Will You Get in the Wheelbarrow?

Have you ever heard the illustration of faith about the young tightrope walker over Niagara Falls? You know the one, where a brave (or foolhardy, depending on who you talk to) man strings a tightrope across Niagara Falls, then proceeds to mount the rope in preparation to walk across the chasm, white waves churning beneath him. 

The tightrope walker inquires; did those standing around him believe he could walk across the falls? As the crowd watches, the tightrope walker embarks. The farther out on the wire he gets, the quieter the crowd becomes, until finally, not a sound can be heard except the wild waters
boiling below. After several tense moments, the young man returns successfully to solid ground. The crowd explodes, cheering and slapping the young man on the back.

The curious crowd mills around, waiting to see what this fearless adventurer plans next. They are not disappointed; the crowd parts for a wheelbarrow. Again the young man asks, do the spectators believe he can walk across the tightrope with a wheelbarrow? Having seen his successful endeavor, everyone responds with enthusiasm; YES!

A critical question silences the cheers; who is willing to get in the wheelbarrow? 

Our daughter, Sarah, has been given an opportunity to get in the wheelbarrow. God opened the door for her to go to Africa, and she is walking through it. Just yesterday (Wednesday, January 11), Sarah sent out a letter, asking friends, relatives, and ministry partners to help her buy airline tickets; she needed $1200 by evening. People responded. The money came in within five hours.

Now, she is waiting for the remaining $1000+ needed for in-country expenses to come in. Today, we’ve seen God provide almost half the money!

Sarah is not quite 13, but she will be when she heads to the “dark continent.” It is crazy to think of letting her go, except for t

he fact that we are completely confident this is God’s plan. We are at peace, and even feel excited to see God give our daughter such an incredible opportunity.

If you want more information about what Sarah will be doing and where she will be going, please visit www.toddingram.com. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made either by check, credit card, or paypal. Just make a note that the funds are for Sarah Rodgers’ trip.

Come back to check out photos and stories of what God does while Sarah is in Kenya, as well as our on-going (but hopefully soon to be completed) remodeling project.

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New Christmas Traditions

The day after Christmas can be boring, even depressing. The packages are gone from under the tree, anticipation easily gives way to disappointment as loved ones head home and reality sets back in. Even the music, which was so magical just days ago, is a reminder that Christmas is over.

In anticipation of this reality, we began looking for traditions to make the most out of the season. That quest led us to an amazing adventure. We spent this morning at the local crisis shelter for women and children.It was AWESOME!

Eight kids and three mamas joined us; we had quite the crowd . Kids were slow to warm up, but big girls really helped out, loving on the little ones and making each one feel special. Expecting kids to be a bit shy, we started with games, then made zany New Year’s Eve hats. Everyone loved the activity and the hats turned out great. Everyone had so much fun that we lost track of time!! Before we knew it, the morning was gone.

Perhaps taking your children to a crisis shelter the day after Christmas is a bit unusual, but we have always been unconventional. And, the family has all agreed; we want to go back. Now we just have to figure out when!

What is in a Christless Christmas?

T’is the season for school Christmas programs. All around town, parents are packing into crowded auditoriums for an hour so they can listen to their child’s 30 second part. It was our pleasure to pack into a not-so-crowded auditorium recently, for our neighbor’s Christmas program.

The theme of this year’s program was “What Christmas is All About.” And the children proceeded to explain it to the audience with great enthusiasm. As we sat listening to young children sing and shout what Christmas is all about, my heart grew heavier and heavier. Christmas, according to the program, is about food, gifts, decorations, spending time together with family and friends, and (most importantly) love. But why? The darling elementary children didn’t really have an answer.

Sadly, most of the people preparing for Christmas right now don’t have an answer either. As you finish up your Christmas shopping, hustling and bustling with your packages, remember that most of those around you have no idea what Christ has to do with Christmas. They celebrate an empty holiday with empty hearts that won’t be filled by the presents under the Christmas tree or anything else in our politically correct winter celebration (which is all you have left after you remove Christ from Christmas).

What are we to do, with this Christless Christmas our culture has embraced? Instead of being frustrated or irritated with lost people who behave in a lost way, I have a challenge for you; will you bring Christ into Christmas as you interact with people? A smile and a kind word for the checker at the department store (you’d be surprised how unkindly they are treated this time of year), an extra tip for the waitress where you eat lunch or the barista where you buy coffee, perhaps a gift for your postal delivery person, the garbage man, or the kid who delivers your paper. Jesus is the light of the world; join me in letting His light shine in the darkness this holiday season.

