by Pete Johnson

I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:1-10)

Here are some words that have meant much to me lately related to the scriptures above.

"What is this 'strength made perfect,' this perfected power that Paul experienced in his weaknesses?  It is the greater dimension of God's power.  Many desire to walk in perfected power, but do not want to embrace the weakness that is necessary to enter into it.  Western culture hates weakness.  We disdain the thought of becoming weak.   However, weakness is mandatory for those who desire spiritual strength.  Paul taught that 'God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty…that no flesh should glory in God's presence' (1 Corinthians 1:27, 29).  God reveals Himself the most when we are at our weakest.  Paul went so far as to boast, even rejoice, in the persecution he suffered.  This has perplexed many.  His reasoning, though, is simple.  He had a divine revelation that weakness was the doorway into God's power, and must therefore not be avoided.  Paul wanted to see God's power in his life, and understood that the surest way to experience it was in his own weaknesses, both the voluntary [e.g., prayer, fasting, living simply, and serving with humility and diligence] and involuntary ones [e.g., thorn in the flesh, persecution, infirmity, reproach, and distress]".
-from Mike Bickle and Dana Candler—The Rewards of Fasting (2005; pgs 56-57).

Muddy mountain passages with pot holes the size of Rhode Island.  Wooden bunk beds with hairy spiders crawling on the cross beams above your head.  Outhouses that don’t flush and require a dirt deposit when you’re finished.  It doesn’t sound like a vacation, does it?  That’s because it’s not.  But you don’t go to do mission work in Honduras to be on some fancy “please pamper me” vacation.  It’s hard work.  It’s out of your comfort zone.  It challenges you both physically and emotionally.  But it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.  I traveled with 26 other people from all over the United States to help for only one week in mountains of Olancho, Honduras.  I left with a new perspective on life and an abundance of new friendships.

The medical team on the trip was composed of 10 people: one doctor, one nurse, one P.A., one pharmacist, 2 translators, and 4 prayer warriors/entertainers.  In 5 days, they saw over 300 patients and distributed almost a 1,000 prescriptions.  They touched the lives of so many people and not only met their physical needs, but their spiritual and emotional needs as well.  Everyone else in the group made up the 4 work crews that helped in various locations throughout the mountainous region.  We worked at 12 different sites building latrines, which consisted of a lot of concrete mixing, rebar tying, and brick wall building.  We painted walls at a few different locations and planted trees at CEREPA, the alcohol and drug rehabilitation clinic in Catacamas.  We also split off into groups that went to different schools to help in the Healthy Schools Program.   They give the children vitamins and fluoride treatments, distribute toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap, and check their height, weight, and teeth. 

Throughout this experience, I met many people who will forever be remembered in my mind.  Although the language barrier may have prevented us from verbally communicating well, I learned that a smile and a helpful hand can go a long way.  I learned that compassion for people can actually make your heart hurt a little.  And I learned that our material possessions do not make up who we really are inside.  I feel we were really able to touch people’s lives in just one week.  But really, the people we met left a huge impression on all of us as well.  In the end, God was glorified and people’s needs were met.  It was a wonderful experience that I will not forget. 

There is a rainbow of mercy around you.
It's calling me closer, closer.
The blood of your son has made a way
A way to come closer, closer.

For you delight in showing me mercy
And you desire for me to draw near.
Now you have caused me to come and approach you.
And I am blessed among men.

Now there is one thing thing I will desire.
And there is one thing I will seek.
That I may behold you in all of your glory.
To gaze on the beauty of the King.
-Matt Gilman

As I am writing this and listening to this song, I find it really, really hard to fight the tears- tears of joy. This past week I was sincerely with the opportunity to offer a "cup of cold water" (reference to Matthew 10:42) to the people of Honduras on a medical mission trip with Predisan. I felt the Spirit's calling several months ago, but I did not even begin to catch on to what to God was going to do. Our team (composed of 27 people) was able to help a lot.  We built 12 latrines, planted trees, saw about 340 patients in the medical clinics, dispensed about 1,000+ prescriptions, and did a number of other things. If this would have been all that God was going to do with us and with me, then that would have been great.

