BE LIKE HIM

We have decided that in 2008, we are going to focus more and more on Christ and less on us. I don't know how that will work out, but you are welcome to follow along and hear.

So far, it's been an interesting start. Coming into January Jackie was already in the midst of an incredible knee mess up that has had her disabled since October 29th. She's had her ups and downs, tear shedding and even some joy in the middle of it all. At this moment, she just finished a bunch of exercises and is getting around with the help of her brand new cane! That is a big plus for her. She has been on the crutches since October 29th so this is a huge step. We went and saw the new and improved orthopedic doctor on January 15th and he was happy with the progress he's seen in the last month. However, even with the progress, he's still saying there's no hope for her knee and nothing short of a miracle will allow her to keep this one and avoid the knee replacement surgery he is planning in the near future. That is being put off because of the infection she had. He fears it may be hiding out somewhere in her body so he's giving it plenty of time to resurface.



Not to be discouraged, she powers through the very painful rehabilitation exercises and goes to physical therapy twice a week. My (Bob) new year beginning has also been challenging but not in a physical way. The work I do is in the automotive industry and it, sort of like housing, has slowed down a lot. In December and January my earnings were much lower than our spending. We've pulled it off by God's grace so far but it's been scary.


February 1st and we'll be moving! Because of some financial challenges Leah, our daughter, will be facing soon, we've gone together and us and her and 2 of the grand kids are going to live together to save on rent. It will lower our combined rent by about $300 a month so that's a good thing. Zach, the tallest one in the photo, will be with us every other weekend so it'll be even more fun.


WHAT DO YOU SAY?

If you have enough eye witnesses and they are all saying about the same thing, it means something in a court of law. Here's what a bunch of eyewitnesses had to say about Jesus...

Pharisees: This man receives sinners!

Pilate: I find no fault in him.

Judas: I have condemned innocent blood.

Centurion: Truly, this was the Son of God.

Demon: Jesus, you are the son of the most high God.

John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Apostle John: In the beginning was the word...and the word was God.

Thomas: My lord and my God.

Angels: To you this day a Savior is born who is Christ the Lord.

God the Father: This is my son in whom I am well pleased.

Some on that list didn't even like Jesus, but all told what they saw and knew to be true. It's refreshing to me to hear what these folks had to say about our King. There are times that my actions betray what I've said. If He truly is the King, and if He truly is my friend, why do I fear? If He is the one who holds my future in His hand, why would I ever worry? I say He is able, but sometimes I work like He isn't. I say He is always good, but sometimes I question what's going on. I tell people He meets all our needs, and then I get uptight when my paycheck is only $62 for a week's work. Can you identify with me on this? What can we do?

This lovely young lady is a Buddhist. She writes us and affectionately calls us mom and dad. She grew up without a dad. She was one of my students and graduates from university next March. We are sad to not be there. Please pray with us for her salvation.


What I would like to do on this website for this next year is explore what it means to become like Jesus, thus the title--BE LIKE HIM. I really would like to be like Him. I would like to have His nature become mine. I would like His wisdom to be mine. I would like His strength to be mine. And above all, I guess, I would like His compassion to become mine. Now, there's the easy part.
It's easy to say what I want. It's easy to say I would like to climb Mt. Everest (I don't!), but to do so demands a large commitment and a lot of sacrifice. How much more of a commitment and sacrifice must be made to become like Christ? Oh my, it boggles my pea brain to ponder such things.



This isn't Mt. Everest, in case you thought it might be--it is a photo from our backyard in Thailand. Oh, how we miss our old home.




So, let's ponder together. Why don't you email us what you think about what we are doing? Would you give me your input? Share some of your experiences that have helped you to go from "glory to glory." What are you doing that helps you become more and more like our Lord Jesus? We'd like to know.


GET IN THE ARK--IT'S GOING TO RAIN
Noah's Ark was very much a preview of the Church. Within the walls of the Ark, all was safe and sound. Outside the Ark, there was only death. One of the main differences is this: If you went into the Ark as a wolf, you came out as a wolf. If you went in as a buzzard, you came out a buzzard. In our day, you may enter the Church as a wolf, but you come out as a lamb. You might enter as a buzzard, but you'll come out as an eagle. That's the way it is supposed to be--we are changed into the likeness of Him who created us. We are changed by His grace and daily abundant doses of mercy and we are changed by our own free will to DO what is right and honorable. When I opened my heart to Christ, I was a buzzard. Thank God He isn't satisfied with me in that state. He wants me to be an eagle. He wants me to soar above with Him. So He works in my life both to do His will and become like Him who wills I change. Can we do it?

It's way too easy to say, "Oh well no one's perfect." True. Except for Jesus of course. Those kinds of excuses won't hold up under the scrutiny of judgment day. "What, I gave you one talent and you give me nothing back but one talent! You worthless servant." That's not what I want to hear on judgment day. The feeling good and living good lifestyle that has been adopted by the West as normal Christianity is lacking any pretense of truth. It certainly wouldn't sound true to our brothers and sisters of the 1st - 4th centuries who endured such persecution and trial. Let's rise up and be conformed into the image of Him and give back 10 talents for the 5 He's given us. I don't wanna be a buzzard. I want to fly, but not like a buzzard. I wanna be all God intended for His Bride--clothed in white without spot or blemish.


