Heights of Aspiration

Plan Your Work

2011-06-06T10:38:00.001-05:00

I wrote a blog March 16, 2009 titled “Get to Work.” It was a summary of a book I read back then titled It’s Called Work for a Reason by a wild looking guy named Larry Winget. It was a way out there book with the primary purpose of disputing every leadership book and theory ever developed. Winget’s thesis was that people just don’t work anymore. I have to agree with Winget; for the most part.

As I said in my March post, “I’m a worker. I’ve always been a worker. My father instilled this mentality in me. I don’t know very many people that work any harder than my father and his brothers. They grew-up in a day and age on a small West Texas farm when you worked to make a living. You milked the cows before school and you drove the tractor until dark (while getting an education in-between). I know my life was far from difficult like theirs, but one thing my dad did expect was hard work. From nine to five he worked at a bank. So we primarily worked on the farm and ranch on the weekends and any time the bank was closed (Labor Day had an entirely different meaning in my family). In the summer we either got a job or we worked on the farm. Vacations pretty much amounted to a long weekend trip to Dallas to watch the Ranger’s play and a day at Six Flags.” So Winget obviously hit most of the right buttons with me.

I’ve always liked the saying “Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan.” But, like Winget, I’m not sure we are missing an extremely important component to in our strategy. Proverbs 16:9 reads “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” I’m a planner. If my wife actually read my blogs she’d have some snide remark to insert here. I’m detail oriented. Again, insert snide remark. I like to work on the details every step of the way. I still carry a day planner. And, I use a calendar on my iPhone. And, I use Evernote on my iPhone. You get the picture. However, this verse makes me think I may be taking the wrong approach, or at least forgetting a very important ingredient; PRAYER!

All my planning in the world obviously cannot make something happen. Now, at the same time I don’t think the right approach is to fly by the seat of my pants. You know, pray and then sit around and wait for a miracle. I had a customer once that believe he could just pray, hang out at the coffee shop, and farm through the windshield in his pick-up. Obviously he was wrong. Planning is important and I believe it is relevant to success. We just have to make sure to allow God to be an ingredient (the most important ingredient) and allow Him to enact the plan.

So, step 1) Pray; step 2) Plan; step 3) Pray; step 4) Work!

Aspire to new heights.

Re-Entry (Not for the weak at heart)

2011-05-31T14:40:00.001-05:00

Last Friday I drove my kids to Ruidoso for the weekend, by myself. The "are we there yets" started before we'd even made it 20 miles. Crazy thing is, they've made this trip 10 times a year since they were born. They know we aren't there yet! But, I can't say much because I've been asking myself that very same question the past week after returning from my 10 day mission trip to Romania. All too often I feel like I’m stuck somewhere between here and there (maybe around Iceland or something), both mentally and physically. Re-entry can be so hard. Why do you think so much effort is made to perfect the space shuttle re-entry? Take the wrong angle, go to fast, or attempt in the wrong vehicle and all will end in a fiery mess.

Re-entry after a lengthy mission trip can be just as difficult. The first few days are oh so hard, almost like slow motion or like you are walking with concrete boots. It feels like you are pushing a van full of Romanian children up hill (all 30); like the lemons keep coming faster than you can make the lemonade! How dare our life get in the way of all this fun we’ve been having! To complicate things you can’t sleep, your appetite just isn’t what it was (probably due to the sudden absence of meat and potatoes), you can’t hold your eyes open past three in the afternoon and that darn cat just won’t stop smelling you (I mean do I stink or something).

Then there is the coma like absence the past 10 days. Life has moved on and we’ve been stuck in pause like a good TiVo machine (what do you mean Hines Ward won Dancing with the Stars. I thought they still had three weeks left). But when we push play there just isn’t enough hours in the day to catch up. You don’t get a two day pass for re-entry, a vacation from your vacation if you will. The kids want to jump on you NOW. The wife wants you to mow the grass TODAY (holly cow do I need more proof 10 days has passed). The hubby needs his laundry picked up ASAP. Your boss and/or co-workers are ready to give you your work back immediately. While you were off “digging holes” they were putting out fires! Half the things you put off in an effort to pack and get ready for your trip are now nipping at your heals like a Romanian goose.

So how do we cope. How do you get 36 hours out of a 24 hour day on as little as 3 hours of sleep? Unless you can get a Joshua size miracle at Gibeon and make the sun stand still you’re going to have to find another way to make it work. Somehow each day makes the process a little bit easier. We wake-up a little later each morning. The pile on our desk shrinks a little bit each day. Our farmers tan from the long days on the end of a shovel starts to fade. Life almost resembles some form of normalcy. Oh, but how to get back to "normal" without getting back to "normal?"

In Ruth 1, Naomi returns to Bethlehem after years of absence. Upon her arrival she is recognized by several locals. However, Naomi does not want to be recognized and she goes on to explain how different her life now is. In verse 21 she says, “I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty…” Ten days on the mission field will empty you. Much of which is probably in a good way. Like a good detox diet we've cleansed ourselves of the toxins in our body. But as we get home and things return to normal it's so easy to let these toxins back in. We've renewed our focus on the Lord. Our prayer life has improved (blame it on the Romanian drivers if you will). Our "me first" approach has gone by the wayside and we've developed more of a "HE first" approach. Now just to find that balance in our life. It's hard, especially when the demands of a job, a family, and the ever-present selfishness takes over. I must admit I took a 45 minute break on Thursday to watch an episode of Vampire Diaries. I justified it with being too tired to think!

Thank goodness for a long weekend. Thank goodness for a supportive wife and kids. Thank goodness for an understanding boss. Thank goodness for an understanding Lord. Aspire to new heights!

Derby Day

2011-05-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

Saturday was the Kentucky Derby. By the way I picked Animal Kingdom to win (not bragging or anything). It was fun to gather around the TV with the family and cheer on our favorite horse. The show leading up to the big race was as much entertainment as anything. I found it humorous how many people flocked from all over the world to Louisville. There were 160,000 people dressed in their finest (and strangest), goofy hats and all! It was strange to me that so many people come to an event they care nothing about in a costume they’d never wear anywhere else. Most of these people don’t even know which direction the horse runs around the track! Aaron Rodgers in his giant sunglasses. Joey Fatone in that nasty white suit. And the hats, don’t get me started on the hats.

But, in full disclosure I started thinking about how many costumes we wear on a weekly basis. We wear our Sunday School outfit on Sunday where we get dressed up in our finest and put on our best behavior for good measure as well. Then we have our every day “copy room” costume where we dress like all our other coworkers and do our best to blend in with the IN crowd and never, ever stand out. We have our family costume where we try to be comfortable in our own skin and make our families proud of us but we would never be caught dead acting this way anywhere else.

I wish people loved horse racing year round. It is a great sport. However, in the same ways I wish we (me included) could just be who we should be, who He designed us to be, and who we know we should be 365 days a year. Our wardrobe would have a lot less “costumes” in it. By the way, next year I’m going to the Derby and I’m going to wear the powder blue tux I wore to Kacee’s college formal! See what kind of attention I get! Aspire to new heights.

If you get a chance please lift up our Red Page mission team leaving for Romania on Thursday. I’m blessed to be leading a wonderful group of 14.

Countdown

2011-05-02T07:26:00.000-05:00

Let the countdown begin. March paved the way for the things yet to come with our basketball court in Romania. Many friends, both personal and of Red Page, contributed to the basketball court campaign. God blessed our time, our efforts, and answered our prayers. Now here we are, less than two weeks from our first summer trip; a trip that will see the culmination of the March Mania campaign by building the actual court.

Just last week the land work began. A few days ago numerous truck loads of gravel were delivered. Nets, hoops, and backboards have been purchased. Striping is in hand. The chain link fence has been delivered. Word is already spreading throughout our service area. Our Romania team has visited eight schools to challenge the kids to attend our camp/tournament/celebration on May 21. The bracket is in hand for all eight schools to play a little HOOPS! You know if you look real hard you can almost see HOPe in HOOPS!

Thank you to everyone for paving the way for this wonderful event. We are blessed to call you teammates. Looking forward to sharing with you pictures as the team builds the court. Aspire to new heights.

The Necklace

2011-04-25T20:01:00.001-05:00

Last week one of my co-workers said, “I didn’t know you were involved in the church.” My first reaction was, “What made you think this?” (Yeah, yeah I know, sad, but follow me for a minute). I mean, we were in the middle of trying to get our bleach tanker to work. We were beating and banging and scratching our heads. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. We weren’t having any kind of conversation other than “hand me that hose” or “try it again.” He just said this out of the blue! I answered his question and we moved on.

It wasn’t until I headed home that it really hit me. As I thought more about our time together I was most taken back by the fact that we’ve spent two years together and this is the first time he’s felt compelled to ask me this question. But, before I dwell on this I first want to touch on what led him to ask me this question. Trust me, I spent three days racking my brain trying to figure out what I said or did to lead him to ask me this question. I know, sad, right? More on this later as well! Anyhow, it finally hit me. He’s a strong Catholic. While we were working on the tanker my St. Christopher necklace was revealed (Please, nobody tell OSHA). This necklace was a gift from a friend years ago when Kacee and I moved to Romania. Honestly, I don’t wear the necklace for protection. It has an entirely different meaning for me. I look at it as a symbol of the support we received from so many friends and family members while living overseas. I keep wearing it as a reminder that when we live in concert with God’s will, and family and friends support us, all things are possible.

What a relief I felt to finally realize why my colleague asked me this question. Or at least I thought it was a relief! Once I knew how he knew I had to live with myself for allowing a necklace to do my talking. How sad that my actions never gave away my faith, but rather a necklace. Oh how hard we work to keep our cover. And why? Are we embarrassed? Are we afraid we may do something to push them away? What if they don’t accept us? What if they don’t copy us on the office gossip? What if they don’t send us the dirty jokes? I’ll be honest and transparent. I have had, and still have, many of these fears. I want to fit in. I want to be liked. I mean come on Facebook doesn’t have a Dislike button for a reason! Our greatest, my greatest, struggle is to be who He wants me to be, not who the world says we should be.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting you go get a cross necklace. If you think we need to “wear” our faith then you are missing the point. After all, should a necklace, tattoo, shirt, or bumper sticker give away our faith? Shouldn’t the “words of our mouth and the attitudes of our heart” be the real indication? All too often our actions lead others to believe we are not Christian. We are more likely to push people away than we are to draw them to Christ. I want people to know, not assume that I’m a Christian by my actions not my attire, not even by what I say. It’s easy to say something. It’s much harder to prove something. Be encouraged, we ALL have a long way to go in this department. Aspire to new heights.

Give, Do, or Both?

2011-04-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

The temptation for thousands of years has been to write a check, swipe a credit card, trade a chicken, or whatever method was used to pay for something, and let someone else do the mission work for us. Maybe this was due to a lack of resources. Maybe it was due to the lack of modern technology. Maybe it was due to a lack of transportation. Or, just maybe it was because they had more excuses than we do today. Whatever the reason, most Christians engaged beyond the borders of the US pre-twentieth century were missionaries. The 21^st century has brought an entirely new approach. Short-term missions is all the buzz. Modern technology mixed with globalization and a renewed sense of call has led to a spike in the number of missionaries; if you consider a short-term mission trip participant a missionary. I do. And why not?

This shift still has not solved all our problems. The “harvest” is ready and the “workers” are still few. The temptation still exists to send someone else in our place. After all, God surely did not call ME to be a missionary. Or did he?

Look at what Jesus says in Luke 11:42, “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”

We are all called to give. I don’t dispute that. But, we are also called to do. “Faith without deeds,” after-all “is useless.” If we truly cared we would want to BE His hands and feet, not just someone that SUPPORTS His hands and feet. We are all capable of doing something, don’t think for a second you are not capable or qualified.

The more important question is: “Are you willing?” Take the initiative to give 10% of everything you have, both your money and your time! Lucky for you, or us, I’ve got just the place you can do both! Red Page is always looking for donors, short-term trip participants, interns, and long-term servants. For more information look us up at www.redpageministries.org. Blessings.

Aspire to new heights.

A Great Start

2011-04-04T10:14:00.003-05:00

It is always fun to look back and see God’s hand at work. Last Saturday we held our mid-year Red Page board meeting. It was a great time to reflect on the last six months and dream about the next six months. I’m honored to have wonderful friends that have joined this mission in an effort to see the people of Romania restored to the place God intended.

On the way to Dallas I found myself dreaming about the future. When I chose to make a career change in September 2009 I had no idea what the future would hold. My prayer; “that God would bless the relationships I have developed and my love for Romania.” And boy has He ever! Pioneer Drive Baptist Church blessed me and the people of Romania last June in a way I can never describe. Their willingness to say “yes” paved the way for so many wonderful things yet to come.

Now we find ourselves up to our ears in work. Careful what you wish for! With one mission trip already in the books in January we have a busy summer with teams in May, June, July, and August. Plans are already underway for another trip in October. Just last week we kicked off the 2011 construction year with the drilling of a water well and the delivery of construction supplies. Our construction team is already hard at work and eager to be joined by our mission teams this summer.

Thank you for your prayers, support, and participation. May God continue to bless the people of Romania. We look forward to the continuation of a wonderful year. Aspire to new heights.

Making friends at Winter Camp 2011

The joy of weekly children's meetings

Ovidiu and Adina with RPM

Ministry Coordinator Shelby Felton

RPM/HOJ Social Worker Adina Petric

2011 Construction Season Begins!

I Love Romania

2011-03-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

This morning I read a Facebook post from our Red Page ministry coordinator Shelby Felton that brought back so many memories. Here is what she said, “Fervent knocking at door. Open door, man speaks, I don't understand. Man ‘barges’ in and takes seat at kitchen table. (ok?) Quick call to friend to translate. Turns out he's the mailman and has an envelope I need to sign for. Oh, ok. Proof of identity given, paper signed. I open door, expect man to walk out ... but wait ... he gives me a hug, double cheek kiss, and a smile and nod.”

Man I love Romania. One of the things I loved the most was their pride in relationships. All too often we as Americans get in such a hurry with our daily activities that we miss the opportunity to truly build relationships with people. Not in Romania. When our landlord would come get the rent he would come in and have a glass of water and visit. When we would purchase insurance for our car the salesman would come in our apartment, visit, drink a coke, and then do the paperwork.

People often ask me what drew us to Romania; after all I have worked in a number of countries. It obviously has to be the people. The people of Romania make what we do easy. The extra hours, long nights, stress and strain of raising financial support, all come easy when I think of the gratitude from my Romanian friends. That is the root of my passion. That is why we are so determined to build this basketball court in Susani.

