Zionward March

Done for now

2010-05-26T12:35:00.002-04:00

I'm throwing in the towel. I've decided not to update this blog anymore. Two reasons. 1. I just never get around to updating it. 2. Facebook is the way I'll be keeping people updated.

I will be blogging, however. Follow me if the purpose for the blog interests you.

www.theologicalcorrectness.blogspot.com

Thanks to all who followed this blog (both of you!).

To God be the Glory!
MJR

Rethinking my blog

2010-05-02T15:45:00.002-04:00

I realized the other day that I haven't updated my blog in a long time. Turns out, it's been almost a year. I don't think I'll ever be a blogger.

I'm going to think about this and either start writing regularly, or pack it in. I'll let you know what I decide.

MJR

August 2009

2009-08-10T12:55:00.006-04:00

It seems to me that I should be far more tired than I am right now. Perhaps my fatigue hasn't set in yet. Or, perhaps the Lord has given me the rest I've needed through means other than sleep. I'm thinking its the latter.

The short version:

1. Camp with the High School students at Covenant College

2. Camp with the Middle School students at Camp Kulaqua

3. Missions Trip with the High School students to Cherokee, NC

And the long...

1. From July 10-15, Hana, Noah and I were up on top of Lookout Mountain in Georgia (right near Chattanooga, TN) at Camp ELEVATE with the High School students from our church. We took a group of about 20. The speaker this year was an RUF campus minister named Brent. He spoke about idolatry. It was the best teaching we've had in three years of attending camp Elevate. Brent explained that idolatry is loving, trusting in, and/or depending on something or someone more than God. He asked a series of about 12 questions, such as:

a) What are you most passionate about?

b) What do you fear the most?

c) What is the most important thing in your life?

d) What thing, if you lost it, would you be totally lost without it?

e) What satisfies you the most?

Then he dropped the bomb. He said, "If you answered anything other than 'God' to any of these questions, you have idols that you are worshiping." The students were numb. So many of them realized that they had been looking to many things other than God for satisfaction, security, and joy. Sports, academics, relationships... among other things, made the list of idols from our group. Tears fell as we remembered the power of the gospel and rejoiced in God's mercy in Christ. We were amazed at how the Lord worked in their hearts as they made commitments to break free from their idols by putting all of their trust in God. The leaders and I realized we had been bowing down to some idols too. It was a very powerful week and I believe lives were changed. I know mine was.

2. From July 20-24, I was in High Springs, FL at Camp Kulaqua with the Middle School kids. Hana and Noah came half way through the week (they didn't have proper housing for a baby there). It was wild! I had never been to Kulaqua and did not know what to expect. We arrived and I learned that the camp had: a water park (with a wave pool, lazy river, and water slide), a gym, go carts, horse back riding, a zoo (yeah, a zoo), and a spring where kids could swim and launch each other from the blob. I was profoundly impressed.

It was a great week, and I was really able to bond with the Middle School kids. The speaker did a great job. He taught about the four main parts of the the Biblical story: Creation, Fall, Cross and the Fulfillment. The kids were impacted by the teaching about the Fulfillment. They had not thought very much about the New Heavens and New Earth. They rejoiced as they tried to imagine a world without sin and evil. It's hard to

even begin to imagine, isn't it?

I'm looking forward to returning to Kulaqua next year. I just hope they don't have the two camps so close in dates again.

3. On July 30th Hana, Noah and I left with 11 High School students, Amy (one of my invaluable volunteers) and Jack (Hana's brother), for Cherokee, NC. We were returning once again to the Cherokee Indian reservation there to minister to the Cherokee people. We had a great time! We worked with people at a Senior Center in the mornings and in the afternoons we worked with kids at a youth center and we also cleaned up a few cemeteries. There are many small family cemeteries on the reservation and, as a way to show the love of Christ to the Cherokee, we cleared the brush and overgrowth away from the graves so that you could actually see that it was a cemetery. It was an experience.

In one small cemetery (two graves) we built a platform for a headstone that kept falling over. The deceased man's son was in a wheelchair and unable to make a way for his father's headstone to remain upright. It made him sad to see it laying on the ground all the time. So, we dug a hole and dropped in two cinderblocks, cut a platform, poured cement, and dropped the headstone in about three inches into the cement platform. It won't fall over ever again.

It seemed like a pretty simple task. There were more of us there than it took to do the work. We wondered why God wanted us to do it. Then, after we'd been there for about an hour, a woman walked up the hill and asked what we were doing. We explained it to her and she said she was relieved. She thought we were grave robbers! Her name was Enci and she explained to me that it was her grandfather's headstone that we were fixing. The other grave in the cemetery was that of her husband, who died in a motorcycle accident.

She explained to me that her daughter was on meth and few other drugs. She rarely came home. When she did, she slept most of the time. She was very concerned for her daughter. I asked her if she was a member of a local church, and she said she was not part of a church. We talked to her about the gospel and about the power of Jesus. We gave her a book that told the story of the life of Christ (using Scripture). We encouraged her to turn everything over to Him and trust Him to save her daughter. Then she said something shocking. She said, "My husband died 7 years ago today." We looked on the headstone and noticed that it was, indeed, 7 years to the day since the man had died. I told her that I was excited for what the Lord might do in her life and the life of her daughter. I told her that I didn't think it was a coincidence that we happened to be up there that day - exactly 7 years after the event that had caused the pain in her daughter's life - the pain that drover her to drugs.

I didn't tell her this, but there was another reason I was excited for what the Lord was going to do for them. As we left Orlando in two vans, we chose code names for each van to be used with our walkie talkies. My van, which was silver, was called the "silver squirrel." Amy's van, which was white, was called the "white fox." 500 miles and a few days later we were standing in a cemetery sharing the love and power of Christ to a woman who desperately needed it. The cemetery was located at the end of a long driveway. The street at the end of the driveway was, and I'm not kidding, "Fox Squirrel Branch." (on the reservation, 'Branch' is like 'road.')

In fact, we were just a few feet from the corner of Fox Squirrel Branch and Warpath Rd. I knew in my heart that God had sent us on the Warpath, to bring light to this woman whose life was in darkness. I believe God is going to do something great in her life and her daughter's life. When we ask for signs, God generally doesn't provide them. He's really into that "faith" thing. But, that doesn't mean that God doesn't give us signs. Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power and love. Our God is an awesome God.

That's all for now. I have a BUSY few weeks ahead of me. I have to finish two online classes for seminary. I have to get things planned for the fall for both the Middle School ministry and the High School ministry. And, most importantly, I need to be a husband and father. The Lord is good and He always provides for us. I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it is to have things always work out. It's not luck. It's not just good fortune. It's a loving and graceful God's providence. Let us know how we can be praying for you!

"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21

For the Nations,

MJR

July 2009

2009-07-05T22:31:00.003-04:00

So, it's been four months since I wrote an update. Would you believe I've been busy? Trust me... I've been busy.

The short version:

1. Got a job

2. Graduated from RTS

3. Started said job

4. Vacation in MN & NY

5. A crazy summer this way comes

And the long...

1. In March I was asked to if I wanted to interview for the position of Assistant Pastor at our church (University Presbyterian), to run the youth ministry. Hana and I felt like it was too good to be true. We've dreamed of staying at UPC for years. But for the last year (or so), it hasn't looked like UPC was going to have it in the budget to hire me. Turns out, they did! I interviewed for the position on April 19th, and was informed that they were going to offer me the position just two weeks later. It was bittersweet news. Clay, my partner in youth ministry at UPC, also interviewed for the position. We were thrilled to have been offered the job; but we were sad to see Clay and his wife go. The good news is Clay got a job up in North Carolina. God is good.

