Time Stoppage…

Yes, I wish I had learned the art of time stoppage. Apparently in the northern jungles of Thailand, there are groups of ancient masters who can slow or completely stop the passage of time. It’s an art which has been passed down from teacher to student for centuries. I recently learned of this mystical group and went searching for them. To my dismay, I never found this alleged group of time controllers.

All that being said, I wish I could slow down time and stay here longer. It seems only yesterday I left Atlanta, but here it is seven weeks later. Unreal. I’ll be home in 14 days. I already miss Thailand.

Today was a good day. Did some laundry and set a pool record. 8.5s. New swimsuit. pfhh. How about goergia gym shirts and a heart of desire? Done.

I miss everyone at home. I really do! I can’t wait to see smiling faces and share my adventures with you.

-junglejon

Some good shots.

Hello!

Let’s just say you know you’re in a good place when the Seven is the hippinest-hoppenest place in town.

Here are some good shots. Random flowers. Fish Cave. And Some pics of downtown.

-junglejon

A Bigger Picture (Part 5)

Jesus was either crazy or brilliant.

But, this is not really about that.

This guy said some pretty crazy stuff.

“It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle then for a wealthy man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Excuse me?

“If someone strikes you on the right cheak, turn to the left.”
Why can’t I just punch him with my foot?

“If someone makes you go one mile, go for two.”
But, my feet hurt.

“If they take your jacket, give them your shirt too.”
Won’t I be cold?

“If you want to follow me, deny yourself and take up your cross.”
You mean the Roman cross?

Crazy. But, it’s not about that.

How many times do we find ourselves accusing God of being a nut case? I’ll be the first to admit, I have done it more in the last few months than most people will ever do in a lifetime. Try this on for size, “God. I know you made the universe and everything in it. But, you’re crazy.” Really?

I think it’s interesting, however, the times when we seem to think God is crazy are when we are faced with tough decisions, quetions with no answers, sickness, and heartache. I think I see a trend. Maybe it’s not about HIm being crazy but us not being able to trust.

A while back, I was reading my bible, and I came across the story of when Jesus raises Lazerus from the dead. Great story. The disciples came to Jesus and told him Lazerus was sick and was going to die. So, what does Jesus do? He decides to show up on the scene three days late. When Jesus gets to the place where they had buried Lazerus, the disciples came to him and told him he wasn’t in time. Jesus goes on to say he is the resurrection and the life. All those around said, “Yes, we know. At the end of times, you will bring life to all those who believe in you.” Then the story reads, “Jesus wept.” I think he wept because those around him didn’t believe he was capable of bringing Lazerus back. They were angry and upset because Jesus didn’t immediately come and fix the situation. Their lack of faith and understanding made Jesus weep. So, the story unfolds. Jesus asks to be taken to the place where Lazerus was buried. When he gets there, he walks up to the tomb. I imagine he walks forward and places his hands on the stone, feeling its warmth from the sun. He looks toward heaven and whispers a prayer. Then he steps back, and with a grin he yells, “Lazerus, my friend. Get up. Come and fellowship with us.” I can hear the whispers from the others even now. “What is he saying? He must be crazy.”

A few tense minutes pass. Then a rustle. A scuffle of feet. Then a few bewildered gasps as a man wrapped in buriel cloth walks from the tomb. He squints at the daylight. And smiling at Jesus, he gives him a hug and makes a joke about being hungry.

The best part is next. Jesus, smiles and turns to his disciples, friends and Lazerus. He looks them full in the face with eyes remembering the creation of the world and says, “Did I not tell you, if you would only believe you would see the glory of the Lord?”

Did I not tell you…

I think this is what it’s all about. We say, “You’re crazy.” He says, “If you believe.” Maybe, it’s not Him, it’s us.

Perhaps he was crazy brilliant.

-junglejon

Days go bye.

They days are rapidly passing here in Mae Hong Son. Bobby and I just finished our second week of teaching. It’s crazy to think I have been here almost two months already. I’m down to my last 18 days in Thailand. Kind of sad. I already miss here and I’m still here. Imagine that.

I will say I’m ready to see friends and family and such. It would just better if they came here! haha.

We have just three more days of teaching then we get ready to head back to Chiang Mai to meet the group.

I’m working on another good post. Should be up in the next day or two. In the meantime, we are doing great. Loving Mae Hong Son more and more each day.

Bye for now!

-junglejon

The view from the top.

Remember the sunset I was telling you about the other day?

I got some good shots. I hope you enjoy.

-junglejon

The best of the best.

In light of sad evangelism…Bobby and i have put together a sure fire list to bring people into the saving graces of Jesus Christ.

