moonlight.

tonight was really cool. well - today was really cool. everything.

the day started with much discussion among a few of the guys and i. we met for coffee this morning and ran through a lot of things. nothing better than feeling a bit prepared, i guess. but it was good. following the morning we passed out some information regarding our programs. it was very cool. the group i was with was travis, erin, and chrissy. to be honest - i've known chrissy for about 10 months or so . . . and i never knew she was this outgoing. it was really incredible and seemed to be easy for her to get out and talk to families and the wee kids. cute - right. anywho - dinner was a bbq. and yes - delicious. hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, coke, squash, the works. however, i did find it odd that there was not even a bottle of barbecue sauce at the bbq. strange.

what is really awesome is Jesus. awesome = deserving and worthy of awe. truly. tonight after our little group time, i walked outside and pulled up a chair off in the property and sat for a good part of 45 minutes. it was a very, very clear night. a typical cloud here or there, but for the most part - a great night. the moon was stilling rising over the silhouette of trees: i decided i would stay till it rose above the trees. i swatted bugs for a minute or two. i prayed for a bit. i was silent a good amount. just listening. trying to seek out and find the Spirit's silent whisper. it was absolutely beautiful. i couldn't have asked for a more calming and more humbling time with our Jesus.

just as i was spacing off into some thought, i noticed an enormous cloud that was notably dark; it was coming over the scene very quickly - then more clouds from the left, then the right. it seemed that my picture was dwindling due to the clouds. no good. i prayed and asked God that i would be able to see the moon. that was it. a simple request. and wouldn't you know it: the Spirit put something in my mouth that i started to verbally speak. it's ezekial 37.1-10. it says this:

the hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. He said to me, "son of man, can these bones live?'' and i answered, ''o Lord God, You know.'' again He said to me, ''prophesy over these bones and say to them 'o dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.' thus says the Lord God to these bones, 'behold I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.' "

so i prophesied as i was commanded; and as i prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. and i looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. then He said to me, ''prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say the breath, 'come from the 4 winds, o breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.' " so i prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly huge army.

as i got to the end of that i still couldn't see the moon. twas still behind said trees. i said the end of this Scripture again: the breath came into them, and they came to life, and stood upon their feet, a huge army. as i ended that i was lead to stand from my chair. moonlight. so pure, so clean, so unadulterated. beauty. glimmer. perfection. i couldn't believe what i saw. i stood up to see that the bottom of the moon had just cleared the top of the trees and the top of the moon was about to be covered by the clouds. the luminance was directing it's focus to my eyes it seemed; simply amazing - i was so taken back . . . you could write it off as happy chance - but to tell you the truth: you're wrong. the truth is there is a Jesus so intricate, so about detail, so invested in our lives that He cares about things like this. not to impress us. not to give us cool stories - but to reveal once again that He is right there. there = controlling the entire cosmos, right in the chair right next, and inside my thoughts all at once. it's crazy.

the Spirit has come. He was breathed upon my dry bones. He caused the breath of life to enter and He perfectly controlled tonight. end of story. Jesus. this Jesus. our Jesus is a huge God. a God there are no words for.

so into us.

makes me smile...

He is breathing on us over here in northern ireland. He's bringing His church up. He's creating our unity. you know: i couldn't be in a better mood than right now. i'm dead tired and so alive. it's Jesus.

and by that name all things - even us - are held together.

thank You for moonlight. have a good night.

it's been started . . . before we started it

well it turns out that we left for northern ireland today. it was a chaotic and beautiful - in a somewhat terrifying way. you see - all was well on what seemed to be a lovely thursday morning. out team arrived at the airport in good spirit and in health (ben, being the exception: God rest his soul) and we're ready to do this. it was to be an easy day of travel: fly to chicago have a 5 hour lay-over and jet over - rested and at peace.

well . . .

things obviously took a turn. we had a few options. it seemed that our flight had been cancelled and the sawyer's and their power were trying to get us on some sort of an air-craft. they did. a cincinnati plane was leaving in two and half hours going to JFK airport - then onto dublin. that was the plane. so immediately drivers were summoned... and me - being one of the better drivers in the city, thought it was only appropriate to volunteer for said task.

push came to shove and luggage was thrown this way and that.

there we were - amy duncan, chrissy, and i: a killer squad running our tails to cincy. everything was good - good time, good conversation, good weather, good music, good speed, good fun - you get the picture. then . . . as they say - 'all hell broke loose.'

for those who are unfamiliar with me and my life, i used to live in the cincinnati area and would make several trip a week to the lex-vegas. well today i had screwed up. i was going to freaking louisville. i don't know why. i don't know how. goodness - i don't know who was driving this crazy direction - oh wait - me. sorry.

SO.

after 4 chicken planks, a large diet, a medium milkshake, a fry, and the city of frankfort - we turned around. talking to pappa sawyer - i had enormous reservations that any hope was still with us. we were at this point roughly 35 miles behind the last car. 'not good' - as some would say. but you see . . . God is faithful. and sometimes God has to work with a pontiac vibe hitting 90-95 mph to get to the airport a mere 30 minutes before out plane took off. chrissy had fallen - saying there is no way we're getting on the plane:'ye of little faith.' she felt the need to call the airport. i know, i know, i know. trust me - i know. poor little amy duncan who had never been on a plane . . . she held her composure but i had the gut that she was near explosion.

so after running, sweating, and waiting for a ridiculous amount of time in security - we boarded our plane about 10 minutes after we were suppose to be in the air. the middle eastern man that i was sitting next to was very forgiving - though i could hardly understand a word he said. something about semi-trucks . . . ? right?

all this to say that it was a chaotic and beautiful day - in a somewhat terrifying sense.