2. On May 22, I graduated from RTS. It feels like yesterday I was sitting in the hot classroom listening to Dr. W. Buswell McNut (that's really his name), parse masculine, nominative, singular verbs. It was fairly surreal. The graduation ceremony, by the way, was outstanding. The best part of graduation was the realization that I was done with Seminary. The hard part was that two of my best friends at RTS postponed graduation for certain reasons. It almost didn't feel right graduating without them. God has blessed me with some tremendous friendships over the last few years. Still, although I actually have a couple online courses to finish up, and ordination to prepare for... I'm pretty happy about graduating! Whoo hoo!

3. I was hired to run the youth ministry at our church. That includes the high school ministry (which I've been running for the last three years, part time), and the middle school ministry (which Clay had been running for the last three years, part time). My "official" start date was to be July 1. However, I ended up starting on June 1. June was crazy. We had to get the whole summer planned for both ministries as fast as possible and get volunteers to staff each event. By God's grace, we did it. Then we took a nice vacation. Then on June 28, they had "Welcome Matt" Sunday at church. It was really nice. We really felt loved.

4. In mid-June, we had the chance to fly up to Minnesota to spend a few days with my family. We got to see Hana's aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandparents too! It was fun to introduce Noah to his great grandparents from North Dakota! We also attended a graduation party for my cousin's son's graduation party (high school). We saw a lot of people on my mom's side of the family. It was really fun. My cousin, Dan, looked at me as I held Noah and he said, "tomorrow he'll be graduating from high school." He was referring to Noah, and how fast time goes. I laid Noah down in his crib and sang to him a bit before he fell asleep tonight. He reached up and grabbed my pinky. It brought tears to my eyes because I know how fast he'll grow up. Also, my cousin-in-law (who is a fellow theologian) gave me a three volume set of the works of Edward Payson (a Puritan). I haven't had the chance to read much of the set yet, but I will. I'm looking forward to it!! Thanks, Stacy!

5. Here's what we've got coming up this summer. We're headed to Lookout Mountain, GA for a week of high school camp - then we get home and rest for a few days and then we head to Camp Kulaqua for a week with the middle school students - then we get home and rest a few days before we leave for Cherokee, NC for a high school missions trip. It's going to be fun! Crazy, but fun! We welcome your prayers.

Well, I apologize for being so delinquent with my updates. I'd promise to be more consistent, but you know me. And I know me. So, I'll just say I hope to be more consistent. Noah is smiling a lot these days. He's such a good baby. We love him more than we can express. We're trying to find a better way to get pictures to people. We'll let you all know when we get that figured out.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21).

God bless,

MJR

March 2009

2009-03-26T21:56:00.012-04:00

We welcomed Noah Matthew Ryman to the world on March 18th at 3:31 pm. He weighed 10 lbs 3 oz and was delivered via C-section (obviously, right?). He was 22 inches long and his chest measurement was 15 inches; the biggest the doctor had seen in 18 years of delivering babies (football player)!

Here's the story:

The due date (3/11) had come and gone and we went in for an ultrasound on the 12th to see how big our little guy was getting. The doctor said it appeared that he was 9 lbs 12 oz. We were shocked! Hana didn't believe it. I was kind of excited (shhh). After a few more days and no baby, our doctor called to get us booked at the hospital to be induced. Tuesday (3/17) we received a call and were instructed to be at the hospital at 4am on Wednesday the 18th.

We tried to get a little sleep that night, but we weren't very successful. At 2:53 Hana got up and started getting ready (our alarm was set for 3:00). I was awake too, so I got up and got going too. We got on the road on time and arrived at the hospital just before 4am. They checked us in and sent us up to the labor and delivery room. Our L&D nurse came in and began asking questions. Her name was Princess. Hana really liked her.

Around 5am they started the Pitocin (the drug that brings on contractions). They hooked up the monitor and Noah's heart rate was fine. Hana was having contractions but wasn't feeling them... at first. Eventually she began to feel the contractions. I raised my hand up (breathe in) and lowered it slowly (breathe out). Hana was doing great. After 9 hours of contractions but very little dilation, Noah's heart rate rose a bit. The nurses (one of which was Suzy, the wife of our pastor!!) did a few things in the hopes they would get Noah's heart rate back down to normal. They turned her, they put an oxygen mask on her, they turned off the pitocin... nothing worked.

The doctor came in and said everything was ok, but it was getting dangerous. He said we needed to have a C-section; we agreed and pretty soon they took Hana away from me so they could give her a spinal shot. The doctor promised he wouldn't begin the surgery until I was in the room. I sat on a chair in my yellow surgery gown and my blue cap and shoe covers. I prayed. I prayed a lot. I told God He was not allowed to take either one of them away from me (I repented for telling God what to do later).

Pretty soon Suzy came to get me and she led me back to an OR where Hana was lying on her back with only her head visible. They put up a screen to block the... well, the gross stuff. I sat in a chair and put my head by Hana's. The doctor said, "Matthew, it's your job to keep Hana's mind off of what 's going on on this side of the screen." We talked about how we couldn't believe we were having a son. We talked about how great God is. We cried a lot. I told her, "Any second now, we're going to hear him cry... any second now." Soon enough, everyone in the room began clapping. And then we heard Noah for the first time. Then we saw him. The doctor lifted him up over the screen and we saw him. All 10 lbs 3 oz of him. He was beautiful.

I could see him from across the room as they wiped him down and weighed him. They said I could go over to see him up close, but I wanted to say by Hana. Eventually Hana said, "Go see him, Matt." So I did. Then they sent me with Noah to the recovery room to wait for Hana. I sat with Noah in my arms. I couldn't believe it. He was so amazing. The nurse took him and tested his sugar, put goop in his eyes, and did a few other things. He cried loud, which was good because the more he did the more his color came in.

They brought Hana in eventually; I was so happy to see her. We prayed and thanked the Lord for his protection and for the child He had entrusted to us. Hana held Noah for the first time and I watched and was amazed at the sight of my wife, the love of my life, holding my son, the apple of my eye. I knew my life had changed forever, and I couldn't have been happier.

Eventually I went down to the lobby of the hospital where both sets of parents (grandparents!) were waiting, along with Hana's sister and brother. I told them the good news; that everyone was alright. I almost collapsed. I called my sisters and my Grandma. It had been a long day. Soon they moved Hana and Noah and I to a room where everyone could come visit us. Finally, everyone had gone. I leaned over and put my head on Hana's chest and wept. My beautiful wife was doing fine and my strong son was too. I was so thankful.

Well, that's the story; the first 18 hours (or so) of it anyway. A few days ago we took Noah to the doctor's office and she said everything looks great. Yesterday we went to Hana's doctor and he took out her staples. People from our church are bringing us meals every night and Hana's mom is here helping me take care of my family and get my work done at the same time.

The Bible says that The Lord knits us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13). What a gift. What a tremendous gift life is. Not only to the baby, but to the adoring parents as well. I've said it before, and I'll say it again... being a dad is far better than I had ever imagined it would be; and I had high hopes. I love my wife and I love my son. I praise the Lord and thank Him for His continued love and kindness to me. Praise God from who all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:2-5)

God bless,

MjR

February 2009

2009-02-26T18:47:00.002-05:00

Once again, my busy life has prevented me from updating this blog for tooooo long. Well, better late than never. Right?

