Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Expelled Movie...check it out

Check out my post Tuesday for an update on our NAMB interviews.

I wanted to mention the Expelled movie. I got to attend a Director's Cut preview a couple weeks ago here at Southern Seminary. I'm not going to give a full review of the movie or anything like that...I just want to encourage you to see the movie.
I, probably like a lot of you, was totally surprised to here that "the Visine guy" or "the 'Bueller' guy" was doing a movie on the conrtoversy of Creationism being expelled from the classroom. However, the movie is great! Stein and the producers have done a great job at interviewing how this has happened, and also at pointing out the controversies in Darwinian thought. A main issue in the movie is how ridiculous it is for Darwinians to be so fearful of Intelligent Design, and how wrong it is for our government to keep some ideas and thoughts out of the classroom. In their efforts to separate church and state, they do exactly the opposite...Evolution philosophy is a religion...it is a belief in how our world came about. If Evolution is allowed to be taught in our schools, Creationism should at least be given the same opportunity!

Kristin, being a public school teacher, faces the struggle daily with not being able to openly talk about Creationism and intelligent design; as well with the pain of having to teach Evolution philosophy, which has SO many flaws it's ridiculous.

It also has a very interesting ending with with an interview between Stein and one of the leading Evolutionist personalities today.


Another note to tuck away somewhere is that, assuming this movie does well, the producers are considering doing another project on "the Sanctity of Human Life." We'll be looking forward to it.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

We survived!!!

Well, we survived! Our interviews last week with NAMB went great! Kristin and I really had no clue what to expect. All I could relate them to were interviews for secular business positions, most of which have been almost brutal. The interviews were tough, but we could sense the entire time that those who interviewed us (as well as the rest of the staff at NAMB) were there to support the missionaries. They constantly told us to send them E-newsletters from the field so they could keep in touch with what God was doing. In fact, when I told several of them that Kristin and I were there to get approval to go work with Steve Grissom and Adam Dorsey in Newfoundland, they knew immediately what was going on with their ministry because they had been reading his E-newsletters. With all the missionaries they send out, that was very impressive! It was great to see how careful they are with the funding they receive from Cooperative Program churches. Rest assured-- your dollars are being carefully and well-spent.
Also, we got to meet some REALLY cool people! We got to meet and get ideas from a couple and a guy from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We also met people that will be planting churches all over the US: New York, Boston, San Diego, North and South Dakota, Arizona, etc... It was great to meet such an array of people that are all dedicated to the spread of God's Word.

Aside from the interviews, life is busy as usual for Kristin and I. I am trying to finish up a 15-page paper and took a reprieve to post this update. I only have 3 weeks left in this semester! Kristin had her first meeting this morning with a Bible study that she's starting at the high school she's teaching at. It was only an informational meeting but it went great! She's got some kids that are really excited to have a Bible study that is not only for athletes (FCA). Be praying for this up-and-coming study! Kristin is very excited and is trying to get some key students on board so that they can organize it and advertise it a little in preparation for next year.

Continue to pray for us as we search for God's direction and clarity in our lives. We should be hearing back from NAMB about our status in about 1 month, so pray for God's guidance with this decision process. As with anything else, we want God's will, not our's... even if that means getting turned down.
Also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Newfoundland. The ministry that Steve, Adam, and their families have there is going great and God is blessing! I continue to hear reports that people are coming to Christ in Newfoundland! God is truly at work on "the Rock"! I encourage you to sign up for their E-newsletters and support them in prayer. There is a link to their ministry website in the "links" section of this blog...their ministry is called "Mission for Him".

On a side note, Tuesdays are going to be the day that we update this blog. I'm going to try to keep this as a weekly blog. I don't expect you to look us up every single week, but whenever you have time, catch up with us! We are doing this to keep you, our friends, updated on our lives and ministry and more importantly to encourage you in your faith. But we also want to hear from you!...so feel free to post in our comments (I promise, we'll read every one of them!...ok, so it's been easy so far) and also shoot us a link if you have a blog for your ministry or family as well!

Matthew 28:20b- "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This is a passage that we often don't make it to. The passage right before that (the Great Commission) is one of the most popular passages and is one of my favorites, but what a blessing to be reassured that we do in fact have Christ with us ALWAYS!!! Praise God for reminders such as these!