The Candles

¨Well, that may be what you think,¨ said the candle on the far left....¨You may think we have to go, but I´m busy....I´m meditating on the importance of light. It´s really enlightening.¨...
¨And you other two,¨I asked, ¨are you going to stay in here as well?¨
A short, fat, purple candle with plump cheeks that reminded me of Santa Claus spoke up. ¨I´m waiting to get my life together. I´m not stable enough.¨
The last candle had a female voice, very pleasant to the ear. ¨I´d like to help,¨ she explained, ¨but lighting the darkness is not my gift....I´m a singer. I sing to other candles to encourage them to burn more brightly.¨
...She began a rendition of ¨This Little Light of Mine¨....The other three joined in, filling the storage room with singing....I took a step back and considered the absurdity of it all. Four perfectly healthy candles singing to each other about light but refusing to come out of the closet.

(From God Came Near by Max Lucado)

Here is a little excerpt that I read, and thought it was good. I have been like of those candles, I have a light, but have refused to give it to others. But thanks to God, that is changing. Can anyone guess what is the significance of that story? If someone doesn´t guess it, then I will post the answer later.

A day with a baby Cuy

Yesterday Tim and I, we had a baby "guinea pig" animals are really very kind and tender, and was with us in the office where I work and the baby "Cuy" was very quiet and then we want to take some pictures and he was very quiet posing for each photo, I was really surprised that it was so quiet and before I take her with her family on a small pink, and then we will know that he is the baby "Cuy", which tastes take pictures with us.
Well here are some pictures of us with the baby "Cuy.

My Christmas in Peru

A lot of people asked me how we celebrate Christmas in the U.S., and what kind of traditions we have. Really it is very similar in Peru, although my family likes to play a lot of games. Elianas family had a Christmas tree, and presents under the tree. And there is a special dinner, when all the family gets together. But that dinner is the morning of the 25th, when the clock finally gets around to 12:00 a.m. So it is a very late dinner, and I think we got to bed around 3:00 a.m. A lot of people set off fireworks at 12:00 a.m., and that was loud. The kids opened presents, and my nephew Gabriel, who is 2, he would leave his new toys and run to his parents every time some loud fireworks went off. Eliana and I made deviled eggs, and a fruit salad. Also we ate turkey, a potato salad, rice, 2 really good jello type dishes, and a homemade apple sauce. About 23 people were here for the dinner, and so we had 2 turkeys. But their oven does not get real hot, and so we took the turkeys to the nearby bakery, and they cooked them in their big industrial oven that is usually used for bread. And we weren´t the only ones that did that. They were cooking turkeys all day, I would imagine they cooked between 60 and 100 turkeys. Our turkeys were filled with cut up onion, apples, and not sure what else. We ate more turkey for lunch today.
For New Years, Eliana and I will be in the church, because the younger people will be there all night, and we probably won´t get to the house, and go to bed until 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.
Hope you all are having a good Christmas. Eliana and I are hoping to spend Christmas in the United States with my family in 2008. And then to spend new years with her sisters family in Utah. We are praying for that.

Another excerpt from ¨An Angels Story¨ by Max Lucado.

THE AWAITED ONE
by Max Lucado

We were a wreath of Light around the stable, a necklace of diamonds
around the structure. Every angel had been called from his post for the
coming, even Michael. None doubted God would, but none knew how He could,
fulfill his promise.

I’ve heated the water!”

“No need to yell, Joseph I hear you fine.”

Mary would have heard had Joseph whispered. The stable was even smaller
than Joseph had imagined but the innkeeper was right- it was clean. I
started to clear out the sheep and cow, but Michael stopped me. “The
Father wants all of creation to witness the moment.”

Mary cried out and gripped Joseph’s arm with one hand and a feed
trough with the other. The thrust in her abdomen lifted her back, and she
leaned forward.

“Is it time?” Joseph asked.

She shot back a glance, and he had his answer.

Within moments the Awaited One was born. I was privileged to have a
position close to the couple, only a step behind Michael. We both gazed
into the wrinkled face of the infant. Joseph had placed hay in a feed
trough, giving Jesus his first bed.

All of God was in the infant. Light encircled His face and radiated
from His tiny hands. The very glory I had witnessed in His throne room now
burst through His skin.