The Short Version:
1. Our baby boy is coming soon!
2. One crazy semester.
3. What comes after RTS? Graduating in May.

And the Long...
As many of you know, our due date is March 11. Today the doctor told us that we will probably see March 11 come and go before we see our little guy. It's pretty normal for the first baby to come a bit late and Hana's mom gave birth to her first child two weeks late! We'll just have to wait and see. The good is we have everything we need. Bunches of baby showers, generous friends and family, and our perfectly faithful God have provided in ways we never thought possible. Thank you to all who have given things to us. Our little guy will be riding in style and wearing pretty cool clothes! He's already got more Polo shirts than his daddy! We're so excited! We can't wait to meet him.

This is the craziest semester I've ever had at RTS. Since I left at least one class off my schedule each semester (in order to keep my schedule manageable so I could work at UPC), I am taking 8 classes this spring. It's pretty nuts. I have absolutely no idea how I am going to get everything done. What I do know is that the Lord always enables me (miraculously most of the time) to get everything in on time. Still, once again, all my classes are excellent and it is going to be a great semester. I can't believe my time at RTS is coming to a close! What am I going to do?

Good question. The answer is, I have no idea (yet). I'm in the process of sending out resumes and looking for churches with job openings. This is an exciting time. Sometimes we worry a bit, but most of the time we are very excited. Where will the Lord call us? Florida? Minnesota? Africa? Wherever He calls us, we'll go. One of the reasons we aren't worried is because God has always taken care of us. I remember when we packed up everything we owned into a UHaul truck with our Camry in tow and drove down to Orlando. Hana didn't have a job yet. We rented an apartment not knowing how we were going to pay the rent. Perhaps we were foolish. But we really felt the Lord calling us to come. Hana got a job the third day we were here. This apartment has been an absolute blessing. And everything has been great. I say, if God calls... go. Don't worry about the details, He'll take care of everything!

Well, that's it for now. We would appreciate prayer for a safe delivery for Hana and our son. We also welcome prayer for the Lord to provide me with a job. And please pray that I will survive this crazy semester!

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

God bless,
MjR

October 2008

2008-10-30T16:49:00.004-04:00

Finally... we can announce the biggest news since our wedding day. WE'RE PREGNANT!! Hana is currently 5 months pregnant with our first son!

The short version...

1. It's a boy
2. Semester half over
3. Katie (Hana's sister) gets married!

And the long...

1. It's a boy. Five months ago Hana arrived at church about a half hour before youth group started. She said that we had received a letter from a friend in Africa who asked if we were going to have a baby. Odd. Then, Nathan (a youth ministry volunteer) told Hana she was glowing. Interesting. She was glowing, I'll never forget it. When I got home that night she had taken a pregnancy test (ok, two). I walked in and she was sitting on the couch with a look of unbelief on her face. She told me the news and I started jumping around like a monkey. I couldn't believe it. She said she wanted to take another test... just to be sure. We went to the grocery store and bought a couple boxes of tests. We used all of them. Give us a break; we're new at this!

We made an appointment with the doctor our good friends used when they had their baby. They scheduled an ultrasound during the 9th week. We didn't know he was a boy yet, but we knew he was alive and well. His little heart was beating 173 times per minute. When I saw it on the screen, so was mine. I looked at Hana, and she was smiling big. The Lord had indeed given to us a child. The funny thing was that on the way their Hana had said (a number of times), "What if we get there and there's no baby in there?" I kept saying, "Babe, there's a baby in there!" As I held her hand and looked at the screen displaying the pictures of our baby I said, "See. There is a baby in there." We were given a print out of a couple of the pictures the technician took. We couldn't wait to post them on facebook!

On the way home we started talking about names (both boys and girls). I can't believe it has been so long since that day. Just over a week ago we went in for our 20 week appointment. It's amazing what happens in ten weeks. Now our boy looks like this...

The technician moved the thing around until she had a good shot of a distinguishing body part. She said, "Can you tell what your baby is?" I said. "Is it a boy?" She confirmed my suspicion. Once again, I was holding Hana's hand and I looked over at her. She had a tear in her eye. We were overwhelmed. We had brought a CD to download the pictures to, and once it was done we were out of there. Once again, on the way home, we talked about names. We're leaning toward Poyschamfunda. It's an old name from the northern region of.. ok, I'm just kidding. I made that up. We don't know what we're calling this little guy yet. "Baby Ryman" for now. We'll keep you posted. Please pray for him, and for us as we prepare to bring a child into this world. He is a gift from God and we are excited to raise him to know and love our Savior, Jesus.

2. I can't believe we're half way through this semester. And, I can't believe I'll graduate in May. My goodness! Everything is pretty much up in the air at this point. UPC doesn't know if they'll have the money to bring me on full time. I'm going to be sending out resumes soon in case they can't. To be honest, though, I hardly think about it. My mind is more on my boy, and the excitement of being a father. I know the Lord's in control anyway, so why worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow will worry about itself, right? (Matthew 6:34)

3. We went to Katie's wedding on the 18th. It was one of the nicest weddings I've ever been to (when I say 'nicest' I mean 'beautiful,' but I didn't want to sound like a girly man). Everything went to plan, except for the photographer arriving 30 minutes late. A seemingly big problem, that is, until later that night we realized that since he was late he was going to be there an extra half hour, which meant he'd be there for the cutting of the cake! God's got that stuff under control too. If we'd just trust Him!

Well, that's about it for now. Lots of stuff coming up: Turkey Day in Palm City, Christmas in Minneapolis, New Years back in Palm City, Baby in March, graduation in May, new job in June... pretty crazy. I just thank God that He has not only promised to always provide and take care of us, but has shown us that He always will. An example of that would be the fact that we've received enough maternity clothes from people we know that we don't have to buy anything. Not a thing. God is good.

"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-27).

God bless,
MjR

September 2008

2008-09-02T07:59:00.008-04:00

Clearly... it's been a busy summer! Here it is September and I haven't updated my blog since May. MAY! That's nuts. Well, what can you do?

The short version:
1. The biggest news of the year!!!
2. Ghana - The West Africa Church Planting Institute was life changing
3. Georgia - Camp Elevate, a great week at church camp
4. England- Vacation Bible School in the South Hall area of London
5. Canada - Reeling in the big ones with Dad
6. School's in session!

And the long...

1. Many of you know our huge news. I can't post it yet, but I will when the time is right. Thanks for your patience!

2. I went to Ghana with Global Church Advancement (GCA) to help facilitate the GCA West Africa Church Planting Institute 2008. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and profoundly life changing. IF you'd like to read a journal I kept, click here: www.gca.cc/blog. At this point they haven't posted everything, but it's coming. Make sure you scroll down to part 1 first. Suffice to say, my view of God's mission to save the world is deeper now than ever before. And, subsequently, my view of God's sovereignty and my view of His goodness has been expanded dramatically.

3. We took 24 students to Lookout Mt, Georgia in July for Camp Elevate. We had a great time! The speakers were great and the activities were really fun. The weather... oh, the weather!! I was able to wear a hooded sweatshirt (living in FL does not often afford me such opportunities). Lookout Mt is absolutely beautiful. But the best part was being able to watch the Lord work in the hearts of the students. We rocked the sports competitions. We won the basketball tournament and the volleyball tournament. The plaques are hanging in my office. I'm so proud!