Realizing the value of relationships in Romania, Red Page has committed to build a basketball court behind the House of Joy that will serve as a recruiting tool for children and their families. Starting May 13, a team from Texas and Arkansas will begin building this full length basketball court. The compilation will be Saturday, May 21, with a morning basketball camp followed by the very first Susani Invitational Youth Basketball Tournament.

House of Joy founder Ovidiu Petric describes the value of this court best: “Hundreds of children will be able to gather and play on our basketball court. They will be practicing sports while they learn the scriptures. The House of Joy will be a place for Sports and Scriptures! They can learn them together. Many kids will start running for Jesus because of this awesome opportunity they will find in Susani. We will organize sports camps to improve their skills, both with the Bible and the sport. We will also work to organize competitions with the public schools in our area right on this basketball court. Our hope is to model these competitions after the Upward Basketball programs in America. Kids will come from all 31 villages in our ministry area to learn the skills of basketball, and other sports as well. These sports will give us an audience with the children and their parents so that we can share about Jesus. In addition, we will have concerts, revivals, and festivals on our court. What a perfect place to interact with the children and youth. Everybody loves sports and these sports will allow us to form firm foundations that will lead to ending poverty in our villages.”

We know this court could not be built before we do the prep work on the grounds. In the same way we realize our ministry cannot serve 2,500 families without a little prep work. This court will allow us to build relationships, establish an identity, gain valuable trust, and recruit families to come from all 31 villages we serve to hear the gospel of Christ while having a little fun.

This week marks the final full week of our campaign to raise the $10,000 necessary to do the following:

Construction of a full length basketball court - $6,000
100 new uniforms and basketball shoes - $2,000
Sporting equipment and Evangelical tools - $1,000
Event hosting - $1,000

As of today we have approximately $2,000 of our $10,000 goal raised. We are forever grateful to those that have made donations and pledges to assist in this great cause. As we near the finish line we ask that you consider how you might assist us in finishing strong. Aspire to new heights. Jon

Technology Today

2011-03-22T13:41:00.002-05:00

Saturday I found myself in my office sitting in front of my computer watching the Men’s NCAA tournament while watching the NASCAR Nationwide race on the T.V. and a horse race on my I-Pad. Occasionally I would flip the channel to the Women’s NCAA tournament. I also had Twitter open so I could keep track of the race and games from a different perspective. I don’t think this is what they had in mind when they labeled it “March Madness” but it was a little mad!

A few hours later I was able to watch the following video from my good friend Ovidiu on the grounds of the House of Joy as he requested prayers and support for the building of a basketball court in Susani.

Isn’t technology amazing? I can be half way across the world in Romania and never miss a call, text, or email with my smart phone. I can read my Bible on my iPad. I even read an article a few months ago about an app on the iPhone that will keep track of your sins so you can be better prepared to repent. However, in a world filled with technology there are still simple things that can have a lasting impact; things like a basketball court in the middle of a poverty stricken village.

No doubt technology could do a world of good and we have a number of plans that involve technology. But this simple basketball court has the ability to capture the attention of 2,500 families in a 30 mile radius. That attention can lead to lives impacted for the Kingdom. This court can provide a platform for programs, messages, and assistance that truly could end poverty in rural Romania.

Would you consider making a donation today? Every dollar counts. We can’t do it without you. Aspire to new heights.

March Madness

2011-03-15T08:40:00.003-05:00

This week marks the unofficial beginning of March Madness (NCAA basketball tournament) with the “First Four” play in games taking place this Tuesday and Wednesday followed by the first round on Thursday. I’d venture a guess that almost all basketball enthusiasts will find a way to be near a computer or television starting Thursday. After all, that is when the most exciting games take place in my opinion. I know I personally planned my travel schedule this week so that I can “work from home” Thursday and Friday! I even remember one semester while in grad school watching the games on a television at our feet while taking a distance education class! Maybe that is why they call it March “madness!”

This week also marks something special for Red Page. For the next three weeks we are going to make a concerted effort to raise $6,000 for the first basketball court in Susani. Starting May 13, a team from Texas and Arkansas will begin building a full court basketball court. The compilation will be Saturday, May 21, with a morning basketball camp followed by the very first Susani Invitational Youth Basketball Tournament! One might truly wonder the value of something like a basketball court. After all, aren’t there more pressing needs? Yes. Yes the needs are great. Yes poverty is overwhelming. Yes we need to focus on education. Yes we need to focus on completing the House of Joy. But, no this is a priority. If we are going to reach the families we must have a way to draw them to the ministry. January 23, 2010, I posted a blog titled “Run for Jesus” in which Ovidiu shared the value of competitive sports in Romania. Here is a short summary:

“During my visit to America I was extremely impressed how many people went to a high school football game in Texas. What a unique sport system in America where everybody has something to gain; values, morals, competitive drive, and sportsmanship. Everybody is a winner.”

“In Romania there are some sports that are popular, but people in general are not practicing sports as they do in the United States. In May we will build a basketball court on the House of Joy property. Hundreds of children will be able to use it and play on it. They will be practicing sports while they learn the scriptures. The House of Joy will be a place for Sports and Scriptures! They can learn them together. Many kids will start running for Jesus because of this awesome opportunity they will find in Susani. We will organize sports camps to improve their skills, both with the Bible and the sport. We will also work to organize competitions with the public schools in our area right on this basketball court. Our hope is to model these competitions after the Upward Basketball programs in America. Kids will come from all 31 villages in our ministry area to learn the skills of basketball, and other sports as well. These sports will give us an audience with the children and their parents so that we can share about Jesus. In addition, we will have concerts, revivals, and festivals on our court. What a perfect place to interact with the children and youth. Everybody loves sports.”

As you can see, the value of a basketball court goes well beyond 26 meters by 14 meters. A basketball court is much more than concrete, asphalt, two baskets and nets. A basketball court in Susani is a place for 2,500 families to spend a Saturday evening together. A basketball court is a place to learn about teamwork, competition, morals, values, life skills, and Jesus. This simple little court is a place to gain the trust and attention of hundreds of families living in rural Rumania in desperate need of a Savior and a little hope. According to UNICEF, “There was an estimated 2.17 million poor persons in Romania in 2009 with rural poverty double that of urban poverty.” The UNDP Human Development report estimated that “38 per cent of rural people were living in poverty.” UNICEF adds that “Some 75% of poor children live in rural areas, where the poverty risk is three times higher than for children living in urban areas. Children from poor and rural areas are more likely than other children to be abandoned, institutionalized, to drop out of school, and later to be found on the streets. Weaknesses in preventive and integrated community-based services, combined with poor family care practices and changing social norms and values have lead to these manifestations.” Inadequate social services, reflected in the poor condition of rural health centers, long distances to schools and poor sanitation facilities, also contribute to rural poverty. Estimates show that only 1 out of 4 village students will graduate high school. Now is the time to reach these children. Now is the time to impact these families. A simple little basketball court will give Red Page and the House of Joy the opportunity to learn more about these families in an effort to develop needs-based programs while gaining their trust and confidence.

The time is now for Red Page and the House of Joy to alter the course of history for thousands of Romanians living in rural poverty. This court is the logical entry point into the hearts and homes of these families. There are three ways you can join our team. First, you can pray for this ministry and the success of the basketball court. Second, you can financially support the building of the basketball court. Construction will cost approximately $6,000. Third, you can financially support Red Page sports programs. Your support will help purchase athletic gear, jerseys, shoes, and educational curriculum.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 by the time the Men’s (April 4) and Women’s (April 5) National Champion is named. Your gift will go a long way in helping us reach our goal. You can mail your donation to: Red Page Ministries, P.O. Box 53653, Lubbock, Texas, 79453 or make a donation online at www.redpageministries.org.

Red Page is a 501 (c)(3) and all gifts are tax deductable. Red Page Ministries focuses on grassroots mission-focused ministry as it works to transform Romania from the inside-out, one rural community at a time. The mission of Red Page is to break the cycle of poverty in rural Romania by empowering poor communities to self-reliance through social welfare, education, and rural development. For additional information you can email us at contact@redpageministries.org.

Aspire to New Heights!

Poverty: A matter of perspective

2011-03-07T12:49:00.002-06:00

“We don’t have to have lots of money, possessions, or financial security to be rich.” – John Avant

Do you believe this statement? How do you define rich? Thousands? Millions? Billions? How about: No debt? Limos? Jets? Multiple houses? How about just a house? Or a car? Maybe three meals a day. Maybe just one! How about clean drinking water? Sanitation? An education? Clothes on your back? How about a smile! Or, even better, a Savior!!!!

Rich is just a matter of perspective.

The question is; “Whatever you have, are you willing to give it up?” 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” I’m pretty sure Jesus was not materially rich (at least not how we view it). However, he gave us his most valuable possession; his life. John Avant believes that, “One of the best evidences that we really believe in God is how we invest our money.

How do you invest yours?

“Oh the joys of those who are kind to the poor” Psalm 41a

According to Wikipedia.com “Poverty is the lack of basic human needs, such as clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter, because of the inability to afford them.” We founded Red Page Ministries out of our love for Romania and our desire to see her people restored to the place God intended. Our vision: to end poverty in rural Romania, one village at a time. The International Fund for Agricultural Development, a specialized agency of the United Nations has found that, “Poverty has a firm grip on Romania’s rural areas, where almost half (44 per cent) of the population lives. In 2003 the UNDP Human Development report estimated that 38 per cent of rural people were living in poverty, compared with 14 per cent of people in urban areas. Rural people are particularly vulnerable to the hardships brought by the painful economic and social transition after the collapse of communism. Low agricultural productivity is one of the main causes of poverty in rural Romania. And in rural areas there are limited opportunities for formal employment opportunities, partly because of minimum wage regulations, high payroll taxes and the rigid labor code. Inadequate social services, reflected in the poor condition of rural health centers, long distances to schools and poor sanitation facilities, also contribute to rural poverty.”

If that is not reason enough to get involved then I challenge you to think about the children. According to UNICEF, “There was an estimated 2.17 million poor persons in Romania in 2009 with rural poverty double that of urban poverty. The international crisis and the expected increase of food and energy prices have drastically affected Romania’s children. Some 75% of poor children live in rural areas, where the poverty risk is three times higher than for children living in urban areas. Children from poor and rural areas are more likely than other children to be abandoned, institutionalized, to drop out of school, and later to be found on the streets. There is a large percentage of rural children left behind by parents migrating to other countries in search of better job opportunities. Weaknesses in preventive and integrated community-based services, combined with poor family care practices and changing social norms and values have lead to these manifestations.”

Poverty is everywhere; that I do not deny. It’s across the street, down the road, and across the ocean. Finding it is not the problem. Responding to it is! In his thought provoking, action challenging book Radical, David Platt challenges, “Anyone wanting to proclaim the glory of Christ to the end of the earth must consider not only how to declare the gospel verbally but also how to demonstrate the gospel visibly.” Time to do some demonstrating. Aspire to new heights!

Daddy Day

2011-02-28T13:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a Daddy Day for me and my 2 ½ year old son. Granted I was a bit under the weather, but we still took some time to just hang. Mom and daughter went to church and we just laid on the bed and watched cartoons! I think he knew I didn’t feel good because he just cuddled up beside me and kept me warm. Mid morning we took a nap together and then we enjoyed an afternoon of NASCAR. He likes the loud cars. I’m proud!

Every child deserves a Daddy Day. There are 140 million plus orphans in this world. I honestly don’t know how many children are without fathers. This world is in desperate need for mentors, adoptive parents, and mission trip participants. I’ve been on a lot of mission trips to orphanages around the world and the women outnumber the men 8 to 1. I’ve also been a part of mentoring programs that can’t find men to volunteer.

This really is no surprise. Social ministry is not the only area we men are dropping the ball. We now live in a world where women are forced to take on the role of spiritual leaders in our homes. My fellow brothers, we have stood by long enough while the women are forced to carry the load. Every orphan or at-risk child I’ve come to know has been starved for a quality male relationship. Few can even recall a positive male role model in their life. Common guys, do something about this. It’s time for a Daddy Day. Aspire to new heights.

The Value of a Life

2011-02-21T07:26:00.000-06:00

What does just one life mean to you? What if it was your life or someone that was close to you? It seems those that value life the most are those that have lost a family member or had a near death experience. I’ve lost family members but not my parents, spouse, or a child. And, other than one or two unfortunate driving experiences in Romania I haven’t had a near death experience. However, as an adoptee I guess there is a chance I could have had one 36 plus years ago. That is why if I were to meet my birth mom I would simply thank her. She gave me life, in more ways than one. I guess that is why a statistic I read on Romania yesterday morning while preparing to speak at a local church hit me between the eyes. Take a look:

“Statistically, Romania has the highest abortion rate in the world. Currently 3 out of 4 pregnancies are terminated with abortion. In Romania, a country with the population of 23 million, it is estimated that there are about 800,000 abortions a year and this is probably on the conservative side.” Silent Voices

I’m not exactly sure what year those figures were gathered. I would hope the statistics used by an organization on their website would be fairly accurate and current. What I do know is this created a stir in me to research more. In all honesty the numbers were all over the place, probably due in part to the difficulty and accuracy in reporting. Another report by Life International found that from 1990 to 2003, there were more abortions reported in Romania than live births.

I will admit the research could be a bit shady or skewed one way or another. However, that does not change the fact that this is an extreme issue. I don’t have all the answers. I’m not sure I have any. I am far from an expert that can determine the reasoning for this trend. The only thing I know I can do today is pray. Maybe tomorrow God will show me or you something we can do.

As David Platt said, “God blesses his people with extravagant grace so they might extend his extravagant glory to all peoples of the earth.” Thirty six year ago God blessed me. Now it is my turn to do something to bless the 800,000 potential ME’s.

Aspire to new heights.

Ro-Narnia - The King was enthroned

2011-02-14T07:17:00.000-06:00

I cannot think of a more fitting person or blog to be my 100th blog! Ovidiu, I'm honored to call you my friend and ministry partner and I'm in tears at the success of our Winter Camp. What a joy it has been to read stories and look at pictures from this amazing camp. But, don't take my word for it, take Ovidiu's!

If there is any person that needs to take the credit for what happened during our recent camp it has to be Jesus Christ. He was powerful and active among us. His Spirit made us fall in love with Him. Right now as I write these lines I wonder if I am in love enough with my Savior Jesus; and the answer is of course NO. I am not in love enough with the most beautiful, wise, rich and powerful person in the universe: LORD JESUS CHRIST. But this Winter Camp helped me love Him more. I now admire His beauty and creation more than ever before. I found new way to contemplate His wisdom more while contemplating the beauty of His people coming together more often. I’m now more impressed by His power and amazed to watch Him bringing spiritually dead people to life.