I felt we should sing but did not know what. We had no song. We had no
verse. We had never seen the sight of God in a baby. When God had made
a star, our words had roared. When He had delivered His servants, our
tongues had flown with praise. Before His throne, our songs never ended.
But what do you sing to God in a feed trough?

In that moment a wonderful thing happened. As we looked at the baby
Jesus, the darkness lifted. Not the darkness of the night, but the
darkness of the mystery. Heaven’s enlightenment engulfed the legions.

Our minds were filled with the Truth we had never before known. We
became aware for the first time of the Father’s plan to rescue those who
bear His name.

An excerpt from ¨An Angels Story¨ by Max Lucado.

IMMANUEL

The King walked over and reached for the book. He turned it toward
Lucifer and commanded, “Come, Deceiver, read the name of the One who
will call your bluff. Read the name of the One who will storm your
gates.”

Satan rose slowly off his haunches. Like a wary wolf, he walked a wide
circle toward the desk until he stood before the volume and read the
word:

“Immanuel?” he muttered to himself, then spoke in a tone of
disbelief. “God with us?” For the first time the hooded head turned
squarely toward the face of the Father. “No. Not even You would do
that. Not even You would go so far.”

“You’ve never believed me, Satan.”

“But Immanuel? The plan is bizarre! You don’t know what it’s
like on Earth! You don’t know how dark I’ve made it. It’s putrid.
It’s evil. It’s…”

“IT IS MINE,” proclaimed the King. “AND I WILL RECLAIM WHAT IS
MINE. I WILL BECOME FLESH. I WILL FEEL WHAT MY CREATURES FEEL. I WILL
SEE WHAT THEY SEE.”

“But what of their sin?”

“I will bring mercy.”

“What of their death?”

“I will give life.”

Satan stood speechless.

God spoke, “I love my children. Love does not take away the
beloved’s freedom. But love takes away fear. And Immanuel will leave behind
a tribe of fearless children. They will not fear you or your hell.”

Satan stepped back at the thought. His retort was childish.
“Th-th-they will too!”

“I will take away all sin. I will take away death. Without sin and
without death, you have no power.”

Around and around in a circle Satan paced, clenching and unclenching
his wiry fingers. When he finally stopped, he asked a question that even
I was thinking. “Why? Why would You do this?”

The Father’s voice was deep and soft. “Because I love them.”

A few words..

Recently a man that some of Elianas family knew died of cancer. But not long ago, Elianas father spoke to him about Christ, and he received Christ into his life. A lot of the family of this man is not Christian, and I think that was an especially difficult time for them, because there was much confusion, anxiety, and fear. They do not understand how this man has received the gift of salvation from Christ, and he has nothing to worry about. This makes me think about people like the apostle Paul in the Bible, or Jim Rittenhouse who recently died. Both were Christians that not only had acknowledged that they had sin in their life, and looked to Jesus Christ for their salvation, but they also really knew Jesus. I think a lot of Christians have received Christ in their heart, but have not grown to really know him, and love him. And I would say that I am one of those. But my desire is to know him more, because I want what Paul and Jim had, and that is to really know Jesus, and I know that can happen in my life. I think that will happen in everyones life if it is something that they really want. Both Paul and Jim were ready to die, because they knew God, and because they knew God, they wanted to leave this world, and be with Him in heaven. I think that is a wonderful thing when that happens to someone. I do not want to be afraid to die, but to have joy in thinking that I finally get to leave this world which is full of sin, and to live forever with God where there is no sin, or hate or suffering, but only joy and peace which goes on forever.
I would like to say to everyone that the gift of salvation is available to them. John 3:16 says:

God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.

That ¨Son¨ is Jesus Christ, who came here, and died for our sin. He was without sin, but took our sin, and died. He took our punishment, which we deserved. But after 3 days, He rose again, and is now to the side of His father in Heaven.
Here is a good example which shows how we are saved. It is from Luke 23:39-43.