4. London was amazing. We ran a VBS (vacation bible school) for 150 kids in the South Hall area of London. These were kids from Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu backgrounds. They were very receptive to the gospel and our hearts were warmed as many of them said, "I want to be on God's team." Our theme was the Olympics. We also were able to visit different temples. It was hard to watch people bowing down to idols; really hard. It was also sad to hear about how a bridge we crossed many times was the place where many people from the area had committed suicide. People who live in honor/shame based cultures will sometimes kill themselves if they believe it will somehow restore honor to their families (if they've done something immoral), or to just escape the sharp pain of guilt and shame. The people who have heard of the freedom from guilt and shame that comes with following Jesus have had amazing life change. You can read more about our experiences there here: http://www.londonmission08.blogspot.com/

5. In August my Dad and I went fishing in Canada with a group of guys that go each year. It was my Dad's 10th time, and my 4th. We had a great trip. Lots of fish. 6 men, 5 days, 375 fish. Yeah, 375! I caught 58 of them myself. And I'm not talking minnows here. 17, 18, even 22 inch Walleyes. It was grand. We also had the unique pleasure of helping some firemen put out a forest fire that had been started by lightning. Oddly enough, Ralph (one of the guys) and I had seen the bolt that started the fire. We were standing out looking at the storm on the horizon and suddenly a huge flash filled the sky. Two days later, smoke. It had fried the tree, which had heated the moss on the ground to the point of ignition. As soon as the wind picked up... fire. It's so beautiful up there.

6. School started a couple of weeks ago. I like all my classes this semester (big surprise, right? I always love every class). I also have the opportunity of being a TA (teaching assistant) for Dr. Childers. I'm TAing his Missions class. Missions class was the class that had the most profound effect on me, so it's an extreme honor to help this semester.

Prayer: Please pray for Hana and I as we prepare for a major life change this spring (you know, graduation and a few other things). Please pray for the Lord to provide for us financially (not sure how we're paying for this year of seminary). Please pray for our continued ministry to the High School students. And pray for the nations and all the people who have yet to hear of Jesus.

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Hab. 2:14)

God bless,
MjR

May 2008

2008-05-23T08:30:00.003-04:00

These last few months have been pretty rough (busy schedule, hard classes...), and I've moaned and groaned my fair share, but yesteray at 2:27 I put down my pencil, collected my exam papers, walked to the front of the classroom and handed in my final, final exam of the semester. "Done," I said. And it was then, as I was overwhelmed with the way God has sustained me and enabled me to persevere this semester, that I realized how ironic it is that I complain more about the ways in which God chooses to bless me, than about the ways in which I continue to dishonor Him by failing to trust Him in all things. Richard Allestree once wrote, "The very breath with which we complain is a blessing." I think that says it all.

The short version...
1. Willy Wanka: we went and saw Jack (Hana's brother) star in Willy Wanka at his high school.
2. School's out for summer!
3. Ghana or bust: I leave for Ghana on May 29 (hope my Visa comes >.<)
4. Hana's keeping her job

And the long...
1. Last Thursday we headed down to Palm City to see Hana's family and, in particular, Jack, who was starring in his high school's production of Willy Wanka. He was Willy. I had not ever seen a high school production of this magnitude. Yeah, some of the special effects were kind of cheesy; but for the most part it was very impressive. All of the actors did a great job, sang like birds, and made us all laugh heartily. Jack was one heck of a Willy Wanka! He'll be coming up to Orlando in August to start at the University of Central Florida, and he's going to be helping out at UPC with the youth ministry as our youth-ministry-music intern. I'm very excited about it!

2. Well, two down and one to go! A year from today, Lord willing, I will graduate from RTS! I overheard my (third year) friend Daniel talking on his cell to a friend about graduating and it made me so excited! Yeah, it's a year away; but down here... time flies. It still feels like we just moved in, and I'm 2/3 done with seminary already! The good news is I am not only finished with another semester; I'm finished with the hardest semester of my degree! Thank God!! I'm sure third year won't be easy, and even if it's as hard as this semester was... I'm in. I can't wait! The thing is, though, I'm not confident that I can do it. I'm confident that God will be with me, and that He's in control. One of the things I love about God is the fact that both my successes and failures are part of His plan. How could someone work together everything in my life for my good? How is that possible? I don't know how God does it, but I truly believe He does.

3. If my visa comes in soon, I'll be boarding a plane headed for Accra, Ghana on the 29th. I have been overwhelmed by the prayer and financial support of my friends and family. If you are a contributor...THANK YOU!! and THANK GOD!! How humbling. I currently have over 100% of the money I needed to raise.

A couple of weeks ago I got my shots. I've got my passport. I do need to go get my malaria prevention meds; maybe I'll do that today. I'm excited about the conference. We'll be training church planters and church-planting-movement leaders to blanket West Africa with God fearing, Bible believing, Christ centered churches. Please pray for us! My next post will have a full report of how things went.

4. Finally, as we head into summer, I just want to express how thankful we are to God for providing Hana with the opportunity to stay at JHMS again next year. She has really enjoyed this year and she's going to miss her students. We went and saw one of her students performing in the school play. He was really funny! And the play was good. At the end, while we were applauding, the directors gave a short speech. Then the male lead blurted out, "I want to make a speech!! I want to make a speech!" And then he said, "I just want to say, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for God and my Dad." He desired nothing more than to give God the credit for the applause that he was receiving, and to honor his Dad. Amen brother! Amen.

The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deut. 31:8)

God bless,
MjR

March / April 2008

2008-04-21T20:54:00.004-04:00

Well... perhaps the fact that I never posted in March is an indicator of how crazy this Spring has been. Still, God is good.

The Short Version:

1. The Ligonier Conference was great
2. I "Walk[ed] for Life"
3. Hana's getaway
4. Preaching: round II
5. Africa!

And the long...
This year the theme of the Ligonier Conference was "Evangelism According to Jesus." Compared to last year (which was outstanding), this year was not as good. However, it was still a great experience. They gave RTS students free tickets about a week before the conference. I had already paid for my ticket, so I gave my ticket to my good friend (and fellow youth worker) Nathan. It was great having him there and we ended up having some really good conversations between the lectures.

On April 12, True Life Choice (teen crisis-pregnancy center) had their annual "Walk for Life." They invite people to walk around Orlando's beautiful Lake Eola in order to raise money for TLC. Their goal is to show unprepared and un-wed mothers-to-be that there are plenty of options other than abortion. It's amazing how many lives they have saved. Leone is a band I really like. Their singer (a 19-year-old, very talented musician and song writer) was almost aborted. He sings about it in a song called D&E. He says, "ok kill my baby...just don’t step on turtle eggs at the beach.... I'll take your life, so I can go on with mine." I know that if it weren't for the grace of our loving God, I wouldn't be so devastated by the number of abortions that take place in America every day. Especially since one is way too many. If you can stomach it... click here to see how many abortions (and suicides) are taking place right now. And people think humans are naturally good?

On a better note; Hana went down to Ft Meyers at the end of March with her friends from High School. They had a really good time! They stayed at her friend Kerry's parent's home and had a lot of lounging time at Sanibel Island and Ft Meyers Beach. Julie, her friend, is a runner and Hana joined her in a run each day. Also, things continue to go well for her at school. She likes her students more and more each day. We're hoping she'll be able to stay on for next school year. We'll see!

I was asked to preach at Hana's parents church on Sunday. Well, I was asked to do it a long time ago, but when they asked - they asked me to preach on Sunday. But I'm sure you figured that out without my help. Anyway... it went well. I wasn't quite as nervous this time. I preached on how repentance takes away the sorrow we feel over mistakes we've made in life. The coolest part was the fact that my brother-in-law (Jack) led worship. Maybe it was a taste of what's to come? Jack on guitar, me in the pulpit. Good times.