However, there was more. God provided me "gallons of cold water". I was blessed in so many ways... good food (i.e., black beans, rice, corn tortillas, eggs, and of course plantains), great drivers, good company- with new friendships and blessings upon current friendships, good memories, tremendous amounts of laughter. In addition, it was on the mountain side of Honduras where I felt that my experience/knowledge meet with my with spiritual gifts (i.e., wisdom, discernment, etc.). In the Kingdom of God, I keep realizing that it is such a joy and blessing to be used by God.

Perhaps the most significant thing that I learned relates back to this song that I heard in the last few hours of the trip. The thing that I been thinking about today is mercy. Jesus quotes the Prophet Hosea when he says that "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices". Our team may have been doing a lot of sacrifice this past week; I definitely sacrificed as well. But, it is Jesus' mercy that chokes me up. I am a filthy, sinful wretch, but I am loved by the King of Kings. And he provides this mercy so that I will seek Him and hunger for Him. I am truly "blessed among men".

Last week I had the great privilege of serving with the Predisan Mission in Olancho, Honduras. I've been to Honduras once before, but never to this area and not with this organization. For years I've heard about the amazing work Predisan does to serve remote villages with health care, and now I know why everyone who works with this mission is touched by it.

A little background on our trip. I went with a group of 27, mostly from Quail Springs Church. We had a medical brigade of about 8, and the rest of us were work crews. The medical team saw 340 patients in the 4.5 days we were there, and our work teams helped install 12 latrines, paint several buildings, and entertain at local schools in local villages.

There are no words to describe the blessing this trip was. I feel as though God used it to shower me with mercy and joy and rekindle the passion for the world and different cultures that is so deep within me. To see the love and peace of God through the lives, hearts, and kindness of the Hondurans we worked with was incredible.

If you have a heart for medical missions, I encourage you to check into Predisan. They are changing lives for the glory of God.

Be sure to keep the members of the Quail Springs Predisan team, especially our own Amy, Ann, Pete, and Rebecca, in your prayers as we serve in Olancha, Honduras from July 28- August 4. 

Please pray for
-the glory of God to be made known
-our eyes to be open to seeing God at work
-physical and spiritual protection
-extra measures of healing and strength as we work in different ministries

Can't wait to come back and tell you guys all about it!

Pull me Out – Bebo Norman

To be released on his upcoming album.  Of this song, Norman says "I have silently walked the last four years or so with a building and recently diagnosed struggle with anxiety. The irony is that the struggle has been with the one thing I have always found comfort and consistency in - singing the songs that I so dearly love to sing. This song is about letting go of the earthly things that drag me down and holding tightly to the things of heaven that pull me out."

So tell me now, when does this start feeling like I understand
Everything I’m dealing with, first I was young, now it’s all just happening
What about the way I said that made you turn around
And shake your head like I don’t even know what I’m asking for

This could be all about just letting go
This could be all about just holding on

I can’t get my feet off of the ground
I want to run but I don’t know how
Can you reach down here and pull me out?

I want to scream but there’s no sound,
I want to fly to you somehow
Can you reach me here and pull me out?

Remember when I was young and hungry, I could take it in
Without much money, I had nothing at all but dreams and time to kill
Now I feel like I’m treading water and I’m hardly real
I’m just trying harder to make my way on the earth by standing still

This could be all about just letting go
This could be all about just holding on

Not a moment too soon
You will be my rescueBut tell me how long will it take

I can’t get my feet off of the ground
I want to run but I don’t know how
Can you reach me here and pull me out?

I want to scream but there’s no sound
I want to fly to you somehow
But you reach me here and pull me out

by Pete

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. (Song of Solomon 1:3)

Sweet Perfume—by Misty Edwards
It's like a sweet perfume.
Telling me you've entered the room,
Oh the fragrance, the wonderful fragrance of you.

Your name is a like an ointment poured forth,
Bringing healing to my soul.
Your name is like an ointment poured forth,
Bringing healing to my heart.