Every person played a key role in this camp. To the person they all brought something special to this gathering. But the success of this camp was 100% a result of PRAYER that was used abundantly in its organization. Our time at camp was fully immersed in prayer…in powerful and passionate prayer. There were nights when we went to sleep only to awaken to the beauty of worshiping Christ. We told the teenagers that Christ is the reason for this camp. We told them that He is worthy of our undivided attention. Our connection was to heaven, not the internet or T.V. Our attempt was to disconnect from the burden of this world and to yearn for a connection with Him. And you know what happened? God gave us what we longed to receive: His fresh presence moving among us, overwhelming us, saving among us, convicting us of sin, loving us, calling us, invading us.

A girl that was born again during this camp was so powerfully changed that her friends were shocked. They were not Christians and they came to us asking us what we did to her! Our response; “We gave her the Word of God and prayed with her.” God changed her so radically and dramatically that when she went back to her room she completely deleted all the music that did not praise Christ. She put down her books and magazines and started to read from the Bible. Before the end of camp she too was witnessing to others.

We were blessed to have another young man born again during camp. His words were evidence of this change in his life. He said that before he came in the camp he was cussing hard, but after God changed his heart that night, he was shocked by the lack of desire to cuss anymore. He said, “I cannot cuss anymore, something happened inside of me, I want to love Jesus more and to worship Him more”.

A third person with strong evidence that she was born again started crying and she fell to her knees in prayer with two other teenagers and me. Though she was just 13 and the other two were 13 and 14 they prayed as though they were mature Christians. The pain for their sins was evident. The passion for Jesus was impressive.

I do not know how many people were saved in this camp. When I invited all to come and put their lives on the altar and become living sacrifices before God, I think almost everybody in the camp came. Though some did not exhibit evidence of their salvation we were blessed to see many reflect being born again. It is not all about a prayer or a hand up or a walk in front under the impulse of the crowd in a camp. It is about the new life in Christ that needs to be noticed.

God still saves in Romania and He does that in a powerful way and He is worthy of all the glory.

I was very impressed by the way God used the American team of 8 people that left their comfort and secure atmosphere and the Super Bowl to come and worship with us and to serve us for God’s glory. The Bible study teams in the morning were so special. They taught the participants how to worship, some even in English! Thank you Erin, Kimberely, Shelby, Lindsey, and Ronne; there were tears of repentance and passion in prayers worshiping together in these teams you led. The preachers in the evening offered a strong challenge for all the participants. “God’s Grace,” “The Encounter with God,” and “The Altar of the Living Sacrifice” broke our hearts and made us experience both the power of sanctification and of salvation. Thank you Jeff, Joe and Brian.

Red Page Ministries needs a special “thank you” for helping organize this winter camp. Plans are already being made for 2012. Many have said they will join us. You are welcome to join us, too. Please pray about it and let us know.

To God be all the glory.

Until HE comes

Ovidiu and Adina

If you have an interest in joining our team next winter, shoot me an email at jhogg@redpageministries.org. If you would rather join a trip this summer, it is not too late. Visit our website for more information. Aspire to new heights. Jon

Hide and Watch

2011-02-07T07:25:00.000-06:00

My grandmother always had a great comeback for when I said I don’t want to do something. She would say, “Well then, you just go hide and watch!” Of course I never did and I wooed her with my grandson charm and she melted and gave me whatever I wanted. But, that is irrelevant for now!

This morning I was doing my daily Bible reading. I found it interesting that after everything the Israelites had been through they would still question God after he rescued them from Egypt. In this particular verse they were freaking because Pharaoh decided he didn’t want to let them go and was in hot pursuit! But, Moses told the people “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord recue you today.” Exodus 14:13.

What a valuable lesson we can still use today. God is at work. Don’t believe it? Then hide and watch! We, too, should not be afraid. Our God is the same God that rescued the Israelites. He’s the same God that parted the Red Sea. He’s the same God that sent His Son to die for our sins. He’s the same God that said “Go…and I will be with you always.”

But the lesson doesn’t stop there! In verse 15 the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” God is at work, but He expects us to do our part. Sure, we can hide and watch and I believe He would still work. He’s not about to let us stand in the way of His Will. However, His true desire is for us to “get moving” and be a part of His work. This allows us to be a part of His blessing, not to just observe the act itself. We can’t pray for God to move in the world and then lock our doors and sit on our hands. Instead we should get off of those hands and allow them to be His hands; and offer our feet as well! We should pray and then be prepared for His answer.

So, I’ve got to apologize beforehand to my grandmother. Guess I’m going to have to do something this time. I can’t just “hide and watch.” I’m too afraid I might miss something! Aspire to new heights.

P.S. If you get a chance visit our website for posts, pics, and stories from our Winter Camp. You can also find more on our Facebook page.

Go, now!!!!

2011-01-31T12:00:00.003-06:00

I’ve got an extra dose of the “go, goes” on my brain today. You see, the first “official” Red Page Mission trip is actually in Romania (and I’m not on it). Second, deadlines are fast approaching for our summer trips and we at Red Page are at full steam Facebooking, Tweeting, blogging, emailing, speaking, hosting, and whatever else is necessary to spread the word of our 2011 trips. This is where I put the sale job on you and direct you to our website to follow their trip this week!

As much as I’m on the go now you would think I’ve always been on the go. Honestly that is not the case. I grew up in a small rural town in West Texas. We left town to go to stock shows and Six Flags once a year! I was way outside the norm when I decided to move seven hours away to College Station for college. Outside of one ill advised trip to Mexico for Spring Break I had never left the US until I turned 25. When my dad invited me to Romania and Russia I had to find Romania on the map! Now I’m on my second passport with extra pages added in the back. God has blessed me and my family with wonderful opportunities to see the world.

My hope is not that Red Page will afford me more opportunities to travel to Romania or anywhere else for that matter. I love being in Romania but I still love being at home. I guess I’ve got the best of both worlds! My hope is that Red Page will provide hundreds if not thousands of Americans the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of Jesus. I know there are needs in our back yard and I challenge each of you to be just as involved in local and domestic ministries as you are international. But, I do hope you will go. Go somewhere. Go now.

Sure the temptation is to write your check and let someone else go. Don’t get me wrong, we will take the check! However, there is so much more to offer by going. Don’t lose sight of the fact that it will be a blessing for you as well. David Platt says, “…when God chose to bring salvation to you and me, he did not send gold or silver, cash or check. He sent himself –the Son. If we are going to accomplish the global purpose of God it will not be primarily through giving our money, as important as that is. It will happen primarily through giving ourselves. This is what the gospel represents, and it’s what the gospel requires.”

I’ve read through the Bible numerous times, and I know I’ve taken note, but for some reason this time through it really resonated with me how difficult Moses was to accept God’s call. Moses came up with multiple excuses.

Who Am I? (Exodus 3:11)
But they will not know who sent me. (Exodus 4:1)
But I’m afraid to speak in public. (Exodus 4:10)
I cannot do this, send someone else. (Exodus 4:3)

How many times do we come up with excuses when He calls us? That’s to say we were even paying attention in the first place to hear His call! Think of our responses:

I’m sorry Lord, I didn’t hear you.
But I’m scared.
I would, but I’m too busy right now.
But I’m not qualified.
We cannot afford for me to go.
My family comes first.
I give money to the missionaries for that.

No doubt the list could continue much, much longer. However, we should find comfort in God’s response to Moses. “Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:12. Author Gene Getz puts it this way, “God has provided each of us with certain capabilities and opportunities. He is aware, of course, of our environmental obstacles and roadblocks – for example, the problems we have faced in our family life. He knows our inherent weaknesses and the circumstances that are beyond our control. But at the same time, God wants us to use what we have at our disposal. He wants us to develop our capacities and use them to the fullest.”

Maybe our biggest issue is not the list above. Maybe our issue is sitting around waiting on our “burning bush experience.” We sit on our hands waiting for God to “call” us. However, as Platt puts it, “If there are a billion people who have never heard the gospel and billions of others who still have not received the gospel, then we have an obligation to go to them. This is not an option. This is a command, not a calling.” (You know that Great Commission thing! Matthew 28:19 - Therefore GO and…)

This is not a pitch for Red Page Ministries (though we’d love to have you go with us). I will save that sales pitch for another website! However, I do hope you will take it as a challenge to go somewhere in 2011. You will be blessed. Aspire to new heights.

Run for Jesus

2011-01-23T17:43:00.002-06:00

I always love posting blogs from my friend Ovidiu. One reason is that my blog is planned for the week. Considering this is conference championship week, that is a good thing. But, more than that Ovidiu always inspires and encourages me. I'm honored to call him a friend and blessed that he is a part of Red Page Ministries. He is the heart of Red Page. I learn something from Ovidiu all the time. He has a huge heart and the ministry he and Adina are striving to build is being built on a solid foundation. Ovidiu loves sports. He also realizes the impact sports could have on Romania if that energy is captured for God. I'll let him tell you the rest of his idea; don't want to spoil it!

Recently I was writing an article on sports for a highly respected news website in Romania www.ziare.com. I was thrilled to learn they liked the article and they published it. This article was on re-launching sports in Romania based on the American pattern of implementing organized sports. This pattern consists of entry level sports, to grade school to high-school, college and even on to professional. During my visit to America I was extremely impressed how many people went to a high school football game in Texas. It is impressive the semi-self sustaining system through the tickets they sell and the commercials and the whole thing involved in the phenomenon. It is impressive to see the recruiting system: the college recruits from high school and the professionals from the college. I expressed the fact that in this unique sport system in America everybody has something to gain, values, morals, competitive drive, and sportsmanship. Everybody is a winner.

In Romania there are some sports that are popular, but people in general are not practicing sports as they do in United States. People are running for something. Some are running for their health, some for money, some for fun, and some even for glory.

We want to see the kids in Romania running for Jesus. In May we will build a basketball court on the House of Joy property. Hundreds of children will be able to use it and play on it. They will be practicing sports while they learn the scriptures. The House of Joy will be a place for Sports and Scriptures! They can learn them together. Many kids will start running for Jesus because of this awesome opportunity they will find in Susani. We will organize sports camps to improve their skills, both with the Bible and the sport. We will also work to organize competitions with the public schools in our area right on this basketball court. Our hope is to model these competitions after the Upward Basketball programs in the US. Kids will come from all 31 villages in our ministry area to learn the skills of basketball, and other sports as well. These sports will give us an audience with the children and their parents so that we can share about Jesus. In addition, we will have concerts, revivals, and festivals on our court. What a perfect place to interact with the children and youth. Everybody loves sports. Everybody likes to run.

Adina and I personally ask you to consider joining us in this marathon to finish the basketball court project. Start running with us and many people will be blessed because of that. There are two ways you can join us in this cause. You may choose to contribute financially to the construction of the basketball court or you may choose to travel to Susani personally in May to help build the court and host our first sport camp!

Let’s run for Jesus together. Until HE comes. Ovidiu and Adina<><

For more information on this trip, visit our website at www.redpageministries.org or shoot me a message. The deadline for application is February 7. If you are interested in giving financially to help build the basketball court you can give on-line as well. Thank you in advance for helping us start something that will surely change the life of hundreds of children. Aspire to new heights.

To Do List

2011-01-16T17:56:00.002-06:00

Shelby Felton will begin her stint January 29 as Red Page Ministries’ first intern. Shelby will serve in Lugoj, Romania as Ministry Coordinator during which time she will assist with mission trip coordination, the development of an after-school program, creating family plans and case studies, orphan team development, and ministry communication. Please add Shelby to your prayer list. Watch Facebook, Twitter, and our website for weekly updates from Shelby. I wanted to post her first blog on my personal blog to give her some additional exposure. She will be a wonderful addition to our team. We are proud to have you Shelby. Aspire to new heights – Jon.

I love to make to-do lists, and even more so to cross off the tasks when done, thus building a nice record of my accomplishments. But what am I really accomplishing? While the daily or weekly lists are full of things that "need" to be done, most of the items center around household chores and errands to run. We all know there is more to life than floors to clean, groceries to buy, oil to be changed and tires rotated. Are the significant things of eternal value anywhere on the list? I admit that my list comes up shy at times, but I am reminded that there is a master list, created by the Master Himself.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

This verse is becoming more and more evident to me every day. It is with a future focus that my mind tries to conceive this concept, and struggles, but it is with hindsight that I find I truly comprehend.

When I was 17 years old God ignited a spark in my heart for missions and reaching the nations. That spark grew into a flame, but I couldn't wrap my mind around the vocational missionary concept, so after college I pursued a traditional marketplace career and filled my vacation time with mission trips and ministry activities. This seemed to be a pretty good alternative, but deep inside I wondered if I "missed" my calling. Well, I don't think I missed it; I just took the long way around. And God has used every experience up to this point to teach me, grow me, and shape me for what is now before me. And I am more aware than ever, that I am not the one making the to-do list.

Most people aren't all that happy with the recession we've recently experienced, but for me it was a catalyst. It got me off the outside track, that long-way-around path. I don't know that I would have ever mustered the guts to leave the so called "security" of my job with a steady paycheck, benefits, etc., but God worked it out through the vehicle of "workforce reduction". Along with many others I lost my job, but more than that I was released ... yes, released to pursue that calling deep within.

I still don't know how it is all going to work, and again I'm sure it will be in hindsight that I see what God has prepared for my future. I didn't know Romania was on my to-do list, let alone a 6 month assignment. My most recent mission trip had been to Venezuela and I absolutely loved it. I thought for sure that was where I'd be headed again for my 2011 mission trip.

As I sought God for my next steps, He began to weave in Romania. As a member of the Missions Committee at my church I felt compelled to attend an informational meeting in early October for an upcoming trip to Romania that was planned for Summer 2011. And only a few weeks after that the Romania partnership between FBC Euless and Red Page Ministries was again brought front and center. Within this new partnership was an opportunity for someone from my church to serve six months in Romania in an effort to plant seeds and pave the way for our summer trip. At the announcement of this significantly longer opportunity my heart leapt, literally! And as the details were further revealed I saw it as a perfect fit; my passion and my abilities were about to collide. And before I knew it, God had pulled it all together and confirmed this was the next step for me.

As a Susani based Ministry Coordinator for Red Page, I will draw on skills cultivated throughout my career as well as my experiences in youth ministry and on international mission trips. I am looking forward to working with Ovidiu and Adina Patrick, founders of the House of Joy, to invest in the lives of the children and families of Susani and the surrounding areas as they strive to end rural poverty in the 30 plus villages within their reach.

