21 November 2011

I can relate!

"I really don't know what happens next--one so seldom does."
~E.M. Forster

emptying, emptying, emptying me

 there's a pressure in my soul... a tension in my heart...
that is building... increasing...
a cry for justice... a cry for holiness...
a cry for repentance and reconciliation... restoration and unity...
begging Your cleansing fire to bring clarifying purity and truth
to close our mouths and open our eyes
to open our hearts to seek... and to UNDERSTAND
to call out this deeply rooted pride and destroy it!

emptying, emptying, emptying me
till I am once more ... just a vessel
a vessel of Your love
Your peace
Your joy
Your compassion
and Your righteousness

seeing others
in all their dignity and glory
equal to me in every aspect
wholly valued and worthy
of Your sacrifice
and mine

(c) BNH, 2011

11 November 2011

something about Africa

It's been 147 days since I left Africa... and every single day, I miss it.

I've argued this away in a variety of ways... it's because it was my "first overseas experience," it's because I've only been home 4 months, it's because of reverse culture shock, it's because....... and the reasons accumulate.

Over Thanksgiving break, I got to talk to a friend of mine who spent 6 months in South Africa early 2008. I asked her how long it took her after she got home to "get over it." She stopped what she was doing, looked over at me, and said, "I never have. I still miss it... every day."

Ahhhhh... hopes I might just be able to push through to the day when I won't go to bed with this ache of missing or wake up wondering how my African family's day went while I was sleeping... those hopes flickered and dimmed.

Yes, it seems to be true... there's just something about Africa that works it's way down deep and won't budge. But, I can't really say I'd want it to be any other way.

08 November 2011

so simple. so true.

"Unless you spend leisure time with people, you've not spent time with them." (Dr. Robert Douglas)

06 November 2011

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!!!

TODAY is the day the LORD has made!! I will REJOICE and be glad in it!!!!

But as it is written: "They who had no news of Him shall SEE, and they who have not heard shall UNDERSTAND." (Romans 15:21, NASB)

















Did you add up those population numbers??? Yes, my friends, there are 2.4 MILLION Deaf in Ghana, Uganda, and Ethiopia... every single one of whom our God loves deeply, passionately, and personally.

And TODAY, the first portions of Scripture in their language were dedicated.

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL. BLESS HIS HOLY NAME!