Finally, I would like to shout praises to the Lord for His faithfulness in bringing in the financial support I need for my trip to Africa with Global Church Advancement in June. For those of you that have partnered with us (in prayer or financially)... THANK YOU!! We're so grateful for your generosity and your desire to see the gospel proclaimed in west Africa.

Please pray for me! I have a rough month ahead of me. Papers, final exams, Mission trip planning (x2), youth group... it's going to be nuts. Pray that I will keep my eyes on Jesus and that I would not lose sight of the fact that my number one call in life is to be a good husband to Hana.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Romans 16:24 )

God bless,
MjR

February 2008

2008-02-25T22:13:00.010-05:00

It was 80 degrees outside today. Don't hate me all you northerners!

The short version:
1. I preached; nobody walked out :)
2. Classes are under way
3. Hana to Miami
4. New news style (blog) booyah, I'm hip.

And the long...
On January 27, 2008, I preached at UPC. It was great! The day before I had gone in to my office to finish writing my sermon (I put the "pro" in procrastination). Mike Osborne came by and he told me that when he first started preaching he would get very nervous up until about 5 minutes before he was supposed to preach - and then he'd get a charge of excitement and a "let me at 'em" feeling. I waited for that to come, and... it did. I was not really nervous, and I could feel the Lord's presence as I began to speak. My parents flew down to be here for it; I'll never forget that. Hana's parents were here too, along with even more family and friends. We went out to lunch afterward. It was really nice. I'll never forget that day. (Listen)

Classes are well under away for me, and for Hana. Let's start with Hana. She has had a number of interesting days so far this spring. I have to be somewhat vague, since her students have found our website, and subsequently, my blog. (Hi kids!). As for me, I'm taking:
1. Acts and Pauline Epistles
2. Systematic Theology II
3. Advanced Biblical Exegesis
4. History of Christianity II
5. Preaching Lab II
6. Greek Readings

Between classes and work (UPC), I'll be fairly busy this Spring. So far, so good (however). We're working through (translating) the book of Romans in Greek Readings, and it's surely going to be cool. History is awesome. STII is phenomenal. It's all good. Seriously, I still have yet to take one class that wasn't great (ok perhaps there was one that wasn't "awesome"). Good times.

I'll be spending some serious quality time with my books this weekend, as Hana is headed down to Miami to visit friends from high school. We just bought a new car (new to us, anyway) and it's actually fully functional and safe. This is good. God has been good to us and kept us safe despite our dangerous cars. All in all, I know that His hands are our protection; not seat belts, not air-bags, not 4-wheel-anti-lock-disc breaks. To be honest, driving a beat up car is good for the soul. It causes a lot of prayer, anyway. But still, Hana has a safe car now.

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for checkin' in; and I hope you like the new "blog style" format.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:26)

God bless,
MjR

January 2008

2008-01-20T22:04:00.001-05:00

The temp down here has been in the 40's and 50's in the last week or so. It’s not supposed to be cold in FL, is it? C’mon now! Well, at least it hasn't been as cold here as it was in MN for Christmas!

The short version:
1. Christmas in MN and ND; mountains of good times
2. New Year’s Eve Rockin’ Lock-in; all night – and all right
3. Preaching at UPC; “yikes!”
4. President Hana

And the long…
We left for the frigid tundra we call Minnesota just a few days before Christmas and could see from the air that we were going to have a white Christmas! We had such a great trip! We were able to spend a lot of QT (quality time) with my parents and with my sister Sara and her husband Wade and their two kids, Sophie and Max. Max told me he loved me. I felt like a dork as the tears welled up in my eyes, but when a two year old tells you he loves you; what else are you going to do? We also saw Molly (younger sister/actor in NYC) and got to see parts of a film she just finished. She’s really talented. I’m surprised she isn’t famous yet.

After a few days with my family we drove over to Grand Forks North Dakota to see Hana’s family who had all congregated at her Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We had a blast with them! Hana has three aunts and an uncle; so you can imagine all the kids. We went to see Coco (Hana’s 9 year-old cousin) play hockey, and it was really awesome. It was a lovely 18 degrees while we were there; but you know what? We loved it. We love living in FL, don’t get me wrong – but we miss a few key things: Seasons, leaves changing color and falling, snow, and that awesome feeling of coming in from the cold into a cozy warm home with a fire burning and hot chocolate waiting for you in a coffee mug, with little marshmallows floating on top. Mmmm.

The youth-group kids asked me if we could have a lock-in on New Years Eve, and subsequently we began planning the New Year’s Eve Rockin’ Lock-in. We had so much fun. Jack, my brother-in-law, came up to lead worship and hang out. We played a lot of games, drank a lot of highly caffeinated pop (soda, whatever – give me a break!), ate a lot of pizza, and best of all; we worshiped God, and took some time to reflect on the ways He had blessed us in 2007. A bunch of the 30 kids there thanked God for our church and for the youth group and what they had learned in the last year about themselves and about our holy and merciful God. It was hard to hold back the tears as I listened to these kids talk about their real, true, and deep love for our blessed Trinity. I always tear up when I hear people talk about how much they love and trust God. I can’t help it. It reminds me of what He has done in my heart, and the gratitude is the gravity that pulls the tears down my face.

This coming Sunday (1/27/08) I will be preaching at UPC. I’ve been speaking every Wednesday night at youth group for over a year now, and I gave a sermon at a church camp-out in November, but this will be the first sermon from the pulpit. Am I nervous? Are you kidding? Yeah. But, I know that the Lord will be with me, and I’m really excited to share with our church what the Lord has shown me about the passage I’m preaching on (John 3:1-21. Jesus and Nicodemus). If you think of it, pray for me.

Hana is doing great! For the last year and a half, she’s been involved with “Women in Ministry” at RTS. It’s a ministry for the wives of seminary students and female students. She recently accepted the position of President; so she’ll be running the show for the next year! I’m so proud of her. She’s excited to do it, nervous, but excited. I know she’ll do a great job and the ministry will be surely blessed by her efforts.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you all.” (2 Thess. 3:16)
God bless,
MjR

October/November 2007

2007-10-25T15:03:00.001-04:00

Well I didn’t get a chance to write an October update, so I’ve decided to combine it with this month’s update. I’m amazed at how fast time has flown by this fall. Lots has happened, but I’ll just give you the highlights.

The short version...
1. We spent a few days in Fort Myers Beach with friends
2. We had a fun party with the youth group kids on the 31st
3. We went camping with a bunch of families from our church

And the long...
Our good friends Casey and Angela invited us to join them on a weekend get-a-way to a condo in Fort Myers beach. We happily accepted and left on the Thursday of my fall break (or, “reading week” to be accurate). The condo was great; newly redecorated, right on the beach, 9th story… the works! And it belonged to someone in Angela’s family so it was FREE! WE had a great time. We walked on the beach, swam in the ocean, went shopping at the outlet malls, and most importantly… we laid around a lot and did nothing. We actually rested. It was fantastic. We’re grateful to God for a relaxing weekend with great friends.