Also on the to-do list is to establish an after school program where I can offer free English lessons, build relationships with a local orphanage in hope of sharing the love of Christ through Vacation Bible School programs hosted by short term mission teams, and helping to facilitate future phases of the House of Joy construction project.

I am looking forward to accomplishing the things God has placed on my to-do list. How about you? Have you asked God lately what it is He would have you to do? We’ve got a place for you at Red Page. Hope you will join us.

Fresh Start

2011-01-10T07:23:00.000-06:00

Why is it we see a New Year as a chance for a “new” beginning or fresh start when God’s grace gives us that opportunity daily?

Each year we make resolutions as to how we will do better; to which we always start January 1. We resolve to eat less, work-out, go to church, read our Bible, clean-up our language, stop drinking, or stop smoking, all in an effort to have a new start.

About.com lists the following as the most popular New Year’s Resolutions:

Spend more time with family and friends
Get fit
Lose weight
Quit smoking
Enjoy life more
Quit drinking
Get out of debt
Learn something new
Help others
Get organized

The funny thing is that we usually make these resolutions, and many more, in advance. However, we choose to hold off until January 1 for implementation. We usually even go so far as to gorge ourselves with food the last few days, smoke an extra pack of cigarettes, go on a spending spree, or knock back the bottle just before we quit cold turkey (or is it start eating turkey?). My father-in-law has an interesting theory. He believes that if text messaging would have come before a voice cell phone that everyone would want to talk on the cell phone now! In the same way, if New Year’s was August 12 we would wait until the 12th day of August to resolve for change.

What a joy it is to have a Savior that will save us and forgive us any day of the year. I remember a few years back when we visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This beautiful church has “Holy Doors” that are only opened during a Holy Year (Jubilee), which occur every 25 years. On the first day of this holy year the doors are opened. It is believed that God shows mercy and forgiveness to those that enter through these doors. New beginnings are not reserved for the first day of each year and they are not reserved for a Jubilee by which we receive via entering a door. No, new beginnings are provided daily, hourly, even by the second through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are not reserved for someone of a certain status. They are not even reserved for someone that strives to earn them. They are reserved for ALL of US if we so desire to ask.

This is a very difficult task for us to understand and/or accept. “Most of us believe in God’s grace – in theory,” says Brennan Manning, “But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives.” Paul writes in Ephesians, “Because it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit” (2:8-9).

“Through no merit of ours, but by His mercy, we have been restored to a right relationship with God through the life, death, and resurrection of His beloved Son. This is the Good News, the gospel of grace.”

Brennan Manning

Good luck on your resolutions (if you haven’t already quit them) or fresh new start. Just remember who gave it to you! Aspire to new heights! Grace be with you.

Joyful Christmas in Susani

2011-01-03T07:45:00.000-06:00

Over my 35 years on this Earth I've been blessed to spend Christmas in Romania on two different occassions. Between the snow, caroling, spending time with the fatherless, and relationship building these memories rank right up at the top of some of my greatest. I hate I missed this Christmas but I'm honored to pass on the stories and pictures to you from my good friend Ovidiu and his wife Adina. I hope you enjoy his reflection and pray you will join Red Page Ministries and the House of Joy as we strive to reach even more families next Christmas. - Jon

The white snow that covered Romania during Christmas made things look better. It gave us a feeling of purity. This Christmas the children in 7 villages were blessed with the joy of receiving a gift. Christmas is about the gifts, actually about the greatest GIFT of all: God’s gift for the lost humanity. God came in the world to show us the way to heaven. That is the greatest gift a person can receive.

Samaritan’s Purse gifts reached our villages, too and 160 children were blessed to receive a gift in the shoe box. These are the children that the House of Joy is working with in the last 6 years. House of Joy exists since 2009 but our work in the area started in 2004. The kids that live in these villages are loved by God and it was great we were able to show them His love through a little gift. The number of all these 160 kids is from 6 villages that have a bigger village over them where they also have a city hall to administrate them. We wish we had 1,600 boxes for 10 large villages and distribute them during December.

The children were brought to Susani for a Christmas program. We brought them by the vans of our ministry. When they arrived to Susani they sang about Jesus, they prayed, they heard about Jesus’ birth in our world. There were also lots of parents that came with their children. They were able to see what God is doing and hear the good news about His coming in the world.

Adina, my wife and the team of our disciples, around 15 people, helped with the distribution of the gifts from Samaritan’s Purse. They help the children learn verses about Christ’s birth, taught them new Christmas songs. The whole program was great and afterwards they received their Christmas presents. At the end everybody went home very excited. This was a great experience for the House of Joy team that we did not have before giving that many shoe boxes to so many kids.

By God’s willing we’ll give more presents this year in 2011 and the greatest thing that can happen during a program like this is to see the children and their parents receiving the GIFT that is eternal, that is a person, who’s name is JESUS.

Many Blessings for a wonderful New Year. Ovidiu and Adina Patrick

The best gift ever

2010-12-27T08:30:00.002-06:00

Is it wrong for me to have the holiday blues? After all I have gained 10 pounds in a week, my clothes are tight, I’m coming down from a sugar high, and our new puppy has kept me up two nights in a row! I’m already headed back on the road and we still have Christmas presents stacked in every corner of the house. Even better is the thought of making 20 trips to the attic to put up all the Christmas stuff next weekend! You will have to forgive my negative attitude. Give me nine months and I’ll be ready for the next season. I promise honey!

Regardless of my “poor” Christmas spirit, I have to be honest; I love presents. But who doesn’t like getting presents? Not a single one of us, not even the Grinch himself, would want to get rid of presents. This year marked my 35th Christmas and I still receive the same warmth in my heart when my mom passes out presents that I did 25 years ago. But what about giving presents? At what point in our life do we feel this same warmth in our heart from giving a present that we have when we receive a present? Some famous guy, after all, did say "It is more blessed to give than to receive." However, faced with a holiday season that's too often fraught with chaos, stress, waste, and debt, it's easy to lose track of the pleasure and meaning of giving.

This year has probably been my favorite, probably because of my kids. One is four and the other is two. This meant they not only understood the joy of opening presents but they were able to start understanding the true meaning of Christmas. More than ever before I anticipated Christmas morning, not for the gifts I would receive, not for the piles of food, not for the time off from work, but rather the look on our kids’ faces when they saw their new puppy. But, much to my dismay, the kids were less impressed with the cute, cuddly puppy and more excited to give me my Christmas present (a present our daughter personally picked out). It took everything in her power to keep my present a secret. As much as she wanted to open her present, she really wanted me to open my present. I guess you could say I learned a lesson this year from a four year old. To be honest I think I learned several:

It can be more blessed to give than to receive. And why not, the central theme to Christmas is both receiving and giving. How often do we lose sight of this?
The time we spend with our children is priceless. You see, this present (the sled) derived from a summer trip we took to White Sands, New Mexico. During that trip I slid down the sand on my stomach, kids in tow! They haven’t forgotten.
Every child deserves to know someone loves them. We take for granted the value we have as parents and the impact we can have on our children by spending time with them and showing them true love.
The lessons we teach a child today will shape them forever. As a parent I’m overwhelmed with the pressure of having a positive impact on my children. There is no greater opportunity to teach them life’s valuable lessons than the holiday season, especially the true meaning of Christmas and the joy of celebrating this time with family.

Now we find ourselves less than a week away from a New Year. At that point and time we will discard resolutions from the past year, many of which we failed, and replace them with new, improved resolutions. However, before you make those resolutions I ask you to consider joining the Red Page team as we strive to focus on these four things above. Would you consider supporting our ministry financially as we invest in the lives of Romania’s children? Help us show these children the joy of receiving. Help us fill a void for so many children that do not know someone loves them. Help us invest in a team that will spend quality time with them. Help us teach these children life’s lessons that will shape them for the future.

Red Page is new and we have many needs. However, our greatest need is the empowerment to share the Gift of Christ in 2011. Your financial gift will allow us the opportunity to share this gift. Red Page is a 501 (c)(3) and all gifts are tax deductable. You can mail your gift to P.O. Box 53653, Lubbock, TX 79453. For additional information you can email us at contact@redpageministries.org.

From all of us at Red Page Ministries we wish you a Happy New Year. Aspire to new heights. Jon

Excess Baggage

2010-12-20T07:30:00.000-06:00

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

I’ve done a lot of travelling the last two months. Scratch that; I’ve done a lot of travelling the last six years! Most of my travel this year has been via car, but I’ve flown a few times as well. Last week I flew out to L.A. for the weekend. It had been a while since my last time to fly. I was so focused on the new screening processes that I almost forgot the excessive baggage fees.

Fortunately I was flying Southwest where “Bags fly free!” A few weeks ago I saw a report on baggage fees. Did you know that from July to September of 2010 airlines raked in over 900 million dollars in bag fees alone? Delta brought in $1.26 billion the first 9 months. I’m far from a philosopher and I rarely, if ever, use this blog as a political platform; however, something is wrong with this country when there are needs all over the world and even in our own country yet the airlines make this kind of profit on bags alone.

Just out of curiosity I Googled “How much would it cost to end world poverty?” After all we Google everything, right? Anyhow, the first answer I found was “A lot!” Not exactly sure how much “a lot” really is, but to me 3.6 billion dollars (estimated annual baggage income) is a lot. I truly doubt 3.6 billion dollars could end world poverty but it would make a significant dent.

People complain about how little a dollar is any more. They say that a dollar doesn't have the buying power it used to (it takes 25 to reserve a spot for your bag). I’m honestly surprised they still have “one dollar stores.” I figured by now they would at least be the “five dollar stores!” Granted a dollar cannot go quiet as far as it once did. You cannot get a gallon of gas for a dollar. Not that long ago you could get 10 gallons. You cannot get a bag of popcorn at the movies for a dollar. Not that long ago you could buy your movie ticket, coke, and popcorn for a dollar. I can still get my large coke from McDonalds for a dollar but there was a time you could get your entire meal for that dollar.

Just one dollar in our pocket does not provide much peace of mind. Now days $25 in our pocket doesn’t go very far. Kept in our pocket this $25 will not get us too much. However, if you give this $25 to Red Page ministries it can:

Feed a poor family living in rural Romania for a month.
Give a child living in rural Romania a Christmas or birthday present.
Help send a child living in rural Romania to our winter Disciple Now.
Purchase medical supplies and a personal hygiene kit for families in rural Romania.
Sponsor a child attending Red Page’s after-school program for a month.
Help support indigenous staff in rural Romania including social workers, teachers, and ministry coordinators.
Assist in the construction of the House of Joy community center.
Help dig a well in Susani, Romania that will provide clean water for over 300 families.
Assist with ministry support for Red Page.

You see, $25 can go a long way with Red Page Ministries. In addition, your support will allow Red Page to share the Word of God to over 3,000 families in over 30 villages in rural Romania. Twenty five dollars is a long way from $3.6 billion. However, the airline industry received this $3.6 billion $25 at a time, one bag at a time. Many people never give to missions, because they think they can't give enough. I just showed you what one gift of $25 can do. Why not give that gift of 25, 50, or even 100 dollars and let God multiply it and use it?

Asprie to new heights!

Red Page is a 501 (c)(3) and all gifts are tax deductable. You can mail your gift to P.O. Box 53653, Lubbock, TX 79453. We also have a number of trips scheduled for 2011. We would love to have you join one of these trips. Additional information is available on our website.

Get Involved with Red Page Ministries

2010-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:00

I hope you have taken the time to visit the Red Page Ministry website. Our sight has gone through a number of changes the past two weeks. Many, many thanks to Brad Rock for doing such an awesome job. The section currently under construction is a description of how you can get involved with Red Page Ministries. In an effort to get you involved as soon as possible I wanted to point out a few ways you can join our team.
Go – Last June marked the first mission trip to Susani to begin construction of the House of Joy. The Winter Youth Camp trip in February will mark the first “official” Red Page mission trip and we already have three trips scheduled for the summer. If you are interested in joining one of these existing trips or if you want to schedule a group trip shoot us an email at missions@redpageministries.org. For additional information on existing trips visit our Trip Information section.
Serve – Last year we were blessed to have a long-term intern who helped pave the way for our mission trip. Again we are truly excited about two long-term servants that will be travelling the last part of January and will remain until the end of summer. During their time in Romania they will assist with mission trip coordination, the development of an after-school program, creating family plans and case studies, orphan team development, and ministry coordination. We are always looking for more interns and would be happy to taylor make an opportunity for you. If you have an interest shoot us an email at jhogg@redpageministries.org.
Give – God continues to bless us in ways we never could have imagined. This ministry has already grown faster than we expected. Unfortunately with this rapid growth comes an increase in cost. The Trustees of Red Page all agreed on day one that 100% of each gift would go directly to the use intended. We have not and will not tax any donation. With that in mind we hope you will be comfortable in giving to this wonderful ministry. At the same time we ask you consider giving to our general fund to assist with nominal administrative expenses such as marketing and web design. Red Page Ministries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Lubbock , Texas. All financial and in-kind donations are tax deductible. Please send your tax deductible donation to Red Page Ministries, P.O. Box 53653, Lubbock, TX 79453.
Pray – God can do all things through prayer. The thing we covet the most from you is your prayers! Please pray for our ministry partners in Romania, Ovidiu and Adina Petric as they continue the work on a day by day basis. Lift up our interns, mission teams, and ministry partners. Please continue to pray that God will provide the resources necessary to grow this ministry. Pray for the people of Romania that their hearts will be open to the Lord. Pray for Red Page as we seek to grow and strive to complete construction on the House of Joy and get it fully staffed and operating.
What a joy it is to share with you on a weekly basis the progress of our ministry. Thank you for growing with us. Aspire to new heights.

Everything IS bigger in Texas!

2010-11-29T09:24:00.003-06:00
What a joy it has been to have Ovidiu and Adina in our home this past week. God truly blessed us with a wonderful time of food, fun, fellowship, and promotion of our ministry. I asked Ovidiu to take a few seconds out of his busy schedule to share with you about his first week in America. I hope you enjoy - Jon

This past week we were filled with lots of “firsts” because Adina and I visit America for the first time. I had the privilege to start this visit with no other state but TEXAS. Everything is bigger in Texas! Large cars, large buildings, large stadiums, large cups of coke (“buckets” as Adina would call them), large steaks (beef steaks are my favorite).