One of the criminals on a cross began to should insults at Jesus: ¨Aren´t you the Christ? Then save yourself and us.¨ But the other criminal stopped him and said, ¨You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Then he said, ¨Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.¨ Jesus said to him ¨I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.¨

Jesus Christ was crucified with two other men, both who were criminals. One of the criminals acknowledged the sin in his own life, and asked Jesus to remember him. And Jesus said ¨today you will be with me in paradise¨. There is an example of the gift of salvation, it is as easy as that. The criminal knew he was in need of a Savior, and turned to Jesus for his salvation. Salvation is not gained by working for it, or living a good life, but it is a free gift from God, because Jesus died for our sin. All those who believe in Christ, and turn to Him for their salvation will be saved. And then that is the beginning of a new life. Not only do you gain eternal salvation, but the spirit of Christ enters into your heart, and begins to change you. I am so thankful that I do not continue living the life that I once lived, but I have God in my life who helps me, and guides me, and uses me for a special purpose. And someday when I die, and stand before God, I do not have to be in fear or to be worrying, because Jesus Christ took my punishment for me.

If you want this gift of salvation, all you have to do is ask. You can use your own words, or maybe you like these:

Jesus, I know I have sin in my life, and I ask that you forgive me. And change me into the person that you want me to be.

the neighbors turtle

When I was here in February, Eliana asked me to look outside, and there was a good sized turtle in the street. It was actually the neighbors pet. I was surprised to see a big turtle on the side walk of a big city like Lima. I asked her about that turtle today, and if they still have it. I guess that turtle got loose, and went for a walk. The police found it, and took it to the police station. I guess they kept it there for several days, and would take it outside, and let it eat the vegetation. The owners finally found out where their turtle was, the police told them that they detained the turtle for not having identification. I thought that was a pretty funny joke. But anyways, I guess they got their turtle back. If they still have it, or if it is away taking another walk, I am not sure.

Gabriel

I have been posting a lot of clips from books. This one I got in my email. I like Max Lucados imagination, and this is how he imagines the birth of Jesus.

“Gabriel.”

Just the sound of my King’s voice stirred my heart. I left my post at the entryway and stepped into the throne room. To my left was the desk on which sat the Book of Life. Ahead of me was the throne of Almighty God. I entered the circle of unceasing Light, folded my wings before me to cover my face, and knelt before Him. “Yes, my Lord?”

“You have served the kingdom well. You are a noble messenger. Never have you flinched in duty. Never have you flagged in zeal.”

I bowed my head, basking in the words. “Whatever You ask, I’ll do a thousand times over, my King,” I promised.“

Of that, I have no doubt, dear messenger.” His voice assumed a solemnity I’d never heard Him use. “But your greatest work lies ahead of you. Your next assignment is to carry a gift to Earth. Behold.”

I lifted my eyes to see a necklace—a clear vial on a golden chain—dangling from His extended hand.

My Father spoke earnestly, “Though empty, this vial will soon contain My greatest gift.” …Handing me the necklace, He explained, “This vial will contain the essence of Myself; a Seed to be placed in the womb of a young girl. Her name is Mary. She lives among My chosen people.

The fruit of the Seed is the Son of God. Take it to her.”

“But how will I know her?” I asked.

“Don’t worry. You will.”

I could not comprehend God’s plan, but my understanding was not essential. My obedience was.

I lowered my head, and He draped the chain around my neck. Amazingly, the vial was no longer empty. It glowed with Light.

“Jesus. Tell her to call My Son Jesus.”

From ¨An Angels Story¨by Max Lucado

From ¨Temptation: Help for Struggling Christians¨by Charles Durham.

A man once found a cocoon of an Emperor moth and kept it with the purpose of watching the beautiful creature emerge. Finally the day came and it began to struggle through the small opening at one end of the cocoon. The struggle continued for hours, but the moth could never force its body beyond a certain point.

Finally believing that something was wrong and that the opening should have been larger, the man took a pair of scissors and carefully clipped the restraining threads. The moth emerged easily, and crawled out onto the windowsill. Its body was large and swollen, its wings small and shriveled. He supposed that in a few hours the wings would develop into the beautiful objects that he had expected. But it did not happen. The moth that should have been a thing of great beauty free to float and fly, spent its short life dragging around the swollen body and shriveled wings.

The constricting threads and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening had been God´s method of forcing fluids from the body into the wings. The ¨merciful¨snip of the threads was the most cruel thing possible.