On October 31st, we had a rather different kind of party. We had an 80’s & Apple Butter party. (WHAT?) Yes, 80’s and Apple Butter. It all dates back to our summer Missions trip, on which, a student bought a jar of Apple Butter and loved it so much, he put Apple Butter on everything: eggs, salad, hamburgers, etc… So, ever since, the youth group has had a thing for Apple Butter. We decided to have an Apple Butter party, but soon realized that we needed something else to spice it up. The 80’s came to mind, and the rest in history. It was fun. Hana wore a poofy prom dress, and I wore white pants with a bright pink polo shirt. We looked pretty rad.

Finally, we went camping over the first weekend in November. The weather finally dipped down out of the 80/90’s all the way down to the 50’s. It was perfect. We had bonfires, sang songs, ate smores, went canoeing… and a bunch of other outdoor activities. It was fun to be with the youth group kids out in nature, it provided for a bunch of funny and memorable moments! Plus, since we were at the campsite from Friday through Sunday, I was asked to lead a worship service on Sunday morning. I had some of the youth group kids sing with me, and then I preached. It was pretty cool.

Well, that’s about it for now. Hana and I are looking forward to flying up to MN for a over a week next month. We can’t wait to see Max and Sophie (our niece and nephew). We’ll be heading down to Palm City for Thanksgiving to spend a few days with Hana’s parents. They have been so gracious and loving toward us ever since we moved here. We’re very grateful to God for them!

Thanks for checkin’ in!

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

God bless,
MjR

September 2007

2007-09-27T22:02:00.001-04:00

I love the fall. Next to spring, it’s my favorite season. It will be hard to sweat through another “Florida fall,” knowing that back home the leaves are turning colors, the wind has a chill in it, and the smell of smoke is billowing out of someone’s chimney in the neighborhood. Don’t get me wrong, Florida isn’t too shabby! I’m really excited for when we can leave our windows and porch door open all the time. Last year we opened everything up in mid-October and didn’t shut anything until the end of March. Pretty amazing.

The Short Version:
1. Hana loves her new school
2. Classes are under way at RTS.3. Things at UPC are going well!
4. We flew to MN to surprise my mom for her birthday and she almost had a heart attack!
5. We’re on facebookAnd the Long...

1. I helped Hana move some of her things in to her classroom a few weeks ago. It was really hot, but the A/C was cranked inside her new school. Her room is great and she has put up all sorts of encouraging posters and pictures. So far, she is very excited about three things. Her commute is great. Last year she had to drive 30 minutes each way and pay $3 dollars in tolls. This year she has to drive less than 3 miles and takes her about 3 minutes to do it. No tolls! She can sleep later, and she’s home earlier. Plus, her students are great! They all seem to come from good homes and they are polite and hard working. It makes it easier on Hana when they behave. And finally, her schedule is set up to where she only has two classes in the afternoon, and she really likes that. So, all in all, we are very thankful to the Lord for His gracious provision.

2. I’m taking six classes this semester. The heavy hitters are Systematic Theology and Missions. I’m also taking: Hebrew Exegesis, Theology of the Westminster Standards, an elective called Classics of Personal Devotion, and a Preaching Lab. Our pastor (Rev. Mike Osborne) is the professor of my preaching lab; and it has been really cool to have him as a teacher. As usual, juggling school and work will be a challenge, but if the Lord continues to dump buckets of grace all over me, as He did last year, I’ve got nothing to worry about. And, as usual, I am thoroughly amazed and the content of my studies and my instructors are impeccable.

3. Things at UPC are going great! The kids are showing a high level of commitment. I’m excited for Sunday school to start up again in a couple of weeks. I love my preaching role on Wednesday nights, but I love equally my teaching role on Sunday mornings. What a privilege it is to teach young minds about the glory of our great God and King. I am so thankful to God for this opportunity. It’s amazing to watch Him work in the hearts of the students. Please pray for them, and for Hana and I as we continue to lead them.

4. Last weekend we flew up to MN to surprise my Mom for her birthday. She didn’t know we were coming, and she also didn’t know my sister Molly was coming as well. When she saw us she gasped and instantly began to cry, then when Molly came from around the corner, she gasped again, and even more tears streamed down her face. It was priceless. We are very grateful to my Dad for flying us up there to be a part of the celebration.

5. Finally, Hana and I are both on Facebook. Look us up!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

MjR

August 2007

2007-08-11T22:00:00.001-04:00

June... No, July... No, AUGUST!
Time flies when you're having THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! This summer easily goes down as the best summer I've ever had. I can't speak for Hana, but I'm thinking she would agree that it is the best summer I've ever had! Ha ha, her best summer too.Anyway...The short version:1. Full time @ UPC has been such a blessing2. Church Camp in TN rocked our world3. Missions Trip to Cherokee, NC rocked our world…again!And the long…

In mid May UPC moved me up to full-time for the summer. Since then Hana and I have been moving pretty much non-stop! Our summer schedule has included: service projects, sleepovers, Mini-golf, beach getaways, movie nights, ultimate Frisbee games, baseball games… and more. We have had the absolute blessing of hanging out with the youth group kids every week (almost every day!) this summer. We have learned so much from the Lord and from them. I just love the way the girls look up to Hana. She’s my favorite blessing, and I love when the Lord blesses others through her as well.

We got on a bus at 7am in early July and headed for Chattanooga, TN, home of Covenant College where Southland Student Conferences was holding their summer conference, “ELEVATE.” It was an incredible time of learning, growing, and best of all worshiping God. The speaker, Tim Melton, was great! He talked about the Father heart of God. I went thinking, “The kids will sure learn a lot this week.” My arrogance sickens me sometimes. I ended up learning so much I thought my brain was going to suddenly start flashing “WARNNING Nearing Capacity!” Best of all, the speaker didn’t leave the kids with, “Try Harder,” but instead, “Trust More!” Oh how I loathe Moralism, and there wasn’t one drop of it in his teaching! Praise God.

Finally, our Missions Trip with MTW to Cherokee, NC, was amazing. In the mornings most of us painted the railing on the deck of a Senior Citizens center, while some of us were inside the center doing crafts with the Seniors and talking to them about Jesus. A few of us gave our testimonies, and one day we sang to and with them. The Lord was working there, we could feel it. In the afternoons we went and ministered to kids who were at a Boys and Girls club on the Boundary (it’s not a reservation, because the Cherokee own the land). Just prior to departing for Cherokee we were informed that we probably wouldn’t get a whole lot of time to present the VBS we had been preparing. We prayed. On our first day there, we were told the only day we’d have a chance to present anything would be the next day. We prayed a lot. The next day, Tuesday, we set out to present the gospel and reinforce it with crafts and a workbook. “Will the kids sit still that long” we wondered? God is so good. He kept those kids calm and attentive for 5 hours!! The youth group kids did a fantastic, and more importantly God honoring, gospel presentation, and then we did a skit and craft and went through a workbook with them one-on-one. The kids were learning. They memorized Ephesians 2:8. I could go on and on. Our God is an awesome God.

Now Hana and I are preparing for the fall. She’ll be teaching in a new school, and I’ll be starting my 2nd of 3 years at RTS. We don’t know the future, but we know Him who holds the future. Therefore, we are so excited. We can’t wait to see how the Lord moves with the youth group kids this fall. Email us with what we can pray for you about.

To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

God bless,
MjR

May 2007

2007-05-20T16:39:00.001-04:00

The Short Version…
1. The Lord provided a job for Hana!
2. I’m done with my first year of Seminary.
3. We’ve got quite a summer ahead.