Texas (268,581 sq mi / 696,241 km2) is almost three times the size of my country Romania (92,043 sq mi / 238,391 km2). Many times Romania was covered by the love of the people of Texas. There is still room for Romania in the heart of the people of Texas. I have experienced this in the last seven days since we are here. Almost everybody smiles and asks you “how are you doing?” Texans drive very different than Romanians! The food is amazing. Most important of all, the people that I have met love the Lord. We encountered people from different churches that used to be involved in Romania several years ago.

What makes Texas big is its love for God. Texas sent missionaries all over the world to give the people the good news that God saves. That shows that it could include a whole world in its heart not just a country. In the last five years many churches and organizations focused on other areas of the world with different needs. Missionary organizations and families of missionaries withdrew from southeastern Europe.

God brought on our way several people and churches that want to refocus on Europe, Romania though the needs are maybe a little different here than in other parts of Asia, Africa or South America. On this international context of missions, God burdens the hearts of some churches to continue to come to Romania. Some are from Texas, some from other places.

Texas is large enough to engulf Romania in showing God’s love. Texas in large enough to love and “adopt” the thousands of orphans that our country has, is large enough to evangelize the 20,000,000 people that do not know Christ as Lord and Savior. Texas is large enough to plant churches in the 1,600 villages in Romania without an evangelical church, is large enough to focus on the 30 villages we target in Susani area. Texas is large enough to reach the 2,800 children and youths in all these villages, is large enough to build the House of Joy Community Center in Susani. Texas is large enough to help the poor families with 8-12 children that live in our villages around Susani. Texas is large enough to show God’s love to the world and if God wants to show it to Romania, too.

This is an opportunity to be challenged to know the spiritual and physical realities of Romania and to be challenged to come back or to come for the first time in a mission trip or in a partnership in the vision God has for this country using us in western side of the country.
In God’s economy not the number of people makes sense or the large number of things or the size of their possessions. What He cares for is the heart of man. He is always looking at the heart of man.

May God’s love give you a big heart that would include Romania in it, too. God bless, Ovidiu Petric

God, Family, Romania

2010-11-22T09:18:00.000-06:00
I was blessed to worship at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene on Sunday. It was a joy to hear my dear friend Dr. Stan Allcorn preach, but this Sunday was especially special because Red Page’s ministry partner, my best friend Ovidiu Patrick was given a chance to speak for a few minutes in each service. This was Ovidiu’s first time to America and his first time to speak in an American church. For 10 years Ovidiu and Adina have hosted me and hundreds of Americans in their home and church. How fulfilling it was to finally return the favor.

For whatever reason, I was able to spend some time in reflection during church. Maybe it was the emotion of having a dear friend share his gratitude with a partner church or maybe it was hearing the same sermon on “Thanksgiving” four times! Whatever the reason I had a chance to reflect upon my life and think of the things I’m most grateful.

Without a doubt I’m most thankful for my salvation. I know it sounds so cliché, but without Jesus Christ all other things in my life would be irrelevant and likely non-existent. I’m thankful I was adopted into a home that exposed me to this salvation and modeled Christian values on a daily basis. I’m thankful that I’m given the chance each day to live out this salvation. I’m especially grateful that I live in a country that allows me to live out this salvation.

Only my Aggie friends can understand my next statement. I remember thinking the day I received my Aggie ring that no other day could beat this day. I know it is just a ring! Sorry it is just an Aggie thing. However, my wedding day proved me wrong, as well as the day my children were born. I’m so thankful for my family. God has truly blessed me.

In 1999 God changed my life by introducing me to a world beyond the U.S. borders. It was then I fell in love with Romania. Since that time I’ve visited more times than I can count. Kacee and I were blessed to call Romania our home in 2005 and 2006. Now God has opened the door for Red Page our new ministry designed to end rural poverty in Romania. I’m thankful for the opportunity.

As Ovidiu, Adina, and I drove from Abilene to Lubbock I realized how thankful I should be and how much I take all these things above for granted. Ovidiu reminded me how little I praise God through prayer. We spent the last 45 miles of our trip lifting prayers to the Lord. I’m thankful I have a friend that reminds me how thankful I should be. I especially thankful that I can spend this week of thanksgiving with that friend!

Last but certainly not least I’m thankful for you. I don’t know your situation. I don’t know why you are reading this blog. Maybe you are a former trip participant. Maybe you are family. Maybe you are a friend. Maybe you are just a random person checking out this sight. Regardless I’m thankful you took the time to spend a few minutes with me. My hope is that you will spend many more; hopefully in Romania! Happy Thanksgiving! Aspire to new heights.

Technology Today

2010-11-15T12:55:00.001-06:00
My father-in-law sent me an email the other day about a lady whom she referred to as “grandma.” This email went on to list all the things that had changed since grandma was born. There were things like color television, satellite radio, cell phones, etc. She also talked about how the cost of gas, milk, coke, and movies had gone up. She concluded the email by saying, “By the way, Grandma is 59!” I took a minute to ponder all of these changes the last 60 years. It’s hard to believe.

Well today I took a trip down memory lane. I was charged with driving our work pick-up. About three minutes into the drive I realized this pick-up only had A.M. radio. Holy Cow! I went from XM Radio in my car to a six hour round trip drive in a pick-up with only A.M. radio. Needless-to-say I chose silence over A.M. radio! Honestly it wasn’t too bad a drive. Silence does the body good!

Back to this technology thing though. Modern technology has made it so easy to communicate half-way around the world. With e-mail, Skype, and international calling plans the world is just seconds away. I’m amazed at how easy it is for me to travel across the ocean and still remain in contact with my customers. Granted I may field a few calls at 3:00 A.M., but it is still very easy to travel these days. I don’t know if you’ve noticed where I’m going with this or not but I’m attempting to squash one of your many excuses for not going on a mission trip! The world is now at our finger tips and the mission field is closer than ever before. This can no longer serve as a valid excuse for not serving.

We are in the process of adding a “mission trip” link on our website. I hope you will click on www.redpageministries.com and find a trip that fits you. We would love to have you join us. And yes, you can join us and not miss a beat with work!

As you pray about joining us on a trip, I hope you will take a minute to lift up Ovidiu and Adina in your prayers. After 10 years of anticipation they will depart Thursday morning for the US. We are totally ecstatic, as I know they are as well, about their three weeks in America. Pray they will have an easy transition. Pray for the number of meetings we will have with potential donors and ministry partners. Pray for the future of our ministry. Hopefully we will see many of you real soon. Aspire to new heights.

Orphan Sunday. How about Orphan Everyday?

2010-11-07T17:13:00.001-06:00
This morning I made a special point to say a prayer for the hundreds of orphans in the U.S., Russia, Romania, Latvia, Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Kenya that have touched my life the past 10 years. As I finished my prayer I felt a tug on my heart, obviously from the Holy Spirit, asking me why I need a “special day” to lift these beautiful children up in prayer. In the same light, why do we have to set aside one Sunday as “Orphan Sunday?” Yes I understand the need to draw attention to the enormous needs; however, what if we focused the same attention every Sunday, or even better, everyday? If we made the same effort 365 days a year we might not have the need for a focus day.

However, since today is Orphan Sunday I thought I’d end with a very thought provoking interview. Several years ago I was honored to meet a 25 year old orphan graduate by the name of Valentine. He had lived in the orphanage since he was 10 months old. While sharing lunch with Valentine, a fellow trip participant and Moody Broadcaster Dave Jolly interviewed him.

Dave Jolly: What was it like growing up in an orphanage?

Valentine: Life was very hard in the orphanage. The bigger kids make the rules in the orphanage. They tell the younger ones what to do and what not to do. I was forced to do things I did not want to do and I was beaten numerous times.

Dave: When did you first remember things changing?

Valentine: Up until the age of 17 I did not know what it was like to be loved. This changed when an American team visited my orphanage. At first it was very strange for me. I had lived my life in a certain way but this team showed me something different. They showed me what love was. I asked the Americans what made them so happy. They told me about Jesus. This is what made the difference in their lives. I wanted to feel the way they did. From that day on my life changed. It was something very good for me. I told this to all of my friends in the orphanage. Many denied it but many wanted to know more about it. I taught them about Jesus and it made a difference in their lives too.

Dave: How do you view hope?

Valentine: My life with Jesus is different. I can feel joy and I’m happy. It is a big difference from how I lived in the past and how I live now. I now have a purpose in my life.

Dave: As someone that grew up and graduated from an orphanage what do you think all orphans need?

Valentine: I’m thinking of me when I was their age. They need to be loved. They live in a place where no one cares about them. They are not shown love. They need someone to show them love.

Dave: Upon my return I will be sharing your story with other Americans. Is there anything you would like me to tell them?

Valentine: Pray that God will send people to the orphanage to make a difference in their life like the American team did in my life. This is my prayer request.

In his most recent book on prayer Phillip Yancey warns that “Unanswered prayers pose an especially serious threat to the faith of trusting children.” In a world full of pain, suffering, and an endless search for love, prayer may be all these children have. I don’t know about you, but I lose sleep at night thinking about the thousands, if not millions of children that are praying for help. Jesus himself said in Matthew’s gospel, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” If we are not helping answer these prayers, then maybe, just maybe, we are hindering them from coming to know Him. So, I pose the question to you. What can we do to help answer these prayers?

If you have an interest in working in an orphanage or if you want to travel to Romania to work with at-risk children shoot me an email at jhogg@redpageministries.org. If nothing else, lift up a prayer for Valentine and the 150 million orphans around the world. Aspire to new heights.

You have a voice; use it!

2010-10-24T22:08:00.001-05:00
We’ve all heard the philosophical riddle “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” To be honest I’ve never given it much thought, as I doubt many of you have either. However, for the sake of this blog I decided to read a little bit more into this riddle. Here is what I discovered at wikipedia.org: “The most immediate philosophical topic that the riddle introduces involves the existence of the tree (and the sound it produces) outside of human perception. If no one is around to see, hear, touch or smell the tree, how could it be said to exist? Perhaps the most important topic the riddle offers is the division between perception of an object and how an object really is. If a tree exists outside of perception then there is no way for us to know that the tree exists.” The real question is what is the difference between perception and reality? I actually did my doctoral dissertation on perception vs. reality. Trust me; you don’t want me to go into great detail of this 300 page sleep aid!

Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of information. Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or may be thought to be. Confused? I am. I’ll do you a favor, just forget all that. It really means nothing, not even to my argument. I hope you will give me just a second to defend myself. You see, the other day I was reading an amazing blog from Todd Agnew entitled “Erasing James 1:27.” Here is a snippet:

“Most of us who have spent any time in church have heard the verse James 1:27: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” We preach on it. We agree with it. We make banners and t-shirts. But I went to an adoption conference this weekend and it opened my eyes and my heart. Dave Gibbons asked us the question: if you were the devil and needed a plan to paralyze the church, what would it be? Maybe it’s not a huge direct opposition. Maybe it’s not a war. Maybe it’s simply sowing the illusion that we’re doing something when we’re actually doing nothing.”

So my question to you is this: “If a child cries out for help and no one is there to hear, do they really exist?” I hope you don’t even have to think about this question for one second. I promise they do. Been there. Done that. Read the book. Saw the movie. Blah, blah, blah. They do. My fear, however, is that if they are beat down to the point they no longer have a voice we will no longer listen for their cry. Or, as Agnew feared, maybe their silence will lead us to believe something is being done that actually is not. So how do you give a voice to someone that does not have a voice? My in-laws are notorious for their numerous Labrador dogs. They’ve had so many that it almost always seems that there is something wrong with one of them. A few years ago they had a dog that ended-up being blind. They cared so much for the dog that they put bells on another one of their dogs so he could lead the blind dog along. There are 140 plus million orphans in the world. Sadly these statistics seem to get worse every year. If we are truly going to make a difference we must start by giving these children a voice. Make sure they are heard. Like my in-laws dog we must go to great lengths to make sure they are heard. They have a story to tell. We know there are plenty of places to tell the story. We even know there are plenty of people willing to hear the story. What we lack are people willing to TELL the story. Common’ people let’s TELL THE STORY. Use your voice. Aspire to new heights.

Better answers for bitter times

2010-10-18T08:34:00.002-05:00
I’ve asked my good friend and ministry partner Ovidiu Patrick to right this week’s blog. Ovidiu is the pastor of Susani Baptist Church. He and his wife Adina have sacrificed greatly the last few years to remain in Susani in an effort to reach the future leaders of Romania, the youth of Susani and the surrounding villages. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by those around them and hundreds of Americans. God blessed Ovidiu and Adina with a vision for the House of Joy, a community center that we are in the process of building. This community center will not only serve Susani but also a number of villages surrounding Susani. Within a 25 mile radius there is an estimated 30 villages with approximately 2,500 youth under the age of 18. Red Page Ministries is honored to partner with Ovidiu and Adina in an effort to complete the HOJ pilot project, a project we pray will one day stamp out rural poverty in Romania.
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When God says “No” it does not mean that He doesn’t love the person that receives this answer, it only means that He has a better plan. With God everything is better in life. I have received that answer from God in the year of 2000 when I was applying for the US visa to travel to America. But I was denied by the US Embassy in Bucharest. Then I tried again. And then again. And again…until I reached nine applications. I went from anger to joy and through all the feelings in-between. Then I let God give me the answer that I was waiting to receive for more than ten years. When I applied for the first time for the US visa I tried to go to an American Seminary and God’s answer was negative. He had something better. He opened the door for me to go to a Romanian Seminary. I do not mean that Romanian schools are better than the American ones; in my case it was better because there I met my wife Adina and that was definitely better! (By the way, tomorrow on October 19 we celebrate our 7th anniversary.)

What a great gift from God through our friends to be able to visit America in a month. That is another example of a good answer with good timing. But leading up to this time the number of our US friends increased greatly and now He has surrounded us with an army of loyal friends that pray for us, love us, support us, and dream big with us when we await even better answers. We were denied 9 times by the US Embassy. Now I love the “coincidence” about our trip to America: we will be in 9 cities in America, all cities where we have friends that we would not have had 9 years ago! Did you notice how God works? When you think your present circumstances are bitter, wait for God patiently and He will sweeten it with His plans (which I have found are always better than my plans) and answers to your prayers.

We will be in America for three weeks visiting with friends, preaching, celebrating Thanksgiving Day, shopping for Christmas, and attending a mission conference. We will have the opportunity to meet new people, talking about Red Page Ministries and the House of Joy Association. We are so excited to present our ministry in Romania to friends both old and new.

I know we will see many of you in person. However, I wanted to give you a quick update on the House of Joy. For more than a month and a half the construction site has been on standby. Though we are eager to see construction start back soon we are thrilled that the walls of the first floor are finished (ahead of schedule). Our desire is to add the concrete platform over the walls of the first floor. This has not taken place yet primarily due to timing and resources. But we are excited about 2011. We pray next year we will be able to complete the exterior of the first floor, dry it in and possibly start working on the interior. We continue to dream of the chance to dedicate the building in 2012 and ask you join us in praying for this miracle.

