pray with family and friends for opportunities for some of the Shahran to hear the Gospel through their travels abroad, through radio, internet and possibly satellite broadcasts.

* The vast majority of this tribe are very much cut off from any significant access to the Gospel. It is illegal to proclaim the Gospel in Saudi Arabia; Many Christian internet sites are blocked and very few followers of Jesus ever travel to or live in Khamis Mushayt and the surrounding area.

Please venture to the 30 Day site for Prayer during the month of Ramadan…consider an RSS feed here

The trifecta…Sampson Stallions!

the Sampsonites!!

Sophie’s First Day of School Breakfast Smile

The first evening of Ramadan

In many places around the world Muslims will be looking to the heavens this evening. They will be interested in knowing if they will be able to see the crescent moon. If it is visible this will be the signal for the beginning of the month of Ramadan. (In most countries religious authorities will make a proclamation concerning the beginning of Ramadan). No fasting will take place till tomorrow morning. Muslims will rise early to eat their breakfast before the day begins. Afterwards they will not have anything else to eat or drink till nightfall. This will be their daily experience during the next 30 days.

Fasting - Ramazan

Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of the religion of Islam and one of the highest forms of Islamic worship. Abstinence from earthly pleasures and curbing evil intentions and desires is regarded as an act of obedience and submission to God as well as an atonement for sins, errors, and mistakes. Called Ramadan (or Ramazan), Muslims fast during this holy month from the moment when it first starts to get light until sunset. Muslims fast as an act of faith and worship towards Allah, seeking to suppress their desires and increase their spiritual piety. Fasting together as a worldwide community - Ummah - affirms the brotherhood and equality of man before Allah.

The Meaning of Ramadan

The name Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word ramida or ar-ramad, denoting intense scorching heat and dryness, especially the ground. From the same word there is ramdaa, meaning ’sunbaked sand’ and the famous proverb Kal Mustajeer minar ramadaa binnar - to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Some say it is so called because Ramadan scorches out the sins with good deeds, as the sun burns the ground.

The Special Feeling of Ramadan

Ramadan brings out a special feeling of emotional excitement and religious zeal among Muslims of all ages. Though fasting is mandatory only for adults, children as young as eight willingly observe fasting with their elders. Children look forward to the excitement of sighting the moon and eating special meals with their families. Adults appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for past sins. As Ramadan emphasizes Muslim brotherhood and community all feel a particular closeness.

Muslims have to change their whole physical and emotional selves during this 30 long days of fasting. A typical day of fasting begins with getting up early, around 4:30a.m. and sharing a meal called Sahur together before the fast begins at dawn, about 5:10a.m. As dawn breaks, the first of five daily prayers, Fajr, is offered.

As the day proceeds, fasting Muslims are constantly bombarded with messages from their stomachs that it is time for breakfast, snack, lunch, and so on. And each time, Muslims remind themselves that they are fasting for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah and seeking his mercy. They offer the second and third prayers during early and late afternoon, respectively.

Fasting helps one to experience how a hungry person feels and what it is like to have an empty stomach. It teaches one to share the sufferings of the less fortunate. Muslims believe that fasting leads one to appreciate the bounties of Allah, which are usually taken for granted - until they are missed!

Throughout the day Muslims are encouraged to go out of their way to help the needy, both financially and emotionally. Some believe that a reward earned during this month is multiplied 70 times and more. For this reason, Ramadan is also known as the month of charity and generosity.

To a Muslim, fasting not only means abstaining from food, but also refraining from all vice and evils committed consciously or unconsciously. It is believed that if one volunteers to refrain from lawful foods and sex, they will be in a better position to avoid unlawful things and acts during the rest of the year.

I borrowed this from here and will continue to bring attention to this through the month of September or Ramadan!