Need an analogy? Here are a few of the best…

Jesus is like…

1. …a softball glove. He will surely catch you and nevers makes an error.
2. …Mr. Potato Head and we are the arms and feet. Some of us are the big clown feet while others are simply extra parts stuck in the behind compartment.
3. …a Reese’s Pieces. Every bite is better then the first.
4. …the Lochness Monster. If you catch a glimpse, your life will never be the same.
5. …a pancake. The Holy Spirit is equally distributed like the syrup. As a opposed to the waffle where the syrup is hindered by the million little squares.
6. …the 7/11. It has everything you need and is open 24/7.
7. …is like facebook. He has tons of friends and is hipper than myspace.
8. …is like Google. It’s the best and always has the best results when searching.
9. …is like Marble Slab Ice Cream. I can tell you how good it is, but until you try it you’ll never know.
10. …is like coffee. He gives to energy to kick start your day.
11. …is like Sprite. He is refreshing whatever the circumstance.
12. …is like chocolate milk. It’s just good.
13. …is like Frisbee. Anyone can play and it’s for all ages.
14. …is like a yo-yo. You can take him anywhere and he totally dominates the sleeper.
15. …is like pro wrestling. If you think he’s fake, I dare you to climb in the ring.

-junglejon

I have learned the secret.

Saturday, something happened that lit a fire somewhere inside me. We got back from the softball clinic and one of the leaders was instructing the group concerning Sunday morning activities. She asked for two of them to prepare to share their testimonies during the service. Then she said, “I want them to be powerful testimonies. Not ones where you say, ‘I got saved and it was good.’”

What? Please repeat that…

I walked away. Really? Is this how we think? As if salvation’s power is dependent on how many times I have screwed up. Do we really think we can enhance the power of the gospel by our own misdeeds and wrongdoings? Is any salvation or testimony more powerful or potent than any other? I certainly thought it was all about Jesus and his love for a bride. Not my junk. The power is not in far we drifted, but in how far He went to save us.

So, next time someone says they want a powerful testimony as opposed to a weak one, I will punch them in the sternum. Shame on you for diminishing the power of the gospel and the love of Jesus.

On to happier things, I suppose.

Sunday was a good day. Started well and ended better. We got up and went to church with one the teachers. It was awesome. For some reason, going to church in a different country, sitting through a service in a different language and worshiping with people I have never seen before is very edifying to my spirit.

After, we came back to the house, took a killer nap, and chilled by the pool. It was good.

We had dinner with Joel and Jerome then drove to the top of the mountain and watched the greatest movie I have ever seen. For thirty minutes, no one spoke as we watched the sun crawl behind the mountains on the far side of the valley.

It was one of those moments where everything stops and words are no good. None at all. I just sat there as the past months flashed by. I relived it all and in a moment of clarity, more of the puzzle fit together. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he says…

I have the learned the secret to being content…

On the side of that mountain, I felt what it was like to be completely content. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I didn’t want to be with anyone. I wasn’t hungry, thirsty, hot, cold, uncomfortable, tired, and in no hurry to leave. I was truly content for the first time in my life. It was just me and the God of creation. Him looking at me and me looking at him and the only thing I wanted was to just sit there and soak as much of his masterpiece up as possible. Completely content. Comepletely dependent on no one or no thing but the Lord.

I don’t consider to have fully grasped it, but in part. More today then yesterday.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

-junglejon

Me and the kids. Gotta love it.

Laughter.

Today was one of the best times I have had so far. I taught the little kids this morning. 9 and 10 year olds. We had so much fun learning English and saying,”Hello, my name is…” They just laughed and laughed and laughed. Then I laughed. And we all laughed. I took some great pictures of me with the kids. I will put them up tomorrow.

I think we should all laugh more. Jesus invented laughing and I’m convinced he laughs and smiles and parties all the time. So many times we think of him as someone who helps only when times are bad. But, I’m beginning to see how he’s all around even when I am laughing.

One day, I am going to throw a Jesus sized party. It’s going to be amazing. I guess I’m still waiting for a few things to happen though. When or if they do, it’s on like donky kong.

Let the laughter begin.

-junglejon

p.s. Yes, that’s me chillin’ next to the pool. I love this country.

A Bigger Picture (Part 4)

What can I do with my obsession?

As the richness of my Savior blossoms in my chest, the heavier my heart my gets at the mass of people who deliberately decide to walk away from the greatest gift they have ever been given. Especially the throng of students who walk away instead of choosing the narrow. I think something has gone drastically wrong in how we teach the value of living a life totally abandoned to the gospel of our Lord and savior. I think this falls squarely on the shoulders of the church.

Now before I go any farther, I need to discuss what I mean by ‘church.’ I don’t mean to speak against the Church. If someone talked about my bride I would put a fist right between their eyes. In this post I am referring to ‘church’ with a little ‘c.’ Or, church as the establishment. Not ‘Church’ as the world wide body of believers who share Jesus as the capstone.

