Butter Cream Gang

Butter Cream Gang
Originally uploaded by stuchap

Remember those guys? They dropped in my neighborhood. Class acts, those guys are.

Dance regularly.

Every so often, my family likes to go on walks. They are not long walks but they're just long enough to get outside away from the inside. There are days when the inside can be stuffy and lame.

The other day Dev was pushing our newborn, Abe, in the stroller with her phone playing music. Asa, our 23 month old, was holding my hand. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Abe was snoozing. Dev was talking about her day. Me & Asa were listening.

Then Asa did something awesome. He ran ahead of me unprompted, turned to face me and pushed against my legs with his hands to make me stop. He proceeded to dance! Dance hard. The biggest smile was plastered on his face. After a few seconds, he was done; he grabbed my hand again and kept walking. As quickly as it started, it ended.

I was reminded of 2 Sam 6:14. Bringing the Ark into the city, David danced before the Lord with all his might. Why? He was celebrating the fact that the Ark of the Lord had returned to Jerusalem. In that moment, David wanted to praise our great big God who is worthy of our love and attention. I love that David chose to dance...with all his might.

Asa served as a reminder to me to not forget to dance. Dance with all my might because the God of the Universe deserves it. Obviously, I'm not literally referring to me shaking my hips. More so, I talking about taking time out of my everyday routine to tell God unprompted that I love Him.

So often, we wait till Sunday mornings to worship instead of 'dancing' throughout the week.

Follow Asa's example. Don't forget to dance. Whether its literal or figurative.

Need inspiration? Maybe this video will help.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

I've been on this indie folk kick over the last few weeks and I stubbled across this dandy by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Enjoy.

A Lesson on Respect

When I was five years old, I learned a valuable lesson. My momma is bigger and faster than me.

Thinking it was just me and my sister in the room, I walked straight up to her and called her "Boo Boo Face". Yep, I called her a "Boo Boo Face" and you know what? It felt good. I do not remember what she did to deserve it but I have no doubt in my mind that she did deserve it.

However, as soon as the words left my mouth, I heard my mom rush into the room screaming my name.

What happened next is somewhat of a blur. I panicked. I ran. I screamed in sheer terror. My momma was right on my heals.

I was one of the fastest kids on the playground at Mother's Day Out and I was feeling pretty good about my chances of out running my mom.

I was wrong.

Making a dash into the next room, I felt a massive hand on my shoulder bringing me to an abrupt stop. I remember saying to myself, "I think I've made a mistake." My momma made me remember that day to never, ever run away from her. I learned a lesson on respect.

This month the kids in Adventureland are learning about the virtue RESPECT. Our bottom line for this past Sunday was "You respect God when you show respect for people in charge." That would have been a great lesson to sit through 22 years ago before I learned the hard way.

Looking at Romans 13:1-7, the kids learned that nobody gets put in charge of them without God knowing about it. So the next time you have a serious conversation with your kids on respect, remind your kids that God said the leaders in your kids lives, including you, wouldn't be there without him. When we respect them, we actually show respect to God.

And hopefully, you won't have to chase your kid to get that point across.

Nigeria is beautiful.

Nigeria is beautiful. The people and cultures you will find are breathtaking. What's more, the faith the Christians have in Nigeria to depend on God for basic needs is inspiring. Tonight I thought I would share with you some of what I saw...

I wish...

What an incredible trip. This has been tough to unpack in my head and verbalize much on this blog. I have seen much and experienced much. I am sitting here wishing....

I wish you could see the kids smiles at the orphanage.

I wish you could meet the community elders who came today to thank us for the work we are doing here.

I wish you could hear Julie's sarcasm (classic).

I wish you could sing songs with the kids.

I wish you could see Adrienne getting her hair braided.

I wish you could meet Daniel and his family (incredible).

I wish you could see the faith these people have.

I wish you could have seen me & Doug get scolded by the Nigerian police.

I wish you could have seen Larry teach the kids in Sunday School this morning.

I wish you could see Kay playing with the kids during clinic.

I wish you could have seen Renee receive good news about her adoption after the visit from the commissioner.

I wish you could experience their culture - beautiful.

I wish you could see the cow being loaded in the back of the car.

I wish you could see Paul light up around the kids.

I wish you could have seen that judge with the funny, old school wig on.

I wish you could see the kids hanging on Matt.

I wish you could have seen the ruckus we caused at market.

I wish you could see the gas stations we fill up at.

I wish you could experience church this morning.

I wish you could see Adam loving on the kids.

I wish you could taste the good food we have eaten.

I wish you could ride like sardines in these little cars they cram us in.

I wish you could see Eric being such a great brother to Hassan.

I wish you could see the patience Ken shows in every situation.

I wish you could see Kyla tie-dying shirts like a machine.

I wish you could have seen the children's programs Cibolo did (totally rocked).

I wish you could see them laugh at our attempts at Igala.

I wish you could see....a lot.

I saw this qoute the other day and it would be appropriate now...

"Now I have seen, I am responsible."

Side note for Dev - I love you and Asa and baby b SO much it hurts. It makes me cry thinking about how much I miss you. Lucky for me the sweat is covering for me. See you very soon.

Nothing but love, stu

"Not in Kansas anymore"

I have a whole new appreciation for the movie Wizard of Oz when Dorothy starts wondering around a whole new world. I know she was feeling anxious and nervous as she had people come up to stare/touch her. How do I know? Because today I went to Market in Anyigba, Nigeria....it is a whole new world.

For those of you from Texas, imagine the flea market in Canton on steroids only it serves the purpose of meeting their daily needs such as tools, food, & fabrics instead of the "good junk" one would get in Canton. Goods are lined under rows and rows of small, tin or palm covered shelters. It is loud. People were yelling. Venders were very eager to coax you into their area to "push" you into buying something. At any moment, motorcycles, cars, or people carrying large bundles on their head could squeeze their way down the narrow alleys.

We had 12 Americans plus 1 Nigerian walking through the Market. The entire 3ish hours we were there (seemed much longer) we stopped [foot] traffic, literally. People would yell at us "ENEFU!" (White Person). A massive crowd formed everywhere we went (no lie). This was an odd experience. They had no shame stopping to stare at you for a looong time or coming up to touch your hair. Nigerians typically speak aggressively so what seems angry is normal speaking for them. It was a new experience on so many levels. I have videos and photos that will come later when I get back home.

After leaving, someone asked our Nigerian driver why they crowds formed all around us. He said "They will never again in their life see that many white people at one time." They would shout "ENEFU" so other people could come see.

All that to say, today was an adventure that was awesome. Filled with a new smells, new sights, new people, and new cultures. It is awesome to sit back and watch these people genuinely live by faith. Faith that He loves and He provides.

God is teaching. God is good.

Although I am learning tons and seeing tons, "There is no place like home. [Dorothy]"

Dev & Asa - Love you and miss you. I will see you soon!