The song above has recently captivated my heart because of the harmonious sound and striking lyrics.  As Solomon describes in Song of Solomon 1:3, God's mercy, compassion, and righteousness is truly like a beautiful perfume.  He invites us into a relationship to meet Him sometimes in the most mysterious of ways.  However, it is truly through this time that the Spirit is able to provide healing in every aspect of our lives (i.e., emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.).  Abba, may we always be drawn to your fragrance!!

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
      so why should I be afraid?
   The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
      so why should I tremble?
 2 When evil people come to devour me,
      when my enemies and foes attack me,
      they will stumble and fall.
 3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
      my heart will not be afraid.
   Even if I am attacked,
      I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord—
      the thing I seek most—
   is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
      delighting in the Lord’s perfections
      and meditating in his Temple.
 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
      he will hide me in his sanctuary.
      He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
 6 Then I will hold my head high
      above my enemies who surround me.
   At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
      singing and praising the Lord with music.

 7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
      Be merciful and answer me!
 8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
      And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
 9 Do not turn your back on me.
      Do not reject your servant in anger.
      You have always been my helper.
   Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
      O God of my salvation!
 10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
      the Lord will hold me close.

 11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
      Lead me along the right path,
      for my enemies are waiting for me.
 12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
      For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
      with every breath they threaten me with violence.
 13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
      while I am here in the land of the living.

 14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
      Be brave and courageous.
      Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

by Ann (04.07.08)

One of my spiritual gifts is passion. I relate this it enthusiasm, conviction, or just flat out caring. I think that for people with these types of gifts, Satan's primary objective is to make you stop caring.

If Satan can make you stop caring, then that pretty much cuts the life-line of energy and desire to the ministries and people to which you were called to serve.

Lately I've found myself saying more and more often that I just don't care, or worse yet, I can't care.

Passion carries quite a price tag. It's not cheap to live life passionately. Most people who embody this gift have battle scars to prove it. In the immortal words of U2, "the heart that hurts is the heart that beats."

I saw this prayer a few years ago and it has been on my refrigerator since. It reminds me that to being a Christ-follower is not meant to be a life of comfort, but holy uneasiness is what God gives us to keep us longing for home.

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and
superficial relationships, so that
you will live deep in your heart.

May God bless you with anger at
injustice, oppression, and
exploitation, of people and the earth,
so that you will work for justice,
equity, and peace.

May God bless you with tears to
shed for those who suffer so you will
reach out your hands to comfort
them and change their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with
the foolishness to think that you
can make a difference in the world,
so you will do the things which
others say cannot be done.

by Pete

Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.  When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep.  So they followed her there.  When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you only had been there, my brother would not have died."  When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.  "Where have you put him?" he asked them.  They told him, "Lord, come and see."  Then Jesus wept.  The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!"….Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"  So they rolled the stone aside.  Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me.  You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me."  (John 11:30-36, 40-42) 

Thirteen years ago this month (almost to the day), my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer.  As I reflect on this time in my life, it brings back bitter and raw emotion.  Three months to the date after he was diagnosed he went to heaven on a lonely Sunday morning.  I never got to say goodbye.  That night I cried myself to sleep in the arms of my mother with a host of angels at our side.  For several years, I wondered why my God would allow something like this to happen.  In many ways, I questioned God's goodness and love.   

However, the story of Lazarus above provides a convicting reminder that our Creator God, our Daddy, Hosanna in the highest was and is moved by the compassion of Lazarus's friends and family.  I can spend the rest of my life comparing my weeping and mourning with that of Lazarus' closest companions and never fully understand why dad was not healed.  The fact is that we live in a "fallen world".  But, verse 40 provides an interesting insight into the Kingdom of God (in bold).  That day, the crowd saw God's glory through the raising of Lazarus.  However, in the last several years, I have been surprised to find the Spirit shine light/glory on my tragic circumstance.  You see, I have come to find that in the Kingdom of God that no tear goes un-noticed or un-fulfilled through the eyes of a God who is moved by our sorrow and would move heaven and earth just to be with us.