Though construction has probably ended for the remainder of 2010 we hope we can finish the year strong. Our desire is to show our appreciation to the construction company for allowing us to use credit for a portion of the construction costs by paying them back before the end of the year. We also hope to drill a water well before the end of the year and to connect the House of Joy property to electricity. Please join us in praying for a great finish to 2010. Our ministry continues to help people both spiritually and physically. Every weekend we bring the teenagers in many villages around Susani to be part of our activities, to be equipped with the Word of God or to hear the Word of God through our programs. This fall we identified several poor families with many children that will receive our help along with the Gospel. Adina is doing a great job as a social worker in this area. People love her and she loves the people.

In everything we do here we try to show people Christ’s love and to give them His truth in love. Thank you for all your prayers. God continues to work in Romania and to answer our prayers. His answers are always better than what we expected.
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As you process this wonderful update from Ovidiu we hope you will consider joining Red Page Ministries in completing the construction of the House of Joy. If you have any interest in supporting this ministry financially or if you have an interest in travelling to Romania feel free to shoot me an email at jhogg@redpageministries.org. Aspire to new heights, Jon, Ovidiu, and the entire Red Page family.

The Most Influential People in the World

2010-10-11T07:00:00.003-05:00
When you think of an influential person who do you think of? Does your opinion change if I ask you who has had the greatest influence on you? What if you consider the world’s standards rather than your own? Driving down the road yesterday I heard the latest list of most influential people of 2010. Any guesses as to who they are? If you guessed either of the Obamas you’d be guessing right. Also included on the list were Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, Conan O’Brien, Oprah, Taylor Swift, and Bill Clinton. At least they didn’t include Tiger this year. I’m not going to debate the presence of any of these people on the list. I don’t write that kind of blog. However, I was confined to my car for close to 12 hours yesterday so I had some time to reflect upon who has had the greatest influence on me in my life.

My answer? Well my Sunday School answer would be my parents and grandparents. And they have. I’ll admit I’m who I am because of so many wonderful things they have taught me over the year. If they had not chose to adopt a child I have no idea where I would be today. I also can think of a number of teachers and professors that invested a great deal in my life. In this chapter of my life my wife and children have a great deal of influence on me. And yes you can learn a lot from a child. My father-in-law has even impacted me the past 12 months (even for the positive!).

But when I sit down and think long and hard about those that influenced my life to the point that I am who I am today the list is narrow. Engrained in my mind I envision pictures of a select few orphans that hold a special place in my heart. There are two groups of orphans that helped set the stage for who I have become. Both sets came on my first trip to Romania and Russia. One orphanage was in Romania and the other was in Russia. The details of our visit are not relevant to my point but I will carry the images to my grave. The second group of orphans to push me further to the point I’m at today were those that attended Camp Lapusna in Romania the summer of 2000. Inevitably it was young siblings Cosmin and Ioana that stole my wife’s heart while we lived in Romania and consequently stole mine as well. But probably more than any other orphan there were two that I still pray for each night almost five years since they changed my life: Janis and Andrei.

Janis and Andrei lived in a remote country orphanage in Latvia. I was honored to take a team to their orphanage where we spent an entire week living in the orphanage. No doubt this 24/7 presence had a huge impact on everyone. My relationship with Janis and Andrei was solidified almost upon arrival as we hit the hardwoods and played some basketball. It was a simple game of two-on-two and the language barrier was somewhat present. However, we seemed to play for hours. What resulted was an immediate trust. I’m not going to go into extensive details of our week but two stories still haunt me each night. The first is the 15 year old Janis asking me to rock him to sleep like a baby our last night at the orphanage. We concluded the night with his request that I pray for him by name which was immediately followed by him praying for me by name. The second was the 18 year old Andrei clinging to me as he wept like a child upon our departure. Andrei knew he was only months away from having to leave the orphanage due to his age. He’d never opened up to anyone before and he didn’t want me to leave.

These are the people that truly posses the ability to impact our lives for eternity; not someone that has a weekly T.V. show, not someone that can crush a golf ball 300 plus yards, and definitely not someone that spends all her time singing about her “poker face.”

I hope you will take a few minutes to think about the people that you would consider most impactful in your life. If an at-risk child or orphan does not come to mind I challenge you to add a line to your bucket list: Impact the life of an at-risk child or orphan. I promise you will discover they will impact your life more than you will ever be able to impact theirs. Aspire to new heights.

Pack Rat

2010-10-04T09:28:00.000-05:00
I almost always keep my golf clubs in the trunk of my car, for easy access and convenience, of course! A few weeks ago I took my clubs out of the car and put them in the garage to make room for a trip to Kansas. A few weeks later I grabbed my clubs, threw them in the car, and ran to the course for an early morning tee time. Just before we were to tee off I threw my flip flops off and my golf shoes on. I grabbed the laces of the first shoe only to discover they had been cut into ten plus tinny pieces. The first thing that crossed my mind was: mouse. I replaced the laces and headed for the course. As I walked to the first tee box I grabbed my glove, or what turned out to be the remnants of a glove. Living in the country I didn’t think much of my situation other than we needed to eradicate the problem before the remainder of our stuff was destroyed.

Day 1 of the great mice hunt I placed 20 poison blocks in the garage. Day 2 and all the poison was gone. Again I didn’t think much other than we had a lot of mice. Day 3 I placed 25 small sacks of poison in the garage. Day 4 and all the poison was gone again but no dead mice. At that point I knew we either had a small infestation of mice or we had something entirely different, a pack rat. You see, pack rats gather all the poison and take it with them to their nest. They will actually not eat the poison until winter comes along. I’ll save you the remainder of the details but I purchased the appropriate equipment to take care of the problem. Once I was certain the problem had been taken care of and I gained enough courage to sift through the garage, I discovered a large nest in one corner made up of tree bark, grass, hay, a destroyed phone book, and my golf head covers. Within this nest I also discovered all of my poison, light bulbs, screws, tools, and a variety of other things I was missing.

As I researched Pack Rats I discovered several interesting factoids about the hoarding little creature. First, the obvious is that Pack Rats love to collect as many things as possible to form their nest. They can move things of rather large size to start their nest. Second, Pack Rats are attracted to shinny things like tools! Third, Pack Rats have a short attention span. They will be in the process of moving one thing towards their nest only to abandon it for something they like better. Finally, I discovered that Pack Rats can be extremely vocal, sounding at times as though a fight is taking place!

Many of you are probably wondering where I’m going with this. Some, if not all, may think I’m off my rocker! But come on; look at the things you can learn from Pack Rat.
Like a Pack Rat we collect tons of things (both spiritually and physically) that we never put to use. We just use these things to make a “nest” of sorts. We probably have enough stuff under our bed and in the far corners of our closest to feed a child in Africa for a year! Think of the spiritual gifts we’ve been blessed with that we never use. What a shame. What a Pack Rat.
Like a Pack Rat, we too are attracted to shinny things. We are all about the bling; whether it’s the fancy cars, fancy houses, or fancy clothes. Even in missions we are all about the touchy feely things. Very rarely are we willing to get in the trenches, behind the scenes, and get our hands and feet dirty.
This one is easy. Like a Pat Rat our attention span is so short. If you don’t believe me, I’ve been working on this blog for three hours. I’ve finished watching a NASCAR race, I’ve watched football, I’ve played hide and go seek with the kids. We are somewhat the same way with missions. How rare it is for both individuals and groups to commit to something long term. What’s even long term anymore? Two years? Four years? Seems like the first time we come across another “shinny” opportunity we lose our focus.
We are in a fight. So, like a Pack Rat why don’t we use our voice? We might not have the financial ability to make a huge impact. We may not have the flexibility to actually go or do anything. However, we do have a voice and there are millions of stories we can share.
Sadly I must tell you my Pack Rat friend has moved on to greener pastures. But he didn’t move on before he left a big impression on me! Now it’s time to take those lessons and go to work. Thanks my fuzzy little friend. Aspire to new heights.

Eleven is the magic number

2010-09-26T20:25:00.000-05:00
I received wonderful news this past week from my good friend Ovidiu. After 10 failed attempts to secure a visa he finally received a travel visa that will allow him to visit the United States. Now I want you to take a few minutes to think about that. Ovidiu has been trying for 10 years to receive a visa.

Kacee and I just returned from a short family vacation. Over the past 10 years of marriage we’ve seen the world. We’ve been to Kenya, Guatemala, Romania, Italy, France, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Austria and many other countries. Not once did I even consider the value of my passport. Why should I? It only takes about 10 minutes to get one. I stop by Walgreen’s for a quick picture, fill out the application, and drop it in the mail. Within a month or so I’ve got my 10 year passport (even faster if I’m willing to pay the fee). How blessed we are to have an open invitation to see the world. How even more blessed we’ve been to have the resources to do so.

I’m thrilled beyond measure that Ovidiu and Adina will be visiting the US in December. I know they will be pulled a million different directions by those that have waited patiently for 10 years to have them visit. However, I know they will find some time while they are here to talk about the wonderful things they are doing in Romania. I’m honored to be working with them and I would love the opportunity to have them personally share with you their vision and passion for rural Romania. If you have any interest in visiting with them let me know.

The next time you jump in your car or board a plane to travel the country think about how fortunate we are to see the world. Then think about this world we have at our finger tips and how much they need us. You know with freedom comes responsibility. I hope you will join me in making the best of this opportunity. Aspire to new heights.

A pat on the back

2010-09-20T10:50:00.002-05:00
Today begins premier week for all our favorite shows! I’m embarrassed to say it has been a long summer without all my favorite shows to watch. Hey, we live 20 miles from town in the middle of west Texas with two children under the age of five. What are we supposed to do with all our time? Don’t answer that! Of course the summer has not been a complete waste. Most nights Kacee and I would watch an episode or two of MASH. What a wonderful show. I have so many wonderful memories of MASH. When I was young I still remember the intro music being my cue to head to bed! Then when I was in college, 10:30 p.m. was when Glen Allen and I took our study break each night. Like a contestant on Survivor I took all 10 seasons with me when we moved to Romania. You laugh, but Hawkeye got me through many long days and nights!

Last night we threw in one more episode to mark the end of summer. As fate would have it, this was one of my favorites. During this episode entitled “Blood Brothers” Father Mulcahy gives the following sermon:

“I want to tell you about two men. Each facing his own crisis. The first man you know rather well. The second is a patient here. Well, the first man thought he was facing a crisis. But what he was really doing was trying to impress someone. He was looking for recognition, encouragement, a pat on the back. And whenever that recognition seemed threatened he reacted rather childishly. Blamed everyone for his problems but himself because he was thinking only of himself. But the second man was confronted with the greatest crisis mortal man can face, the loss of his life. I think you will agree that the second man had every right to be selfish. But instead he chose to think not of himself, but of a brother. A brother! When the first man saw the dignity and the selflessness of the second man, he realized how petty and selfish he had...I....I...I had been. It made me see something more clearly than I've ever seen it before. God didn't put us here for that pat on the back. He created us so he could be here himself. So he could exist in the lives of those he created, in his image."

Oh how often we (I) get caught up in the complexity of life and how it effects us (me). I’m ashamed to say that more times than not I live my life for myself rather than for God. Even when I’m serving God I often find myself doing it for selfish reasons. I’m reminded of two verses in the first book of Peter.

“…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5: 5-6.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4: 10.

I hope you will join me today in making a better effort to use His gifts for His glory rather than the pursuit of a pat on the back. After all, He did “create us so he could be here himself.” Aspire to new heights.

What do you do?

2010-09-13T08:19:00.002-05:00
As our weekend came to a close I took a moment to reflect upon our daily rituals. Our family seems to follow pretty much the same schedule over the weekend. We get up on Saturday morning and then me and the kids cook pancakes, waffles, or muffins. Kacee and I then sort receipts and balance the check book. We then usually load up and run to the grocery store before grabbing a bite to eat. There is usually some outside time in the afternoon either at our house or the park. The evening typically drags on before we call it a night. On Sunday we go to church, eat as soon as we get home and I park it on the couch for NASCAR, football, or baseball. Every once in a while things get a bit out of routine like they did this weekend when Kacee and Becton were sick. Occasionally I have to throw some work into the mix as well.

Our schedule is really not the point, nor is my Type-A personality that causes me to live by this schedule! What really grabbed my attention this weekend was how we respond to things around us. Take for example:
If someone is sick, we go to the doctor.
If we need groceries, we go to the store.
If we are hungry while away from home, we go to a restaurant.
If we are thirsty, we get water from the faucet.
If we have to “go,” we “go” in the bathroom.
If we need gasoline, we go to the gas station.
If the kids need clothes or shoes, we go to GAP.
If our clothes are dirty, we wash them.
If we need to be fed spiritually (and we do), we go to church.
If the kids want to play, we go to the park.
If we need to learn, we go to school.

What if, however:
There is no doctor?
There is no grocery store?
There is nowhere to eat?
There is no running water?
There is no sanitary restroom?
There is no gas station or even better, there is no car?
There is no clothing store or even better, there is no money to buy clothes?
There is no clean water to wash clothes?
There is no church?
There is no park?
There is no school.
We (I) loose sight daily of the many, many, many blessings I have. Oh how often we take for granted the simple things in life. I could ask you “what would you do if you did not have these simple things?” However, we are so far from this even being a remote possibility that we truly can’t even imagine what we would do. Instead, I would like to ask you “what would you do if you had the chance to make a difference in the life of someone that didn’t have these ‘simple things.’”
Well? What are you going to do? What are we going to do? Hope this gives you something to think about. Aspire to new heights.

Labor Day

2010-09-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

“Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and inner life is built upon the labors of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.”
Albert Einstein

I ran into an old friend the other day at a football game. We were reminiscing about the first time we went to Romania 10 years ago. Neither of us could believe how much had changed in our lives over the past 10 years. As I reflect back over the past 10 years I think about these many changes. I have lived in a foreign country. I’ve received a doctorate. I’ve married the love of my life. I have two of the best kids in the world. That’s a pretty good start to my bucket list!

One cannot reflect upon the past without realizing real quick how much our life is “built upon the labors of our fellow men.” On this Labor Day of 2010 I want to take a second to pause and appreciate the sacrifices of so many that have impacted my life. The list of those that have built upon my life is way too long to list, but what I would rather do is honor them by attempting to give even half of what I have received from them.