Sean experienced Texas football for the first time tonight…it was hot, humid and Sean was excited. It was awkward for him at first as he gingerly hit and took hits but as the practice went on, he got the hang of it. I was watching, the guy who has coached for 6 years at the Varsity level in High School, from the side lines thinking, “I feel so out of place not barking out orders!” But I am going to be patient…I am going to take the form of a servant and encourager and watch what God does in and through my countenance and relationships.

Anyways, one of his coaches walked up to me afterwards and couldn’t say enough good things about Sean’s improvement. Needless to say he wasn’t the same boy that started the practice that he was at the end. The coach then said…

“Greg, tell Sean that he doesn’t have to say ‘Sorry’ every time after he knocks someone down this is football.”

I talked to Sean about this and he said, “Dad, I was the first one up in one drill and knocked a bunch of guys on the ground and I felt bad for them.” Now that is classic. Guess what my advice was to him…

“Sean you should seek to destroy the guy across from you every play and every down and every drill in the name of Jesus, within the rules of the game.”

Tonight was very fun at being a dad!

Sophie told Allison on there way to the bus stop this morning (note:  the bus stop is one driveway away from where we are staying), “Mom, you need to go with me out here there might be a stranger dressed up like a bus stop trying to trick kids to get on his bus.”

Check out this scary story from yesterday in Eugene, OR.

“She said don’t worry, don’t panic, but I have your children.”  A scary phone call for Kathy Fontenot.

On Wednesday, her daughters, ages 7 and 8, got off at the wrong school bus stop and went home with a stranger.

“What if the wrong person grabbed my kids?”  Fontenot asked.  “That’s all it takes.  Thank God the right person grabbed my kids and were honest enough to call me.”

You can read the rest of the article here…

I’m back and will be contributing to this blog more regularly.  First let me say, “Living in the wilderness is rough.”  I have learned that there is always someone who has experienced more pain and heart ache than yourself.

Our August has been much brighter than our April and May.

This morning we dropped our kids off for their first day of school at Sampson Elementary in the famed Cy-Fair Independent School District.  Quick facts:  There are over 240 Kindergarteners registered for school this year at Sampson.  There are nearly 1300 total students in Sampson K-5.  ALL STUDENTS THAT ATTEND SAMPSON COME FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD “COLES CROSSING.”  Sampson is an “Open Concept” school.  In other words, there are “no” walls for class room separation only dry erase boards and filing cabinets and such things like that.  We FEEL SOMEWHAT OVERWHELMED AND LOST IN SUCH A BIG SETTING BUT TIME WILL PROVIDE SOME RICH FRIENDSHIPS I AM SURE.

Seth met a friend this summer and actually landed in the boys class and we were overwhelmed by God’s grace when we saw that Seth is actually assigned to sit next to the boy.

Sean had a similar experience.  A boy that he met at Vacation Bible School is in his class and ALSO assigned to sit next to him.  I am not making this stuff up.

Sophie is soooooo ready for school.  She nearly ran into class and forgot to say, “Goodbye!”  She can’t wait to ride the bus.

Allison and I are getting away today through Sunday…some friends are allowing us to stay at a cottage of theirs and then to a hotel in the Galleria area of Houston.  Some of our favorite things to do when we stay at a hotel is to eat breakfast there.  Long breakfasts and talking and reading are some of the favorite past times when we get away.

We are tired!  We are seeking God!  We want God to be big and people small…it is a book that I have read and I am planning on watching the DVDs of “When People are Big and God is Small” (thanks George May).

Please pray for us!

Lessons in life tend to come in bucket fulls at times and drips at others. Right now is a bucket full time and it is hard to truly soak them all in. The last installment came this past Sunday while listening to Dave Gibson talk about Ecclesiastes 4. There is an Emptiness in Power and Work…

4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands
and ruins himself.

6 Better one handful with tranquility
than two handfuls with toil
and chasing after the wind.

Lesson in short form:

• Too much laziness is never a good thing your body literally wastes away
• Too much labor is never a good thing it is literally chasing after wind
• BALANCE IS KEY: ONE HAND FULL OF REST AND ONE HAND FULL OF LABOR!