God is really funny. we get caught up in these things: travel - time - stress - etc - and forget what we're doing. it's not a question that there was much spiritual conflict. after all - how convenient for these demoniac forces that our plane just so happened to be canceled - that we just seemed to go the wrong way - the only thing that was natural today was stress for a lot of people. i'm glad we're all here though. again i'll say: God is faithful. the Resurrection is alive. the Spirit is moving. our Jesus pulled us through today. He knows that we couldn't have done it on our own - with sane minds at least.

currently it's 3 in the morning eastern standard time (God's time mind you) and in dublin it's 8 in the morning. sarah hopkins gave some great drugs that knocked a lot of good people out and got them some rest. i woke up around 7 or so irish time. sounds good to me.

pray for us. support us.

pray for ben gross - who has some infections that he's working through and hopefully coming the second week now; pray for unity among our team - a lot of people still don't know each other. pray that God would brake down walls of comfortable friends and clicks and we could all walk together in one Spirit, one baptism, and one Jesus. pray for travis - for smiles - for joy - and that the love of Christ controls us. that we no longer live for ourselves - but for Him who took all our insecurities and quirks and short-comings and made them great. we have nothing in our hands - nothing that we can offer our Lord. but still He sends us. thanks for that Jesus. finally give thanks for what Jesus has done with our team today. He has started this trip before we did. we started today - but He's already started today a few days ago - make sense? He's working. we just got going - but He's been going.

as for you. we pray for you: our families and friends lives back home. we love you. do something useful today. when in doubt - read 2 corinthians 3 and 4. it's a great little place to stick your nose in. thanks for all you do - you will hear from us again soon. check out www.northernirelandmissions.com for more blogs.

in prayers and humility - brad.

her name is 'brenda'

chrissy and i were talking a stroll down in triangle park last night. it was about 10.00 or so and we were heading to starbucks. to my right, came a women: orange stained shirt, maroon sweatpants, small nike shoes, and a uk hat. she asked us for some money for food. we had no cash - and asked her if she'd like some pastries from starbucks or something to drink. she politely agreed and came with us - her name was brenda. after her and chrissy put their half and half in their coffee (as only women should do, mind you) we invited her to sit with us in the park. she took a seat in starbucks instead. too bad.

well it turned out that something made brenda come and sit with us.. so there sat brenda, chrissy, and i. an unforgettable trio. she was so gentle. she explained that she had been on the streets for about 2 months; she had got let go of her job doing something with recycling - i think. and she sat and talked. we laughed. it was really great. to see brenda's 3-tooth-missing smile was amazing. a glance at joy: for her - and for us. we were able to speak a word of truth to her. telling her about Jesus who came to give hope to the hopeless. to once again create something out of nothing. it was perfect. we asked for basic needs to help her out and she shared some: socks, tooth brush, shoes (9 1/2), shirt, blanket.. . .

hmm... it hurts.

it sucks so much to see someone who has nothing. and here i am - listening to my bose speakers, with my ipod shuffle, and my mac typing this. not at all to put to shame these things but where is my heart? why am i different than anybody else? what am i doing for the Kingdom? anything?

how does one carry the burden of brenda? simple: to go.

go.

Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Matthew 25.33-40

love people. do something great. go. not for yourself or on you own initiative - but because you have a Jesus that did something so great that no one can understand. Jesus leads us to the poor - both physically and spiritually. He even said that there will always be the poor. i'm starting to really see how much energy Jesus spent with these people. the physical and spiritual.

so if anything - go. give people some water. hug some one. touch someone that hasn't been touched in a while. who are the brendas in our everyday life. and who are the brenda's that we need to seek out. and help get on there feet. i pray the Spirit can lead us to be the hands and feet of His Church.

if you haven't yet come to see the Truth, He's waiting for you. and He's willing.

good night to you. thanks be to our Jesus - who renders hearts back to Himself.

starting...

today. i get excited about new, little things. like this for instance. currently - as i am sitting in my room, listening to elkland - i am excited. looking through a small crack in my blinds you wouldn't see it. you'd see baggy eyes, a quiet mouth, and messed up hair and glasses. that's the funny and incredible thing about Jesus. normally, i would be completely useless. a waste for the night. bitter. depressed. dirty. you get the idea. the Saviour has taught me much today. including a lack of time spent in the Word, He still manages to get through to my insignificantly busy brain. my heart always seems to find satisfaction in the Father. when His grace and truth are on my lips - and mind. . . i like to imagine Him smiling. not to grant me anything - but to marvel at His own work. i like living the entirety of my life to to make one Jesus happy and glorified. i don't live and do it everything to receive anything for myself. to live so that One can receive more recognition. One much more than important than i.

pray for a middle schooler named sarah. and pray for my patience - my ear tends to be stupidly selfish and immature.

i love you.