Often God lets us struggle rather than stepping in like a big brother to do our fighting for us. No doubt he could make it all so easy and very moment of life so pleasant. But as we struggle, becoming exhausted almost beyond endurance, changes occur in us which could not happen otherwise: the ¨fluids¨expand our wings, and in time we can fly. Cut the struggle short at some crucial point and we are crippled forever... or until God gives another opportunity for struggle that will do what the first aborted struggle should have been allowed to do.

Temptation: Help for Struggling Christians by Charles Durham.

From A Gentle Thunder, by Max Lucado.

John the Baptist saw a dove and believed. James Whittaker saw a sea gull and believed. Who´s to say the one who sent the first didn´t send the second?
James Whittaker was a member of the handpicked crew that flew the B-17 Flying Fortress captained by Eddie Rickenbacker. Anybody who remembers October of 1942 remembers the day Rickenbacker and his crew were reported lost at sea.
Somewhere over the Pacific, out of radio range, the plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the ocean. The nine men spent the next month floating in three rafts. They battled the heat, the storms, and the water. Sharks, some ten feet long, would ram their nine-foot boats. After only eight days their rations were eaten or destroyed by saltwater. It would take a miracle to survive.
One morning after their daily devotions, Rickenbacker leaned his head back against the raft and pulled his hat over his eyes. A bird landed on his head. He peered out from under his hat. Every eye was on him. He instinctively knew it was a sea gull.
Rickenbacker caught it, and the crew ate it. The bird´s intestines were used for bait to catch fish... and the crew survived to tell the story. A story about a stranded crew with no hope or help in sight. A story about prayers offered and prayers answered. A story about a visitor from an unknown land traveling a great distance to give his life as a sacrifice. A story of salvation.
A story much like our own. Weren´t we, like the crew, stranded? Weren´t we, like the crew, praying? And weren´t we, like the crew, rescued by a visitor we´ve never seen through a sacrifice we´ll never forget?
You may have heard the Rickenbacker story before. You may have even heard it from me. You may have read it in one of my books. Coreen Schwenk did. She was engaged to the only crew member who did not survive, young Sgt. Alex Kacymarcyck. As a result of a 1985 reunion of the crew, Mrs. Schwenk learned that the widow of James Whittaker lived only eighty miles from her house. The two women met and shared their stories.
After reading this story in my book In the Eye of the Storm, Mrs. Schwenk felt compelled to write to me. The real miracle, she informed me, was not a bird on the head of Eddie Rickenbacker but a change in the heart of James Whittaker. The greatest event of that day was not the rescue of a crew but the rescue of a soul.
James Whittaker was an unbeliever. The plane crash didn´t change his unbelief. The days facing death didn´t cause him to reconsider his destiny. In fact, Mrs. Whittaker said her husband grew irritated with John Bartak, a crew member who continually read his Bible privately and aloud.
But his protests didn´t stop Bartak from reading. Nor did Whittaker´s resistance stop the Word from entering his soul. Unknown to Whittaker, the soil of his heart was being plowed. For it was one morning after a Bible reading that the sea gull landed on Captain Rickenbacker´s head.
And at that moment Jim became a believer.
I chuckled when I read the letter. Not at the letter. I believe every word of it. Not at James Whittaker. I have every reason to believe his conversion was real. But I had to chuckle at... please excuse me... I had to chuckle at God.
Isn´t that just like him? Who would go to such extremes to save a soul? Such an effort to get a guy´s attention. The rest of the world is occupied with Germany and Hitler. Every headline is reporting the actions of Roosevelt and Churchill. The globe is locked in a battle for freedom... and the Father is in the Pacific sending a missionary pigeon to save a soul. Oh, the lengths to which God will go to get our attention and win our affection. (From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado)