As I was saying, the problem falls on the church and the process by which we are trained and raised in righteoussness. My whole life I have heard “Don’t drink. Don’t have sex. Don’t do drugs. Don’t cheat. Don’t lie. etc.” with the only adequate reason against these activities is “it’s bad for you.” Lame-O. Maybe instead of teaching what Christianity isn’t, we teach what it is. We carry this banner of Christ as a man of rules, regulations, and don’t’s. Instead of freedom, passion, love, and ultimately, life to the fullest. Seriously, what message is going to capture the imagination of teenager when we tell them things they can’t do? It’s a problem. I would even go as far as to say encouraging them not to do something is indirectly encouraging them to do it. We are putting a box around our students instead of giving them ultimate freedom. I heard a message once on sex. The pastor stood on stage and said, “I’m not going to tell you not to have sex. I won’t. I will only tell you there is a better way.” It reminded me of Paul when he says everything is permissable but not everything is beneficial.

There is a better way.

When you meet a Jesus like I have over these past few weeks, you will know what I mean. All of a sudden the things of this world get the volume turned way down and this obsession begins to form in your heart and mind. It’s like a burning fire or a category five hurricane. Your senses get put on overload and you’re on the verge of crying, shouting, laughing and missing words all at the same time. So, you melt. The springs in your eyes break lose and canyons are carved on your cheaks. You’re so weak you can’t stand so you hit your knees. You try to pray but the words are gone and the only thing intelligent you can utter is, “Jesus, you are so sweet.” And you want more. Always. You’ll do anything to get back to the place where your stomach audibly turns at the mention of your savior’s name. This is the better way.

There is an example in scripture and this story has quickly become one of my favorites over the past few weeks. It’s the story of the woman at the well. In the story, the woman is going to get water. For these few moments of life, her entire purpose is to get water and carry it back to her village. When she gets there, she meets someone she had no idea would be there; Jesus (not so unlike our own encounters with Jesus sometimes.) The two start talking and the story says…

“Leaving her bucket at the well, she ran…”

Did you catch that? She left her entire purpose. She left her identity. Herself. And she ran. Why? Because she met a man named Jesus. She found a better way and all she wanted was to tell everyone.

One more example. This past semester I had a professor bent on destroying the Christian faith. He was relentless and I can say he almost had me. The last day of class he held nothing back. He even went as far as to say something like ‘why would anyone worship a God who lets so much bad happen in the world?’ I’ll be honest, I have wondered the same. I sat there in class trying to formulate an answer to this question. I could only come up with one, my Jesus is better than anything else. He says, ‘deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.’ Why would he say it if he didn’t have some crazy awesome plans in store for us? Unless he was crazy. (Believe you me, one of these posts will be called ‘Jesus was either brilliant or crazy.’) I don’t have the answer to why God allows bad things in the world. But, like the woman at the well, there is something about this man Jesus who causes me to leave everything I know behind and run as far and as fast as I can, telling everyone about this better way.

Maybe instead of telling teenagers what they can’t do, why don’t we say, “Hey, I don’t have the answers. But I have personally met this man who makes me weak, makes me cry, makes me overflow with joy, and makes everything else in this world black and white. I want to take you to meet him. His name is Jesus.” I suspect we won’t have to tell students what they are unallowed to do, all they will want is Jesus. More and more. Eveything else will fall by the wayside as they are filled with Holy Spirit.

I want to know this Jesus. Will you come with me?

-junglejon

p.s. I found a place to rent bikes. It was a mountain bike, though. Still, it was good to be in the saddle again.

Mae Hong Son.

Bobby and I arrived in Mae Hong Son Monday. The flight was all of 35 minutes from Chiang Mai. Definitely worth skipping the six and a half hour bus ride. When we got here, Kate brought us to our place of residence. It’s amazing. It sits at the bottom of a mountan. It’s a guest house at a local resort. It has a pool and hot water and AC and a comfortable bed. This time around, we also have a moped for cruising. Wonderful.

The town of Mae Hong Son is amazing. It’s small, but not too small. It’s sits in the valley between two huge mountains with a river flowing through it.  It doesn’t get too hot. The best way I can describe it is “towny.” I think. It’s really laid back. You can tell it’s kind of tourist town during the season, but it isn’t that time of year. It’s just awesome. So, far it’s my favorite place I’ve been in Thailand.

Bobby and I were exploring last night on the moped and it hit me, “I’m riding on a moped, between the mountains, on the streets of Thailand. It’s like a dream or the things you see in movies.”

Yesterday, Kate took us to the schools. Yes, plural. Bobby and I will be teaching at two schools while we are here. Crazy. Yesterday was insane. I was in a senior class and I was just supposed to introduce myself and let the kids ask me questions. I got asked to teach the union and intersection of sets and passive voice. WHAT? I fumbled big time on passive voice. Who asks to learn this? jeez.

Haha. Oh well. Win some, lose some.

-junglejon