This desire to “exert myself” as much as possible is what fuels me daily to see Red Page Ministries succeed. But just what exactly would I consider success? Success, from the world’s perspective, is the sum of who we are and what we achieve. Whether we will admit it or not, we have all dreamed of being successful! There is nothing ungodly about striving to be successful; however, it appears that we have skewed the idea of success to give it a worldly definition. We measure success by the size of our house, the zeros in our paycheck, or the title on our business card.

Success, from God’s perspective, is measured by our continued desire to become all He has planned for us. John C. Maxwell defines success as “knowing your purpose in life, sowing seeds that benefit others, and growing to your maximum potential.” As a fellow servant of Christ, our definition of success should be to accomplish what God has called us to do. Charles Stanley tells us that success will come to us when: the goals we set are God’s goals, we rely on God to give us the resources to achieve His goals, and our deepest motivation is to glorify God and know Him better. This is exactly what the Red Page Ministries team has set out to accomplish in the coming months: 1) Create Christ centered goals, 2) Rely on God to open doors for financial support to accomplish these goals, and 3) Glorify God in all that we do.

I guess you could say Ralph Waldo Emerson summed up success for us much better than I can.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded.”

To all my fellow men and women out there laboring to make this world a better place I say Thank You. Aspire to new heights.

I'm not afraid. Are you?

2010-08-30T08:52:00.001-05:00
It’s not too often that I find myself quoting Eminem. As a matter of fact I’m not sure I ever have. However, I was flipping through the radio today when one of his songs (if you can call it that) was on the radio. All I got out of it was “I’m not afraid to take a stand.” I’ve been thinking a lot about this new ministry my family and a handful of friends are starting. At the heart of this new initiative is the desire for change, or to “take a stand,” if you will). You see, this December will mark the 21st anniversary for the fall of communism in Romania. Has much changed? You bet. One does not have to look far to see the vast changes that have taken place across the country. Unfortunately, after suffering for more than 40 years under communist rule, the people of Romania are still struggling to rebuild their nation, hoping for a better future for their children. The greatest poverty in Romania is in the rural areas of the country where:
Thousands of orphans roam the streets.
A large number of children are exploited and forced to do manual labor to support their poverty-stricken families.
Almost half of the population lives on less than $1.50 per day.
In the poorest areas, parents are forced to leave Romania to find work in other countries—leaving their children in the care of the government, extended family members, or private institutions. These children have been left behind - depressed, angry, and alone.
I’m not a patient person. Consequently I think I just woke-up one day and said, “Enough!” I will no longer stand by with my head stuck in the sand. I love Romania and I will not let another 20 years go by without doing something. I mean come on, do the math (40 years of communism + 21 years trying to recover = a lifetime). Well in this lifetime I want to see change. One village at a time, we (Red Page Ministries) are going to stamp out rural poverty in Romania!!!!!!

Take a look at these exerts from an article by The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations to validate this need.
Poverty has a firm grip on Romania’s rural areas, where almost half (44 per cent) of the population lives. In 2003 the UNDP Human Development report estimated that 38 per cent of rural people were living in poverty, compared with 14 per cent of people in urban areas. Rural people are particularly vulnerable to the hardships brought by the painful economic and social transition after the collapse of communism.

Who and where are Romania’s poor rural people? The country’s poor people are subsistence farmers, unemployed rural workers and women who are heads of households. The poorest people live in remote areas, where infrastructure and social services are lacking.
Why are they poor? Low agricultural productivity is one of the main causes of poverty in rural Romania. And in rural areas there are limited opportunities for formal employment opportunities, partly because of minimum wage regulations, high payroll taxes and the rigid labor code. Inadequate social services, reflected in the poor condition of rural health centers, long distances to schools and poor sanitation facilities, also contribute to rural poverty.

Two decades have passed since the Iron Curtain fell. America jumped to action given the opportunity. And great strides were made. Unfortunately today it almost seems as though too much time has passed. Many individuals, churches, and organizations are focusing their attention elsewhere, primarily the Global South. I love missions and I’ve left a piece of my heart in so many countries (Kenya, Russia, Romania, Latvia, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras to name a few). However, there’s just something about finishing what we’ve started. There’s still a need. I’m not afraid. Are you? Much more to come in the next few weeks regarding the nuts and bolts of Red Page Ministries. I hope you will join us in praying for God’s direction and consider how you can join us in Romania. Until next week, aspire to new heights.

Color me red!

2010-08-23T10:50:00.001-05:00

He who wants milk should not set himself in the middle of a
pasture waiting for a cow to back up to him.

I’ll never forget my first trip to Romania sometime in 1999. My parents had travelled to Romania the previous year with a small group to do VBS in an orphanage. My father was once again returning with several friends to explore opportunities for future ministry. At the last minute a spot opened up and I was able to join the group. God really opened my eyes and touched my heart during that trip. I will never forget this trip because it laid the foundation for everything yet to come in my life. Since that trip I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve travelled to Romania, even taking a year to live in Timisoara. Since that first trip I’ve always known God had many great things in store for me and Romania, plans that are much bigger than I can even imagine. As I look back over the years I’m amazed at all the stops we’ve made along the way. Romania has become a fabric of my DNA. Most of my close friends are either Romanian or people I met while living in Romania. Some of my fondest memories have come from Romania. I would trade nothing for where I am today but I will always value the time Kacee and I shared in Romania.

I’ve had a lot of dreams about doing work in Romania. Before we moved to Romania I swore to myself that I was not going to just “do something” in Romania so I could say I “did something.” Consequently, a lot of ideas have ended up in File 13. I guess you could say I’ve spent a lot of time “sitting in the pasture” waiting for an opportunity to find me. What I’ve discovered is that ideas don’t find us, and truthfully we don’t find ideas either. The truth is that when a dream, or idea if you will, is planted in our heart by our Father in Heaven it completely consumes us to the point we know it is not of us but rather of Him. That’s where we are today. When Kacee and I moved home we promised Ovidiu and Adina that one day we would work together to restore the people of Romania to the place God intended them to be. The timing and opportunity just had to be right. Now after years of praying and prompting from the Hold Spirit we are finally grabbing that cow by the tail!

Last week I put in the mail an application for the Articles of Incorporation for Red Page Ministries. You are probably asking yourself where I came up with the name. A little over a year ago Kacee and I purchased our daughter Brynlee her first Bible. To this day she still loves reading her Bible. She will climb in my lap and tell me, “Daddy, read my Bible to me.” Prompting a response from her I’ll open it to the Old Testament. Immediately she will respond, “Daddy, turn to the red pages!”

I guess you could say our name is pretty simple. First, we all want to leave something that will last for our children. This ministry is more than just something for the founders; rather it is a legacy we all hope to leave for our children. As Max Lucado once said, “The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own.” As we strive to impact Romania we hope we will encourage our children to pursue His will for them. Second, there is no greater place to turn than to the words of Jesus (written in red) to find instruction for caring for widows, orphans, at-risk children, and families.

We’ve been down a long and winding road that has led us to this point. Now our vision is clear. It’s easy to see how the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place for this ministry. Over the next few weeks I’m going to share with you information about our mission, purpose, vision, needs, and dreams. We are new, very new. We don’t have a website. We don’t have a logo. We haven’t even been approved as a 501.c.3 ministry yet. However, I couldn’t wait to tell you the wonderful news. Right now we need your prayers more than anything. So until next week, aspire to new heights, and add us to your prayer list!

Blessings from the Red Page Ministries team.

God Sized Dreams

2010-08-15T17:31:00.000-05:00
Have you ever looked at those strange pictures that have a picture within the picture? Forgive me for not knowing exactly what they are called. All I remember is hardly ever being able to see the picture within the picture. More times than not I think I was just looking too hard to see what was right in front of me. How often do we do that with those God puts in our lives? Many times we are so close to them we don’t realize what is right in front of us. My good friend Ovidiu is like that. I was reminded by a mutual friend how much faith Ovidiu has and how big a vision he possesses. I wouldn’t say I had forgotten that, but rather I’m just so accustomed to seeing this type of action from him that I forgot all about it!

The irony is that Ovidiu would never seek any recognition for anything he does. However, he is doing some amazing things right now. As our mutual friend said a few weeks ago, “Ovidiu reminded me that it is more important to have God size dreams rather than me size dreams!” How true. How true.

Ovidiu has inspired a handful of us to join him in these God sized dreams. Our dream is to see the House of Joy built now, not 10 years from now. How disappointing it would be to miss the chance to reach an entire generation of kids because it took us 10 years to build this community center.

Monday I’m having a conference call with this small contingent of Ovidiu followers. We are going to make some plans for future trips to Romania. We are also going to talk about ways to speed up the construction process for the HOJ. We are also going to talk about a potential organization to aid in fulfilling these God sized dreams. Hopefully I’ll have great things to report next week.

Until that time I’ve challenged Ovidiu to continue moving forward with both the construction of the HOJ and the fund raising of the HOJ. I’ve been amazed at the progress his team has made on the HOJ the past month. I’ve also been amazed at the initiative Ovidiu has taken to personally raise support for the HOJ. Ovidiu has over 800 followers on Facebook. He’s challenged each follower to donate $25 to finish 2010 strong. We would love to have you join us in this cause. If you are interested in making a donation shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com and I’ll get you information on where to send the donation.

Right now we need your prayers more than anything. I hope you will pray that God will give this team the vision necessary to fulfill these God sized dreams. Until next time, aspire to new heights.

An Update from Ovidiu

2010-08-08T17:13:00.003-05:00
I’m excited that Ovidiu has delivered me a message to pass on to each of you. I cannot think of a greater person to work with in Romania or anywhere in the world for that matter. His heart (and the heart of his family) inspires me. I yearn to help Ovidiu, Adina, Ruben, Dani, and their many disciples, have the resources they need to fulfill their calling. My yearning is so great I have no doubt it is my calling as well. Enjoy their updates. Pray for their ministry. Consider how you can be involved. We need your prayers. We need your financial support. We need you personally. I do hope this update will inspire you. Aspire to new heights---Jon

Please Come in February
Romania needs Jesus. There is an abundance of religion in Romania and in the midst of it we need Jesus more than ever. We pray for a new generation that will find the truth, grow in the truth, love the truth, and give it to others. People in Romania live in ignorance regarding the truth of God and this ignorance leaves them without hope. Two years ago when Franklin Graham organized a huge crusade in Timisoara they named it The Festival of Hope. Why? Because they realized that the Romanian people do not have hope. People in Romania need hope; a hope that lasts forever, not one just for a season. When people do not have hope they do not rejoice. Their joy is missing. When people find God, they find joy, an abundant joy, as He intended.

As a pastor in Romania, I challenge you to come and help us bring the truth back to the hearts of the people of my country. They can hear it, but they can ignore it. What we want to do is to see the truth changing lives, bringing fruit, making a difference in society, unleash the eternal joy. How can we do that in an effective way? By investing in disciples. We have around 35 teenagers that we consider our disciples and the more we invest with the truth in their lives the more we can see the change in our country. Romania’s hope and only real joy is around discipleship in the Word of God. We want to do that on this side of the country where God called us to work for Him.

We invite you to be part of our work in February as we continue the tradition of investing in the lives of these young people through our Winter Camp 2011. This year marks our fifth year and we want it to be special. Jon, our team and I invite you to join us in this effort of bringing the truth to the hearts of our people in a special environment. We will be hosting our camp in Brasov this year, one of the most beautiful and historical places in Romania. Pray for us as we prepare for this camp. Pray for resources, for people to come, for great weather, for protection, and for a great time in the Word of God. If you would like more information about our camp, contact Jon at jonahogg@gmail.com

A short update on the House of Joy
God continues to bless us as we build the House of Joy. I will give you very few words to tell you how much progress we make but want to leave you with some pictures at the conclusion of my update. The walls for the first floor are almost complete. We still have two workers that are slowly finishing the first floor. We have joy that we have made this progress but we also have sadness as we wait to raise more money so we can continue the project. Once we have additional money in hand we will be able to put the floor on the second floor or the ceiling on the first floor. Then all we will have to do is purchase doors and windows and we can begin finishing things on the inside. God has blessed this project more than we ever thought he would this first year. We are so excited about the future. We cannot wait to begin using the facility. However, we know it is only a building and it cannot make our ministry. At the same time we are able to continue doing great things in the area while we wait for this building to be finished. Until He Comes---Ovidiu

12 Happy Campers

2010-08-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Twelve; such a magical number. In football you have the 12th man (and yes there is only one 12th Man). Egg crates have 12 eggs. In the Old Testament we have the 12 tribes. In the New Testament we have the 12 Disciples. Eleven just doesn’t look right (looks like sticks) and 13 is an unlucky number. Like the famed movie Twelve Angry Jurors I’m looking for Twelve Happy Campers.

This February twelve of you (if there are actually twelve reading this blog) have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of 35 young Romanian disciples. For the past six years Ovidiu and Adina have poured their lives into the youth of Susani and the surrounding Greater Traian Vuia Area. They’ve drove thousands of miles down bumpy dirt roads with vans full of children eager to worship together. For the past three years they’ve taken a handful of the brightest on a “winter retreat” in an effort to mold them into lead disciples for their youth group.

I’m asking you to consider joining Ovidiu and Adina as they invest their time and energy into 35 bright young kids this winter. The trip is schedule for January 29 – February 6. The team will depart the U.S. on Saturday, January 29 and arrive in Timisoara, Romania, on Sunday. You will spend the following Monday working with Ovidiu and Adina finalizing plans for the camp. The team and campers will then depart on Tuesday for Brasov for four days and nights. You will then return on Saturday and prepare for your flight home on Sunday.

I’ve been asked what you will do during the camp. Though I don’t have an exact answer I compare it to a Disciple Now. You’ll do some Bible studying. You’ll do some singing and worshiping. You’ll do some praying. And you’ll do some playing in the snow! Ovidiu and I are working on the details of the study. However, I can assure you that we will focus on the spiritual growth and maturity of these wonderful kids. Maybe you can help me come up with a theme and name.

The Land Cost is $908. This includes all meals, lodging, in-country transportation, insurance, interpreters, bottled water, sightseeing, and a t-shirt. Included in this cost are scholarships for campers. Each trip participant will help pay for three campers. This is $500 of your cost.

Not included in the land cost is Airfare. I estimate airfare to be around $1,100, depending on your origination. We are willing to help you book airfare.

In addition to the land and air cost is a $100 Administrative Charge. This charge will help cover trip arrangements, domestic and international staff costs, trip orientation, and a portion of the cost for a trip leader.

Also included in your land cost is $20 for Spending Money. Staff will convert money to Romanian Lei and present this money to you upon your arrival so you will have some money in your pocket just in case you need it!

