Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken...

So, we have come to the speed bump - or maybe it's a roadblock - God will make that known. Interacted with the Consulate today and our visa applications have not been approved due to health concerns. But, there is a response we can make and we will after some consultation.

It's a great day as we apply the Truth and rest in our Sovereign God. Pray with us that He will be glorified to the utmost in this process.

So, on to the title of this post - happened to be reflecting on this hymn just before getting the news. Written by Henry Lyte in the early 1800's. He served through great personal physical struggle and was used to write some 800 hymns while pastoring and building a Sunday School of some 800 children.

Here's the words:

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

WHILE HERE WE WAIT

"Do you doubt?," was the question asked me recently. The asker was wondering about my response to our delayed departure and awaiting our visas for NZ. My response: "No, it's just that I'm not sovereign and don't know the will of the Lord until it happens. Ultimately, we won't know the will of the Lord regarding our ministry in NZ until we are standing there ministering."

I was reminded from the conversation about trust and faith. We have the privilege of trusting and putting our faith in what God has already said. This is faith - believing what He has said. To doubt, and thereby to not expect to receive anything from God (Jas 1) is to not believe His revelation. So, while we await our visas and the revelation of God's will in this regard, we trust what He has already revealed in His Word and rest knowing that does have our best for us today and we are privileged to trust that today.

This Sunday will be our send off by Christ Community - it would be great if we had visas in hand!

STILL WAITING...

Well, we've come to the end of Friday and still no call from the consulate. Next week we will investigate, but for now, we rest knowing the Lord is in charge and always does what is right and best. So, in His perfect time we will have our answer. Til then we pray, prepare and strive to be pleasing to Him.

All is well here in Corona - Micah had an eye exam today and things are fine - he even had his eyes dilated - He liked the "cool" sunglasses. Sorry, no picture this time.

DELAYS, DELAYS

We continue to wait on NZ Immigration to process our requests. But, for those not familiar with the process, this really has been an incredibly short amount of time. They said 3-4 weeks and we are in the 4th. Praying for this week! If so, we have the church send off Sunday and will book tickets for the end of the month. So much to pull together once we get word of the visa approval. Can't wait!

OUR PART IS DONE

Well, the paperwork has been submitted. After much labor, time and two trips to Santa Monica, our visa paperwork has been submitted to the NZ consulate. Now it is in their hands. They say they will let us know within a few working days if there will have to be a medical assessment done. If so, everything has to be sent to NZ and a specialist will have to assess everything. That could significantly delay the process. But, if the Lord is pleased to move as we would desire, no further assessing will be necessary and we will have visa's within a few weeks. Pray that this would be so.

UP AND AT 'EM

Sometimes it's just that way. It's been a busy week, a great week and yet a week with some unexpected distractions. In the end, here it is Saturday at 7 and I've already been at it for a couple hours. PTL for His goodness and grace in getting me up and at 'em that I might get caught up on a few things.

On the visas - our paperwork is on its way here from NZ and we will get it to the consulate in LA this week, Lord willing. If all is well, they say we should have visa's within a month. We just may make it to NZ by the end of May... just in time for Impact, the annual shepherd's conference of NZ. It is organized and run by the folks where we will be, so it would be great to be there.

On the work - it is wonderful. I am really enjoying giving thought to the development of the program, as that is my role. Went to TMC this week to interact with those that know what they are doing - very helpful. Also had a good chat with Nigel in NZ via Skype.

On the home front - things are great. As far as we are concerned, being with Grandma and Grandpa has been great. Guess you would have to ask them how they are liking it!

Finally, been checking out Grooveshark while working. I am enjoying it, seems a great alternative to other internet radio and downloads. They have a great selection of "my genre".

Is it Worth It?

So, many have heard about the dilemma of our dog. We of course love her and she is a part of the fam, but there is quite a process to get her to NZ. So we are in the process and all going well, she will be off to NZ June 15, so she can spend a month in quarantine upon arrival. Quite a process indeed!

Is it worth it? Absolutely!

Not that we're begging for affirmation - but, isn't she cute? She has never taken good photos, but these are great and the cuteness is really in her personality.

OK, here's another shot.