And the Long…
Just over a month ago Hana was informed that, due to budget cuts, Greenwood Lakes Middle School would be laying off 10 teachers. She knew right away that she would most likely be one of the 10, since she was a new teacher (the last to come, are the first to go). Within days, she was informed that she indeed was among the 10. Although there was a bit of panic, we knew in our hearts that the Lord would provide.

Last week Hana was offered a job at Jackson Heights Middle School. The details of the Lord’s provision are amazing. The job at GLMS was great because Hana and her friend Kim were able to carpool and split the gas and toll money. Kim and her husband Steve (a graduating RTS student) are moving in a month. If Hana would have remained at GLMS, her commute costs would have doubled! Instead, the Lord provided a position for Hana at JHMS – 3 minutes from our apartment. Plus, it is a 7th grade geography position again, so she can re-use the curriculum she developed this year!! She can leave home later in the morning, and she’ll be home earlier in the afternoon (her old commute was 30 minutes each way). Plus, no tolls. The Lord not only provided a job, but also time and money. To Him be the glory!

Well, I’m done with 1/3 of my Seminary training. I can’t believe how fast it went by! It has been such as privilege, and I’m excited for next year. I’ll be taking two classes this summer (“Genesis to Joshua,” and “History of Christianity 1"), and will start them in a couple of weeks. They will be online, and I will spread them out over the whole summer. Should be great!

Finally, this summer should be quite interesting! UPC has asked me to move up to full-time for the summer. All summer we will be busy putting on different events for the high school students. Plus we’re taking a group to camp in early July, and on a Missions Trip to Cherokee, NC in late July. We’re also flying up to MN for a visit in June, right after we participate in UPC’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). Needless to say, it won’t be a lazy summer!

Hana and I are celebrating 2 wonderful years of marriage next month! We’re taking a two day trip to Savannah Georgia. We surely have had our ups and downs over these two years, but the Lord has been merciful and has kept our love for each other strong. She’s my angel.

Thanks for checkin’ in on us. All is well, and we pray all is well with you too!
God bless,
MjR

April 2007

2007-04-19T21:56:00.001-04:00

The short version:
1. Hana is still looking for another teaching position
2. We went to Cherokee, NC for an MTW training last weekend
3. Three weeks and counting!

And the long…
Hana was informed about a month ago that her school needed to cut 10 teachers. As per usual with teaching positions, those who have been there the least amount of time are the first to be cut. So, she has been busy looking for another teaching position in the area. She’s excited about getting a new job, but not so excited about going through the motions that are required to do so; resumes, interviews, and the like. We’re both eager to see where God has planned for her to end up working.

Last week at this time Hana and I were listening to a great sermon/lecture about short-term missions. We attended a training session, hosted by MTW, to begin preparing to lead 15 high school students to Cherokee, North Carolina in late July. We’ll be there for a week, during which, we’ll be running VBS (Vacation Bible School) for some kids at a youth center, and also spending some time at a senior center. We’re really exited to go! And according to MTW, the Cherokee people are excited for us to come.

May 11th is the last day of classes, and May 18th is the paper deadline at RTS. I can’t believe how fast this semester has gone! God has been quite merciful in the way that He has provided me with enough time to get everything done. I’m not saying that I’m up to date with all my work, but I’m not so far behind that I can’t get everything done before it’s too late. This summer I’m taking 3 classes and I’ll also be working more at church. We’re going to take a trip to MN, we’re going to camp with the youth group, and we’ll be leading the missions trip to Cherokee, NC. Apparently the summer will go fast as well.

If you’d like to pray for us; please ask the Lord to give Hana strength to get through her job hunt, ask for a blessing on our missions trip preparation, and ask that He will continue to sustain me as I finish this semester. Thanks for checkin’ in on us!

God bless,
MjR

March 2007

2007-03-29T14:29:00.001-04:00

So my cousin Naomi recently emailed me and said she had checked out the website. I thought to myself, “Hmmm, when’s the last time I updated the website?” I just about missed my chance to get a March entry in. Perhaps that should be my goal; at least one update per month. Don’t hold me to that.

Good News & Bad News
Hana lost her job! (That’s the bad news) Her school, Greenwood Lakes Middle School, had to lay off ten teachers due to budget cuts. Since she was one of the last to be hired, she was one of the first to be, well… fired. But we’re not panicking. We actually packed up and moved here before she had a job. God provided, as He always does, and we know He will provide again. Its funny how we tend to freak out a little, even though we know God is in control. I often find myself praying for better circumstances, when I really should be praying for a better heart.

The good news is things are going well at UPC (our church). We’re about to enter our fifth month of working with the youth group. We’ve been having lots of fun. We had a Lock-in, played paintball, and tonight we put together Easter bags that will be distributed to the less fortunate of our community. Each bag has some candy, a bracelet, and a little message about Jesus. The kids they will go to live in the worst parts of Orlando. One of our elders talked to the kids about God’s heart for the poor tonight as well. God’s Word is clear about how He feels about the poor (Exodus 23:11; Lev 19:15; Deut 15:11; 1 Sam 2:8; Job 30:25; Psalm 9:9; Matt 19:21; Mark 12:40; Luke 12:33…the list is long!). What a privilege it was to be involved in showing God’s love for the poor.

My classes this semester are, once again, excellent! The professors here are impeccable. It seems every day I leave class thinking, “Wow. God is so awesome.” He really is. What is really rocking my world this semester is seeing how the Bible (although made up of 66 books) is really one story. Had you asked me a year ago, “is the Bible one story?” I would have said yes. But really looking at how it really is one story has been indescribable. Tracing the line of the covenant, for one thing, is astounding. Oh, I could write for miles about God’s covenant with Abraham.

Well, I suppose I should wrap things up. Thanks for reading. I promise to update this page at least once a month. Please pray that we would patiently wait to see what God has planned for Hana.

God bless,
MjR

February 2007

2007-02-15T21:54:00.001-05:00

As per usual, it's been a long time since I updated this site. I'll keep it short and sweet. Christmas in MN was fantastic! New Years in Palm City (FL) was great too. We're back in action: Hana at GLMS, and me at RTS! Things at UPC are going very well! I will get a better update asap! God bless.

December 2006

2006-12-20T11:11:00.001-05:00

OK, now I have some time to write a full update!

The Short Version:
We had a great Thanksgiving with the Bourrets. My job at UPC has been really exciting. Hana ran the Geography Bee at school. Both of our semesters are over and went well.

The Long Version:
For Thanksgiving this year we drove down to Hana’s parent’s home in Palm City, FL. We brought along with us my friend Jonny, his wife Naomi, and their two boys, Tom and Ted. They are from England and moved to Orlando the same time Hana and I did and for the same reason (RTS). So, they celebrated their first Thanksgiving! And Ohhh did we eat! The food was awesome, as it always is at the Bourret’s. The funny thing was Jonny’s facial reactions as I kept handing him dish after dish: turkey, corn, potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, orange stuff, green bean casserole… See, they don’t eat the way we eat anyway – holiday or not. So even a normal dinner would be a lot, but this was Thanksgiving!! It was great. We took pictures!

Well, Hana and I now have a month of high school ministry experience under our belts! The kids have really made us feel welcome and supported. Hana says they energize her; I agree. They’re so smart and mature; we forget they’re in high school sometimes. Last weekend Hana went with some of the girls and decorated Christmas cookies, while I took a group of guys out for Pizza. We should have gone over to where the girls were and ate the cookies! Part of my Christmas break will consist of planning for the spring. If there’s one thing high school kids don’t want to be – it’s bored. It’ll be a lot of work, but worth every second of it. Pray that the Lord would ensure that we continue to faithfully minister to them!