Almost There

Progress continues on our remodeling project. Some major transformations have taken place over the last few weeks. And, we’re supposed to paint next week!!  As with every remodeling project, this one has taken longer and cost more than we expected. And, it has led to additional projects in the process. Though we are close to finishing the bathroom, Faylynn and Elli’s room will not be finished, at least in this phase. Now that we know what we need to do, however, it will be easier to make progress on that project as well.

Here are some photos of where things are now.

From this…

The sheetrock is in, the tape is all up, and the mudding is in its final stage. Yeah!

The room is starting to look like a room! After the mudding and taping is all done, we’ll paint, then the tile will be laid, we’ll put up the siding, hook up the bathtub, and decorate.Hopefully all before Thanksgiving!

Off on the Right Foot

Sarah had a grand adventure last Thursday as she underwent surgery for the first time in her life. She wanted to remember and document everything, so I helped by snapping some photos.

This is to document the extent of Sarah’s bunion before surgery.

Sarah is waiting to go back for surgery. Very chipper for so early in the morning – we arrived at the hospital about 6am.

Sarah didn’t want to miss a single detail, so she tried to write down everything as it happened. At least until she left for surgery. She refused medicine to help her relax before surgery because she wanted to see the operating room.

Sarah went through surgery just fine, and was greeted by a giant stuffed teddy bear from her grandmother.

Sarah was feeling no pain after her surgery, and as the anesthesia wore off, she was more and more chattery. I think she was a little hyper from the drugs, but at least she was very happy.

Sarah was definitely ready to go home, but she enjoyed her adventure very much. Not sure she wants to do it again, but for a girl who loves adventure and learning, it was a banner day.

Thanks again for your prayers! The surgery was a success and Sarah is doing very well.

Exciting Opportunities

We are so excited to see what God is doing in Spokane!! Chris went to a GSAE prayer time tonight and was encouraged by the time. We are getting ready to launch a “Loving Your Neighbor” partnership at a local church, and have three events we are working on for this fall, winter, and next spring.

First, we are planning to have a booth at the upcoming Mission Catalyst Inland Northwest Missions Conference in November. For more information please visit http://www.mcinw.org/

Then, a really exciting opportunity; we may be able to partner with the Greater Northwest Campus Ministry to provide some professional development seminars at the 2011 Winter Conference as part of the 100% Sent Initiative. We will again be representing Priority Associates at the conference(one of the only cities to have such a strategic partnership with the Campus Ministry) in hopes of connecting with men and women who share our passion for sharing Jesus in the marketplace.

Also in the works is a speaker for our spring 2012 evangelistic event. Chris has been in dialogue with Eric Alexander, the climber who led a blind man to the top of Mt Everest. Please be praying for wisdom and direction as we continue working on the details for next spring’s event.

Finally, we have discovered an unexpected opportunity much closer to home. Winnie has joined the Central Valley cross country team, opening the door to multiple spiritual conversations not only with other parents but also between Winnie and her teammates. It has proven to be very interesting. Please pray for wisdom and direction in this area as well.

We are so excited to see what God is doing. Thank you for partnering with us as we seek to make sure everyone in Spokane knows someone who truly follows Jesus.

Winnie running at her second cross country meet

At the Fair

The big girls and I volunteered at the Child Evangelism Fellowship booth at the fair on Saturday, painting faces and sharing the Gospel. We had a great time, spoke with dozens of people, and made some wonderful memories. Even Elli got in on the fun. Boy oh boy was it hot!!

It was an eye opening experience.  Of the many people who were willing to let their children hear a story about Jesus, most thought that living in America made them Christians. Even so, very few currently attend church.

My heart ached as I chatted again and again with people who live in one of the most churched nations in the world and yet know so little about having a relationship with Jesus.

At the same time, it was really neat to see my daughters living out what we’ve been trying to teach them their whole lives. That was cool.

We are called, as a family, to make sure everyone in Spokane knows someone who truly follows Jesus. Painting faces at the fair is one way we can do that.

Approval!

The electrical inspector just left. Everything passed! Now sheetrock goes up, then we paint, put in the tile, and bring down the bathtub. The end of the bathroom project is in sight. Yeah.

This project has been much more expensive than we expected. But God continues to provide just what we need at just the right moment. What a testimony to God’s provision.

Construction Update

Work continues on the remodeling project downstairs, and we’re making serious progress! A few days ago, two different inspectors came and inspected their respective projects. The framing and plumbing is all ok and can be covered. The electrical needs a little bit of work, but we expect that to be completed and ready to be rechecked in the next week or so.

Just so you can get an idea of what is going on, I’m including a few photos. The chaos of construction is evident, but God is helping everyone endure the process and we think the end is in sight. Thank you so much for your prayers and for all the generous gifts that have gotten us to this point. We are amazed at how God is providing!

New tub and shower plumbing