To Be Honest.....

Let me ask you a question. When you sing in church, do you ever think about the words your singing? I mean, do you ever stop and consider what it is exactly that you're saying. It may sound strange, but I find myself doing this a lot. So often I think we sing the same songs over and over that we really don't think about what we're saying.

"We stand and lift up our hands, cause the joy of the Lord is my strength." I look around. In fact, nobody has lifted their hands in the air, and most of us don't look terribly joyful. What an odd thing to say then.

"I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene." Really? I happen to be sitting at the moment, and am I really amazed, right now? What if we were forced to sing how we really feel. It might more accurately be "I sit, thinking about Colts football, in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder, how badly they'll beat the Seahawks, I hope the defense plays clean, singing how wonderful.....".

Now I know that songs and hymns are important, and I'm not saying we should stop singing them, we should praise God even when we may not feel like it. I just find myself asking "Do you mean it? I'm standing here singing praises to Almighty God, and have I thought about what I'm saying?"

Sometimes I think that growing up as a Christian has desensitized me a little bit to really how amazing it truly is. The things that are truly cosmic ideas have seemed ordinary at times. We hear them over and over again, and somehow we find that while singing about some of the most amazing events and truths in history, we're thinking about whether to go to Denny's or Cracker Barrel (by the way, it's Cracker Barrel, Momma french toast breakfast can't be beat). Somethings missing.

Sometimes Carter gets amazed by the most ordinary looked over things, and for a moment I'm reminded the snails are amazing, or that riding a bus is kinda fun. I love the fact that I can wink at Grant and pretty much blow his mind. I find myself enjoying things again through them. Things that somehow I forgot were so cool.

This is why I like hanging out with new Christians. Somehow many of the things that have grown to be mundane or "normal" , are still so vibrant and amazing for them. They in-turn remind me of that.

A few weeks ago we watched a video about God's love. Afterwords I was talking with a young lady from our group who told me, "I can't believe it's all true, I mean, when I think about it, I feel so lucky."

At the risk of warranting a good "stoning" let me admit to you that I don't always feel this way. God's "Love" and "Grace" are probably among the most preached on subjects in churches, we talk about it constantly. And sometimes it feels like my attitude is, "Yeah, God loves me. He kinda has too right, I mean, He IS Love. That's sort of his m.o. right? His grace is sufficient cause it has to be, and it's pretty cool that I don't need too much of it, I'm not a A-grade sinner."

But then I stop and think about the words of Amazing Grace. I hear the pure honesty and gratitude, and it reminds me that God's Grace IS truly amazing, mind-blowing in fact (and completely undeserved). I read David's words in Psalm 8:

"When I consider your Heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

and realize, just as the young lady reminded me, I am lucky, I am fortunate, I am amazed, I am blessed. Nothing about me is warranting of God's love. There's nothing I've done, or am that has earned it, or deserves it. Yet He would leave the 99 to find me.

I endeavor that I not let the awesome and amazing truths of God's word become diminished or common-place in my mind. I know who I am, and when I consider how He looks at me, and what he offers a "wretch like me", I realize that I'm luckiest person I know. My hope is that you are too.

It kinda makes me feel like singing.

-Jonathan

I Never Thought I'd Hear...

Raising children in a foreign culture definitely has its challenges. Some days just figuring out the baby food labels alone could drive a mother to tears! When God called our family to serve in Hungary, I faced many fears about how my children would adapt to a new language, a new city, and so many new people.

When I was young I never dreamed I would have so many "out of the ordinary" experiences. I always anticipated raising my family in a community similar to the Indianapolis suburb where I grew up. But God had other plans and those plans have brought us to the hustle and bustle of a major metropolitan capital. Crowded city streets, public transportation, and multicultural interaction has become our new normal. Over the last few months God has faced each exciting (and sometimes scary) situation with us. And through these experiences, we have found that despite our fears and concerns, God does have the best interest of our children in mind even when we must leave home and go clear across the world.