A few weeks ago there was a Geography Bee at Hana’s school, and it was her job to ask all of the questions! It took a while but eventually there was one kid left, and he will go on to another Bee with kids from other schools. I wish I could have been there to watch Hana read the questions. She said it was a lot of fun, and was impressed with how much the kids have learned! But she’s a great teacher, so I expected nothing less.

Finally, both of our semesters are over! Ok, actually Hana’s quarter is over, not her semester – but who really wants to be that picky? Anyway, we’re both ready for a break. She worked very hard over the past two quarters and the administration at GLMS has expressed to her that she’s doing a really great job! As for me, I handed in 7 papers two weeks ago, and took 4 final exams last week. It’s amazing to me that I’m done with one sixth of my seminary education!! It went by so fast. But I learned so much. I truly feel blessed to sit and learn from these incredibly faithful and talented teachers. I’m going to put a “what I learned this semester” article on my RTS page in the coming weeks, so watch for that if you’re interested. It won’t be everything I learned, just the highlights.

This may be my last update before Christmas, so MERRY CHRISTMAS. We pray the Lord will make His everlasting presence known to you in this celebratory season. And we pray that as you celebrate His birth, you also rejoice in His life, death, and resurrection as well. He is the way, the life, and the truth!
God bless.

November 2006

2006-11-09T10:31:00.001-05:00

I'd like to first apologize for neglecting to update our site for so long! What can I say, I've been pretty busy lately. Well, as usual, things are going great for us down here in sunny Florida! There are three big things to discuss since the last update. I've given you two versions: the very short, and the very long. Very short version: Two gracious believers offered to pay for two of the three years of my training at RTS! We recently attended my high school reunion! (pictures are posted) And, Hana and I are going to begin working with the youth group at church!
Very long version:
To be honest, Hana and I moved down here not knowing a few things. The plan was for Hana to work full time while I’m in seminary, but she had not been able to find a job before we left. So we drove down here, signed a lease on an apartment, and moved in with no foreseeable income. We trusted that God would provide. Then, two days after we arrived, Hana interviewed at Greenwood Lakes Middle School and was offered a job! She began to teach, and I started classes. Soon we began to realize that between Hana’s salary and my part time job; paying for seminary was seemingly impossible. I began to feel the Lord leading me to ask my parents if they had ever felt the Lord leading them to pay for my training at RTS. It felt crazy at the time, but sure enough… they offered to pay for two of my three years of training. We'll be forever grateful to them and to God for involving them in our ministry.

We flew up to Saratoga Springs this past weekend to attend my 10-year high school reunion. We had a blast! We saw a bunch of my old friends and spent a lot of time with my best friend Mark. Everyone looked very different, but very much the same. It was really cool to have Hana in the same room as my high school friends. I stepped back at one point and watched her talking to them and I had a feeling of completion. This was a part of my life that she was not in, but now – retroactively, she is. God planned that we would be together before either of us was ever born, and as I watched her shine in that moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Last but not least, we recently started helping out with the Youth Group at church. We had felt the Lord leading us to get involved with the ministry at our church, and one of the pastors told us there was a need for help with the high school kids. Two weeks after we began helping out, the Youth Ministry Director resigned. He had been planning to do so for a while. One of the pastors approached me about some new ideas they had that involved me taking a part-time, paid, youth ministry internship. I interviewed for the position and yesterday they told me that I got it!! So, I’ll now be working with another paid intern to run the high school youth group on Wednesday nights, and I will also teach the high school Sunday school class. And…I’ll get paid to do it; so I can quit my part time job, and serve at church, and not go broke! Hana will be counseling the girls and helping me teach on Sundays. We’re very excited!

If you asked me whether or not I believe God is in control of things, I would tell you yes; emphatically yes! I am continually amazed by, “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and how inscrutable His ways!”(Romans 11:33) All of our news this month has to do with God revealing some of His eternal plans for us. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s, “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which [He] prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our sinful hearts often try to take credit for God’s work in our lives. Thankfully Scripture lets us know what’s really going on.
God bless

August 2006

2006-08-29T10:00:00.003-04:00

Just over a month since my last update! Wow. Time flies when you're having fun!! Well, things continue to go well for us here in Oviedo. Hana is doing a great job teaching geography, and despite the fact that 7th graders can be a handful, she’s still enjoying her job. After school she spends a good amount of time working on some encyclopedia articles that she is co-authoring for Congressional Quarterly’s Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. She’s not a nerd, just a talented researcher.As for me, I’m in my second week of the fall semester. I’ve made some great friends and we often speak of how blessed and privileged we are to be here and to be learning from instructors who know the Bible so well. They all, however, humbly assert that they “are only slightly less confused by God’s Word” than we are. It is clear that the Lord has entrusted them with wisdom and understanding. I do not deserve to be here, to have this opportunity. But, God’s hands are not simply in this, they are all over it. Trusting in that alone, I will work my butt off with excitement. Man may fail, but God never does. Here’s something to think about. One of the things we learned about last week (and will continue to learn about for the next three years) is the Ortho-triangle. It is made up of: Orthodoxy, Orthopraxis, and Orthopathos. Orthodoxy is what we know (from what God has revealed in the Bible and in nature), Orthopraxis is what we do, and Orthopathos is what we feel. Did you know that whether you like it or not, you’re a theologian? Your ideas about who God is, what He does, and what He desires… is your theology. If you are a Christian, you believe the Bible to be God’s authoritative Word to man (and if you’re like me, you believe it to be without error). As Christians we need to ask ourselves, what is our theology built on. Is it based on what I know (from the Bible)? Is it based on what I do? Is it based on how I feel? I think you’ll find that if you really examine your image of God, you’ll find that there is an imbalance. You most likely focus on one or maybe two parts of the triangle. I know I have been. But that is going to change now. The Bible and nature show us that there needs to be a balance. If we all worked toward reaching a balance, would we have so much division in the church? God bless. MjR

July 2006

2006-07-28T14:33:00.002-04:00

All is well in Oviedo, FL! Hana and I both started our new ventures this week. She's not teaching yet, but was at work all week preparing for the school year, which begins on Monday. They get 'em going pretty early down here. As for me, I am now finished with one of three weeks of Biblical Greek. The summer course is much quicker and much more intense than the regular semester length course, so I have been extremely busy. We've met some really wonderful people down here. There is a woman who lives in our apartment complex that teaches where Hana does, so they ride to work together every day. Her husband is also an RTS student. What a blessing! I've been carpooling with some of the guys that live near by. It is amazing how our Father provides for His children. It seems the more we trust, the more He provides. Recently I was reading 1 Samuel, and I noticed that when the people of Israel submitted to their king, they won their battles. When they didn't, they didn't. Have you submitted to your King? In other words, have you submitted to your God? As long as we think our ways are better for us than God's ways, He'll show us that we're wrong. And He deserves praise because of it. God bless.

July 2006 (first post!)

2006-07-20T00:15:00.002-04:00

Our move from Minnesota was very successful! Everything made it to sunny FL safe and sound. Two days after we arrived, Hana received an offer to teach 7th grade geography at Greenwood Lakes Middle-School! She accepted, and starts there on the 24th. Also on the 24th, I begin Greek 1. It will be my first Seminary class and it will run through August. In the fall I will have a full load of classes. We love our apartment and hope everyone is planning a trip to see us down here! We have a guest bedroom (ok, well it's a den with a bed in it), so come on down! That's all for now. God bless.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)