Things are going well for us and we are both enjoying being married. I forgot about Thanksgiving until it was the day before. And when I told Eliana, she wanted to spend the day with me, and for us to cook something special for supper. We thought about a lot of things, like cream corn, turkey, apple pie, and stuffing. But we ended up having a regular supper, I think it was chicken and rice, but then Eliana and I made corn bread (which is now a family favorite), and also chocolate chip cookies. Eliana and her family had never eaten chocolate chip cookies, but they really liked them. Eliana could not believe how much sugar went into the recipe. And then we made banana strawberry milk shakes, and that is always good.
Now that Eliana and I are married, we wish to now go through the process of getting me my resident visa. But I think it is actually less complicated than our civil marriage process. So that is good news. I hope to have my resident visa soon.
I hope everything is going well for everyone. I have a Bible that has a lot of side notes and stuff like that, and I think those are mostly written by Max Lucado. Before the gospel of John, I read a story that someone had written about John, and wanted to write it in our blog. I think it is written by Max Lucado, but not completely for sure. But whoever wrote it, it is how they imagined John. This story is not actually in the Bible. Hope you enjoy it. By the way, John was one of Jesus´s disciples.

He´s an old man, this one who sits on the stool and leans against the wall. Eyes closed and face soft, were it not for his hand stroking his beard, you´d think he was asleep.

Some in the room assume he is. He does this often during worship. As the people sing, his eyes will close and his chin will fall until it rests on his chest, and there he will remain motionless. Silent.

Those who know him well know better. They know he is not resting. He is traveling. Atop the music he journeys back, back, back, until he is young again. Strong again. There again. There on the seashore with James and the apostles. There on the trail with the disciples and the women. There in the Temple with Caiaphas and the accusers.

It´s be sixty years, but John sees him still. The decades took John´s strength, but they didn´t take his memory. The years dulled his sight, but they didn´t dull his vision. The seasons may have wrinkled his face, but they didn´t soften his love.

He had been with God. God had been with him. How could he forget?

The wine that moments before had been water, John could still taste it.

The mud placed on the eyes of the blind man in Jerusalem, John could still remember it.

The aroma of Mary´s perfume as it filled the room, John could still smell it.

And the voice. Oh, the voice. His voice. John could still hear it.

I am the light of the world, it rang...I am the door...I am the way, the truth, the life.

I will come back, it promised, and take you to be with me.

Those who believe in me, it assured, will have life even if they die.

John could hear him. John could see him. Scenes branded on his heart. Words seared into his soul. John would never forget. How could he? He had been there.

He opens his eyes and blinks. The singing has stopped. The teaching has begun. John looks at the listeners and listens to the teacher.

If only you could have been there, he thinks.

But he wasn´t. Most weren´t. Most weren´t even born. And most who were there are dead. Peter is. So is James. Nathanael, Martha, Philip. They are all gone. Even Paul, the apostle who came late, is dead.

Only John remains.

He looks again at the church. Small but earnest. They lean forward to hear the teacher. John listens to him. What a task. Speaking of one he never saw. Explaining words he never heard. John is there if the teacher needs him.

But what will happen when John is gone? What will the teacher do then? When John´s voice is silent and his tongue stilled? Who will tell them how Jesus silenced the waves? Will they hear how he fed the thousands? Will they remember how he prayed for unity?

How will they know? If only they could have been there.

Suddenly, in his heart he knows what to do.

Later, under the light of a sunlit shaft, the old fisherman unfolds the scroll and begins to write the story of his life.

In the beginning there was the Word...

Our honeymoon in Arequipa, Peru.

Our favorite restaurant in Arequipa.

The ¨Plaza de Armas¨. I think almost all Peru cities has one, and is like a downtown square. They say that Arequipas is one of the prettiest.

Me and my new friend.

They don´t call it the city of white for nothing. After the city was destroyed by an earthquake, people started building with the white volcanic rock.

Had to get a picture of that.

While we were on a guided tour, we ate at this restaurant, and we got to see some local dances.

At the Colca Canyon, and waiting for the condors to fly. Unfortunately we didn´t get any close up shots of them.

Beautiful.

A village.

Tunnel through the mountain.

What kind of bird is this?

Eliana getting a llama kiss.

Photo with some locals. I imagine they live in the nearby mountains.

These are related to the llama, but are quite a bit smaller.

Photo of the sun setting right before we got on the plane to return to Lima.

Wedding Pictures

Picture with Elianas parents, sisters, and brother.

Picture with my Dad and Aunt Warene.

Elianas beautiful smile.

At the reception.

Picture with the cake.

Getting ready to light the center candle.

Picture with our nephew Gabriel.

Entering the reception.