This isn't exactly what I meant "without blemish," but here's the most beautfiul bride I've ever seen!




LET'S PRAY...
In the upcoming months, I'm going to keep this site up to date with what's going on in the BE LIKE HIM adventure. I trust that God will bless our endeavor. The number one way to grow in maturity is through prayer. Will you join us? We can pray for one another and give encouragement along the way. We can share one another's burdens as well as our joy. Let's exalt His name together! Here's a verse that means much to me right now: Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Wherever you are; whatever you are doing; no matter the test or what your circumstance: GOD IS AT YOUR RIGHT HAND. Look over there and tell Him what you think. Ask for His help. He's there for you--and me. Let's not grow weary and let's not look back. In the immortal words of Bill and Ted: Party on. Sorry, couldn't resist.

One way to grow is through surfering. Here, Jackie and I are surfering in the hot sun last summer. Life can be hard!

Happy New Year--Now what do we do?

Jackie, Nathan & Lauren





Zach, Nathan, Leah, Bob




How long have you been a Christian? Are you happy with where you are at right now spiritually? How do you decide if where you are is a good place? Good question! Do you look at others and compare yourself with them? Do you look at the church and see how the people are living and use that as a norm? Or do you look at Christ in the
gospels and see how He lived? Do you read the Acts of the Apostles and see how they lived? Have you ever wondered if maybe we are supposed to live like they did? Believe how they believed? Sacrifice like they sacrificed? Give as they gave? Go as they went?


As Americans, we love to surround ourselves with comfort, security and freedom. If you think about it, those 3 things will keep you from growing in your faith. When you read about the Apostles and other saints in history, that isn't the way they lived. It's time to be uncomfortable, insecure and a slave. That'll cause some changes! Ha. If you want to kick it up a level, ask for some pain and suffering too. How unAmerican does that sound?


Mat 7:11 says...
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!



In my earlier years of being a Christian, I read this verse and knew that it meant that God wanted me to be comfy and secure because He would give me everything I needed to be happy and fulfilled. He only would give me "good" stuff. If I was sick, pray harder. If I was broke, confess my wealth louder.


Elijah, Jake, Leah, Zach, Jackie





But God always wants us to grow and become more and more like Him--it's His will. If we are brave enough to ask, it's His will to do that very thing. How that manifests in your life may not always be comfy. Again, we Americans think God wants us to be comfortable, cozy, secure, free, and so on, but look at good old Job. Job was the first book written in the Bible so its example for all that followed must be fairly important. Job was a man who was "blameless" in God's sight yet he went through unbelievable suffering and it changed him. Why? Believe me he asked and all the while he was going through that time of suffering, there was no answer. But in the end, Job was changed and his life was put back together better than before. He became like our example in 2 Cor. 3:18.

Lauren & Jackie's Mom, Justine

Like Job, we also go through testing and suffering. Why? I often hear people say it must be some kind of sin. I guess that could be true, but it isn't always because of some sin (Job was "blameless"), but it may just be God answering our prayer to become more and more like Him. Don't fight it. It's the way the saints of old grew and it will work for us just as it did for them. God gives good gifts ALL the time so don't worry about what they may or may not look like or even how they may manifest themselves in your life.



While it's true we are in a war with Satan and we must be aware of his schemes, Satan has to run things by God before they run into us. Look at Job again for an example. Satan had to get God's permission to hassle Job. Armed with that truth, we have decided that trying to figure out what's going on isn't nearly as helpful as giving thanks in ALL things ALL the time. If it comes to me, it came to Christ first and He knows what I need and He only gives good gifts. Therefore, no matter what my circumstance, I can be thankful that God is working in my life. To do otherwise invites questions that can't be answered and usually steals peace.

Charlie and the grand kids



So that's my challenge in 2008. It's time for us to quit goobing around and ask, seriously ask, that God make us more and more like Him. To do that, we simply need to look in the gospels. Look in Acts. Read Church history. Look at those who have finished the race and emulate their lives. Don't look at how the people in your church live for what's normal Christianity. I'm not saying there aren't saints in the churches today, there are. But look at the Bible and Church history first and
model your life after that. Oh, as an aside, don't point fingers. The first step to change is the realization that YOU have failed, not the ones around you. Being like Jesus means we love like He loved so love those in your church--don't judge them. Get them to join you in your quest for maturity and growth.

Julie, our niece. I thought surfing took balance!



If you were wondering about Jackie and her health/knee challenge, we continue to
pray and persevere. She is making progress but still not walking. She has a doctor's appointment with her new specialist (we had to give up on the original) on January 15th and that's when he said she should be walking or her chances of ever walking would be about zero unless she gets a knee replacement. Yes, we have had to even give thanks for all of this even though we are clueless about what's going on--we only know that God gives good gifts and that He is our Redeemer. There have been many tears shed but our faith in Him is solid (today!). Please keep on praying for
Jackie's recovery from all that went wrong from a simple test.


All the photos aren't in, but here's one of Bum and her parents from her Christian wedding last week. We are very happy for her and Glynn. Please pray for them as they begin a new life together in Christ. More photos to come.



Finally, honest. Thanks for all your love, prayers and support through 2007. We are His unworthy servants and appreciate you!

Bob and Jackie