A few months ago I shared some medical challenges that my family was facing via this blog and at our weekly gathering for City Community Church.  There have been some very encouraging recent updates, so I thought I’d post them here for those who are interested.

MANDY: my wife’s thyroid issues have all come back clean and clear, and following a couple of preventative procedures she is fully on the mend and back to keeping me and the kids in line (wish her luck with that one).

AUSTIN: my 4 year old is getting used to his new glasses, and if his mom and dad can be more disciplined with his patch therapy, there’s a long-term possibility his vision could improve enough to lose the eye correction altogether.

DISNEY: our sweet little Boston Terrier Disney…well no, she didn’t resurrect from the dead.  But we did get a new miniature addition to the family: a Yorkshire Terrier named “Buzz.” (as in Lightyear).

ME: after two miserable months on anti-seizure medication (if I was mean, nasty, or completely unpleasant to any of you, I do have a medical excuse), I decided to see a new neurologist here in Indy.  This second opinion yielded new perspective on my symptoms and reversed my initial “risk of seizure” diagnosis.  Instead, it seems I have a condition known as Optical (or silent) Migraines.  While still a neurological event, it is not as serious as a seizure disorder and can hopefully be managed without medication.  In fact, I just finished the five week detox (those meds are serious stuff) and am completely off any medication for the first time since early October.

We’ve been excited to share these developments with you, and really to say thank you for all the prayers and love we’ve felt these last few months.  Pain, suffering, and events beyond our control are often God’s greatest shaping tools.  And as much as I hate that reality, this quote from my original October post rings truer than ever today:

I don’t want a belief system – a philosophy – that gives me easy answers I can frame and hang on the mantle, an opiate created to dull my pain.  I need a Savior willing to embody my suffering, to redeem it, to shape me deeply through this far-too-often unexplainable journey, and to both weep and celebrate with me all along the way.

Sometimes our stories seem to have happy endings, and sometimes the pain and confusion is a long-term companion.  But I’m learning to hang onto Jesus no matter what the journey brings, because I trust Him to use both joy and pain to unfold His perfection in me. I pray the same is true in your life.

Hitting the sack here in Honduras after a long travel day.  Two short flights with one long layover.  For the record, if you have 5 hours to kill, I would strongly suggest you not do it in the San Pedro airport.

Tomorrow we head out early to help with a new Mission of Mercy mobile dental clinic.  In the afternoon we visit the first of three future sites for MoM childrens centers.  City Community Church is hoping to get in the mix literally from the ground up here in La Ceiba.  We’ll meet the local pastors, get a hands on view of the area, and spend time visiting the homes of the families and children that will be affected by the presence of this center.  It’s sure to be a wildly emotional day.

Please pray for us, that we see clearly what God is already doing here in La Ceiba and know what part we have to play in seeing it become reality.  More to come soon.

Trying to put into words what I feel tonight, just 12 hours before the official start of City Community Church.  Today was rather surreal, last minute details, loading the truck, special setup times and music rehearsal.  I’m not sure the reality of it all has hit me yet.  Just thought I’d try and capture a few random thoughts in the moment.

I’m overwhelmed at the love and faithfulness of our team…some we’ve known for years, and others we’ve just met along this new leg of the journey.  My kids seem really excited, wired even tonight.  I think they’re ready to get back into some sense of normalcy (although they might be terribly mistaken about anything normal on the horizon).  It was nice to have a break from the Sunday to Sunday routine, but I think we’re all ready to get back in the swing of things.

Believing for a great start tomorrow.  Nathan’s kicking off our very first series: “Imagine.”  Don’t know what to expect, but I have this great sense that if we just stay focused on creating encouraging and challenging God-environments, we will somehow be able to create a place that is essential to people’s lives.  Only time will tell, and tomorrow is just step one on the journey.  Ready or not here we come.

I’ve started to change the way I pray for my kids.

I think we all have this dream of what life should be like.  It’s a little different for all of us, but regardless of location, race, or socio-economic background, we all want good things for those we love.  So we dream of our son becoming a doctor, our daughter the CEO of a fortune 500 company, or at the absolute least a marriage providing all the comforts of the American dream:  2.3 kids (still struggle with the math there) and a two-story house in the suburbs with a picket fence.  Your picture may be a little different, but suffice it to say we want the best for those we love.

Jesus said to pray “…don’t let us yield to temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” (Mat. 6:13)

That verse says a lot about protection from sin and physical harm, but very little about keeping us naive and sheltered.  As a father, I often fear that sheltered is what I desire.  I want my children to be happy, to love their lives and feel secure.  But God never promised happiness.  He did promise purpose.

So my prayer has changed, or probably more my perspective on the same prayer.  I still pray diligently for protection from sin and physical harm, but I’m beginning to pray that God makes us dangerous in the way we live.  Not “bungee jump off the nearest skyscraper” dangerous (although that could be fun), but bold and courageous.  Jesus called us to radical discipleship.  If that is lived out through 2.3 kids and a picket fence, I’m great with that.  But if it means feeding AIDS orphans in Swaziland or serving the poor in inner-city LA, I’ll celebrate that too.  I’m praying for dreams of purpose, not happiness.

Keep us safe, but not sheltered.  Make us bold.  Make us courageous.  Make us dangerous.