Today as Carter and I were drawing together, I took a moment to reflect on some of the fun times we've had since arriving in Hungary. Carter is going to be four years old this fall and it seems he has so many interesting and fun things to say and do. I remembered some of those comments he has made, that as an suburban American parent, I never thought I'd hear. I thought you might enjoy reading some of those funny (and sometimes embarrassing comments)...

• "Guess what, Mommy! We get to ride a bus and a tram!"
• "Mommy, how come there's no water in that toilet?"
• "Look! I drew a subway."
• "You have to tell him 'cause I don't speak Hungarian."
• "I can't ride my motor(cycle) because someone stole my gas" (we had a problem with the gas being stolen out of our car a few times)
• "Do we get to take a bus, or do I have to walk?"
• "Mommy, 'hal' means fish"
• "I had to take two airplanes to get here."
• "Can we call grandma on the computer?"
• "Hooray! It's macaroni day (or pancake day)!!" (Kraft MacNCheese isn't available here, which Carter loves and syrup is very expensive)

Everyday I am blessed to have Carter and Grant in my life. They bring me much joy and some challenges too, but always a lot of love. I wouldn't want to be raising my family any other way.

Mommy a.k.a.

Corinne

ABC....it's as easy as 1-2-3.

Years ago I purchased from the store a plastic model kit. On the front was a really impressive photo of an F-4 Phantom fighter jet that had caught my eye. With anticipation and trembling I cut away the cellophane wrapping and unloaded the contents of my kit out onto a folding table, carefully laying out the little plastic frames side by side.

I organized my modeling glue, set out my little paint pens, and opened the instructions to step one, and after 10 seconds I promptly threw away the instructions. "C'mon, it's a fighter jet, how hard can this be right," I said to myself.

I made two mistakes that day, one being that you should not paint and glue together an entire model in 38 minutes. When I finished my fingers were mostly silver and black, my index finger was glued to my thumb, and instead of admiring my F4 Phantom, I was staring at something that seemed more to be an ugly paper weight, than anything that could actually fly, which was clearly impossible with so much glue all over the cockpit glass.

I learned something else that day, my second lesson. Start at the beginning and take it step by step. Years later as an FAA certified aircraft mechanic I can appreciate this approach.

When we arrived in Hungary I was faced with this question, "What is step one?" We arrived on a field that has had its shares of struggles. Our church has shrunk dramatically over the past few years, and many of our hungarians that we ministered to have simply vanished. In a way it feels like we're starting over, and in Corinne and my ministry, we found ourselves looking at a blank page. So where do we begin? This job didn't come with the well laid out instructions I've come to appreciate.

As we prayed and contemplated our first steps, Christ's example really seemed to point us in one direction. Christ knew that his days were numbered. He understood that at an appointed time He would pay the price for mankinds disobedience and sinfulness. In many ways, though far less critical, we understand that our days in Hungary have a number. Though we intend to be here for a long time, we're Americans, the day will come for us to go home.

So what did Jesus do? He started with what he had. He knew that after he left he would need someone to carry on the ministry. So he called his disciples and he formed his Church. He poured himself into his disciples. He ministered, and he mentored. He modeled for his disciples a life lived for God, and how to continue the ministry.

Corinne and I can't be every Hungarians best friend. I also realize that we can't be directly involved in saving them all. So we endeavor to follow Christ's example and pour ourselves into those he's brought to us. This has meant everything from short Facebook posts to long conversations at a local coffee shop. This has involved opening up our apartment twice a week for ministry, and simply spending time on our knees in prayer in the darkness of our bedroom.

What we do here isn't simply for our group. I have fallen in love with these people, but my hope isn't simply for them. It's for the friends, family, and someday children they will have. It's for those who come in contact with them that they will minister to, and for those that those people will then reach. I'm not interested in a moment, I'm interested in eternity. This isn't about 12 - 17 people in a apartment in Budapest on Friday nights, or throughout the week. This is about the countless lives that will be changed because of them.

I consider being involved in the discipleship of many as the greatest honor God has given me second only to my role as a husband and father. So where have we begun? Well Step One of course. Laying the foundation for the salvation of many. Praise and Glory to God.

Taking it one step at a time,

Jonathan for the Longs.