So if you really break things down, this trip is only going to cost you $888 plus airfare and $500 of that is to send three kids to camp! What a bargain.

Applications are due September 29 with your $100 admin fee and 10% of the land cost ($92). We need to book airfare around October 29 so you will need to be ready to pay for that cost then as well. The rest of the expense will be paid out over the following months.

When Kacee and I were considering our move to Romania a friend of mine asked me this question, “If you move to Romania do you think you will ever look back and regret it?” I said, “NO.” He said, “If you do not move to Romania do you think you will ever look back and regret it?” I said, “YES.” So my question to you is this; if you don’t take this trip do you think you will regret it? After all 11 just does not look as right as 12!

I comfort you in the fact that these kids will go to camp with our without you. However, wouldn’t it be so much more fun if you were there with them?
For an application, trip flyer, or additional information, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com. Hope to see you in February. Until then, aspire to new heights.

Re-Gifting

2010-07-26T10:44:00.002-05:00
“The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own.” – Max Lucado

One of the things I love the most about my dear friends Ovidiu and Adina is the fact that that they would give the shirt off their back to help their fellow neighbors. However, what I love even more is the fact that they are planting seeds in the lives of the future leaders of Romania by revealing to them their own gifts and abilities. Instead of giving them a gift that will have a short term return they give them something that will truly last.

Earlier this year Ovidiu and Adina (with the help of Ruben and Dani) began a Bible study in Lugoj. Lugoj is a larger city approximately 30 minutes from Susani. This study began in Dani and Ruben’s apartment. After a short time their apartment was busting at the seams with eager Romanian students. One thing is obvious, whether it is a van transporting students to their house in Susani or an apartment Bible study the Patricks use every square inch available!

I’m pleased to report that this Bible study has now moved to another location that is more accommodating. One day a pastor in Lugoj asked Ovidiu what he was going to do if this “Bible Study” turned into an actual church. Ovidiu said, “Praise the Lord!” What a dumb question!

You see, this “Bible Study” or “Church” if you will is part of the greater vision of this ministry. As mentioned in my blog last week the goal of the House of Joy in Susani is to provide children with educational opportunities, while equipping them with life skills and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. By doing so we will make our best effort to break the cycle of poverty and raise-up a generation of educated, equipped leaders and servants of the Lord. This is a great vision but we would miss the entire point if we planted these seeds in the lives of future disciples and did not continue to walk alongside them while they grow and disciple. Afterall, some plant and some water!

Lugoj is the perfect location for a “support ministry” such as this. Most, if not all, of the children in the Greater Traian Vuia Community (Susani and the surrounding 25 plus villages) where Ovidiu and Adina work will attend high school in Lugoj. After investing years in the lives of these children it would be foolish not to continue this investment while they live in Lugoj. This is where the Lugoj Bible Study comes into play. It is a continuation of the investment we are making in the lives of these children. Think of it as compounding interest! Quiet simply it just makes since.

I’m thankful that Ovidiu, Adina, Ruben, and Dani took the time to continue their investment. I’m eager to watch this Bible study grow. I’m anxious to see what God does in the lives of those attending this study.

I hope you will join me in praying for this wonderful ministry. As you read this there is a team from FBC Euless and Next World Wide in Lugoj assisting in the growth of this Bible study. I hope to be able to provide you some updates of their success upon their return. Until then, keep them in your prayers and keep aspiring to new heights.

What is a house of joy?

2010-07-18T19:20:00.002-05:00
As many of my loyal followers (if I have any) know, my dear friends and family members of Romanian decent have suffered from years of oppression (or maybe suppression). They’ve experienced more in a lifetime (especially those more seasoned) than most of us will even read about in our history books. We may read about history, but history they have lived! Though the senior adults have seen and experienced the most, the children of Romania may have been affected the greatest, especially those living in rural villages. Most of these children and their families have never been given an opportunity to break free from the cycle of poverty.

So how do you break the cycle of something that has been going on for decades? In my honest opinion the solution is simple: EQUIP.

If Romania is going to break this vicious cycle, parents must be equipped and children must be educated. Providing a safe, stable home environment increases a child’s chance for success. In addition, providing these children with educational opportunities, while equipping them with life skills and the knowledge of Jesus Christ, will be the best chance to not only break the cycle of poverty but also to raise-up a generation of educated, equipped, leaders of their country and servants of the Lord.

This is where the House of Joy comes in to play. Many of you have seen my pictures from the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church mission trip in early June. This team began construction for the HOJ. Much progress was made but much progress is left to be made. Our goal: To see the doors of the HOJ opened to the children of Susani and the surrounding communities. Our timeline: NOW! Well, to be more realistic by August 2012.

How will the HOJ make an impact you ask? Our dream is for the HOJ to be a support center, hub, or beacon of hope if you will, not only for Susani, but for the surrounding communities. The primary goal for the HOJ is to break the cycle of poverty. Lofty goal! Yes, but an achievable one none-the-less.

The essential components for the HOJ are as follows:
Location – Place the HOJ in a high need area. What is a high need area? An area with a large number of single parents. An area lacking infrastructure (water and sanitation). An area in need of education (formal and vocational). An area in need of medical care. An area with a high rate of poverty. Most importantly, an area with vulnerable children and families.
Services – The HOJ will provide services to parents that enable and empower them to provide a safe, loving and stable environment for their children. Core services - medical, job training and education, humanitarian aid, family preservation and intervention, and foster care and family unification. Specific services - activities for the youth (physical education, life skills development, educational support, and spiritual development) and the adults (parenting skills, vocational skills, and spiritual development). Support services - delivered via local and international mission teams. Teams will be recruited to host camps/clubs (sports, English, life skills, parenting, etc.). These camps can be hosted at the Center or remotely as well. Teams will also be recruited for short time medical care to be hosted at the Center. In addition mission teams will be recruited to provide support services in the local communities via construction (home repairs and home construction). Individuals and teams will also be recruited for evangelical support via Vacation Bible School, Disciple Now, lay leadership training, and pastor conferences.
Why Susani?
Susani is a community of approximately 200 people. It is a very poor community, but a communty with a big heart; a community noted for great leaders. Susani is strategically placed to reach thousands of families. Within a 30 mile radius of Susani are approximately 25 villages with over 2,800 children 18 years of age or younger. Ovidiu and Adina Patrick have already placed themselves in a leadership role at Susani via the local Baptist church. They have spent over six years developing relationships with the children of these 25 villages. They have the trust and support of the local community.
Why the House of Joy
Why not? Not really! The principles behind the House of Joy are built upon the foundation that:
Every child needs and deserves a safe, stable and permanent family. If given this support system a child will develop into a healthy, productive, contributing member of society.
Families are the basic building blocks of communities. Parents are the foundation. Children are the future.
Most children from rural Romania will leave for educational opportunities and rarely return. Some leave to go to the next village for middle school education. Others leave to the next big city for high school education. Some will leave to a big city for college. A few will leave the country to seek employment. Regardless of where they go given the proper tools these children can serve as leaders of their circle of influence and even better, as missionaries.
The House of Joy truly can make a lasting impact in the life of a child. The foundation has been poured. Walls are being erected. Seeds are being planted. The future is bright. All we need now is you. So how can you get involved? More on that next week. Until then, aspire to new heights!

Dream Big

2010-07-12T08:00:00.001-05:00
August 1963, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famed “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In this speech he exalted “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” These were lofty dreams no doubt, but they were dreams he was willing to sacrifice to see come true.

I have big dreams myself. In my opinion if you’re going to dream you might as well dream big. My dream; that the children of Romania be given a chance to have their own dreams. What a copout right? Maybe. Maybe not. Can you really dream of a dream? Maybe I should explain.

Do you remember your childhood dreams? Maybe you still have those dreams. As a child maybe you dreamed of being an actress, doctor, lawyer, or firefighter. There was a time my daughter wanted to be a princes. In my opinion she already was! However, if that’s really what she wants to be then I would do anything I could to help her be a princess. There is something to be cherished about the freedom to dream big. As American’s we sometimes take for granted the freedom to dream big. Even more than that, we take for granted to resources available to actually make these dreams come true.

Through my years of mission work and worldly travels I have often wondered what a child living in a one room shack with dirt floors and nine other siblings could possibly dream about at night. Was it to be a doctor or a lawyer? Maybe she dreamed of being a princess. More than likely she dreamed of a world without pain and suffering; an opportunity to just be a kid. Her dream might be as simple as a new pair of shoes. Maybe her dream is for a new dress. Maybe it’s just for a warm meal or a bed of her own on top of a freshly tiled floor that is covered with a roof that does not leak. We might consider her dreams simple. I assume she would disagree.

In 1943 psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed a theory of Human Motivation. His thesis was that before a person could seek to fulfill “higher” needs they must meet their most basic needs. This theory has never been more true than in the life of an at-risk child. After all, how can an eights year old that sleeps on a twin bed with six siblings dream of anything but basic necessities?

I have a dream. A dream that one day all children will receive the freedom to dream big. My dream is that they will one day be able to dream of being a prince or a princess not what they will each for breakfast the next morning. So how do we make this dream come true? More on this next week. Aspire to new heights (heights for yourself and heights for others).

Celebration of Independence

2010-07-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
Elie Wiesel, Romanian born American writer. Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986

One of the things Kacee and I realized while living in Romania was that life goes on whether you are present or not. So many things changed while we were away from home. At the same time we now realize that life continues in Romania in our absence. We also discovered that our calendar is different than the calendar in Romania (in many, many ways). Many of our holidays do not coincide with those in Romania. Easter is based upon the Orthodox calendar so they only line up with America every once in a while. Thanksgiving in the U.S. is November 25 but it’s not a holiday in Romania. We found this out the hard way as we searched and searched for a turkey (dead of course).

July 4th in Romania is just another day. However, the celebration of our independence always forces me to reflect upon the things I have to be thankful for and to think about my Romanian brothers. All too often we in America read about history while many around the world actually live it. Most of us have no idea the cost that was paid for our independence. Most Romanians still have a vivid memory of what was paid for their independence (many actually paid a price themselves).

As I reflect upon all the things I have to be thankful for, especially my freedom, I cannot help but think about the responsibility that comes with this freedom. After all, didn’t I read somewhere that “to whom much is given, much is expected?” I can’t help but think that with all this freedom I have a responsibility to do something. That’s why I’ve committed to making life a little bit better for my Romanian brothers and sisters.

I’m excited about what the future holds. I find myself having numerous conversations about future opportunities in Romania. Todd, Ovidiu, and I (as well as our families) are truly excited about the future. We hope to have exciting news to share in the near future. Until then, aspire to new heights.

Don’t forget our planning meeting Monday, July 19. We have several churches joining us to discuss the future of Romania. Please pray for us. If you would like more information shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com.

Planting Seeds – A celebration. A challenge.

2010-06-28T11:41:00.002-05:00
"After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames."1 Corinthians 3: 5-15

Yesterday I was honored to join Pioneer Drive Baptist Church as they reflected and celebrated our recent trip to Romania. What a blessing it was to sit through three services and hear trip participant testimonies regarding this trip. Each participant obviously had different experiences. However, as I listened and observed each participant several things stood out in my mind.

A Time of Celebration – My heart jumped with joy as I heard the stories of lives changed, both in the participant and in the children we served. We obviously had much to celebrate. Our trip was a huge success. A number of children came to know the Lord. We were able to deliver bags and bags of groceries, medicine, and cleaning supplies. Doors were opened for future ministry opportunities. The foundation was laid (literally) for the House of Joy. Pastor Stan Allcorn said it best when he said, “I cannot imagine this trip without each and every trip member.” Every trip participant played a key role in the success of our trip.

Planting Seeds – By the second service I noticed a theme: Seed Planting. I don’t know why, but it seemed almost every participant talked about seeds being planting. No doubt seeds were planted, some were watered, and some were even harvested. What pleased me the most was the talk of planting seeds and the desire to see those seeds cultivated!

A Challenge - I remember the first time I visited Romania. I observed some of the most fertile soil I had ever seen. What disappointed me the most was seeing how much land sat barren. Even worse was the number of orchards that had been abandoned over the past 10 years. They were neglected and consequently not bearing fruit. Our lives are no different than these barren fields and orchards. If someone does not take the time to plant the seed, we will never see the harvest. I cannot count how many times I’ve been told by Romanians that they waited 50 years for America to save them. Greeted with open arms, we now have an opportunity to slowly plant seeds within the people of Romania. Like Robert Coleman once said, “If you want a harvest in one year, plant corn; if you want a harvest in 20 years, plant trees; if you want a harvest for eternity, plant people. Obviously, the future of Romania will depend upon the seeds that are planted today. The true hope for Romania lies in the hands of the Romanian’s themselves. Our greatest impact is not to “save” Romania, but rather to empower them to impact their own country. I was honored to team with 43 Americans as we worked alongside 20 plus Romanians in an effort to do just that; empowerment.

Our Romanian Team – I cannot think of a more powerful team to empower than Ovidiu, Adina, Ruben, and Dani. One other thing that consistently stood out yesterday during team testimonies was Ovidiu Patrick. Ovidiu and his team made a huge impression upon the American team. I have no doubt we’ve picked the right team to partner with in the future.

Moving Forward – As we go forward I have very little idea as to what the future holds. What I do know is that God is challenging me to continue to connect American churches and individuals with my friends in Romania. He’s challenging me to facilitate the empowerment of my Romanian brothers and sisters. I’m honored to answer that call. In response to that call I’m going to co-host an interest meeting with Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in July. During this meeting we will discuss the future of our Romanian partnership and determine how we will proceed. I have invited several individuals and churches. If you have any interest in attending or inviting leadership from your church shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com.

Thanks again for following along each week. Seeds are being planted and I can’t wait to see them grow. Until then, aspire to new heights.

Just Bee Cause (A Message from Pastor Ovidiu)

2010-06-21T11:17:00.002-05:00
I asked our dear friend and brother Ovidiu Patrick if he would be so kind to guest blog this week to give his thoughts on the recent Pioneer Drive Baptist Church trip to his village. Here are his thougths.

Last year I sold my bees. A pastor friend of mine came to me and asked me to help him and I said I cannot because I am busy with the bees. He said “People are more important than bugs”. Those words followed me until I put people first. Last week something small but miraculous happened to me. In the last four years I was the one sharing the honey from my bees with people from America. This year the team that came from Abilene had no clue that I used to raise bees. Guess what happened? Two separate people in the group offered me a bear full of honey. It was unbelievable.

When you put God first and people as a high priority, God honors you. He honored me in little things, through that small gift of honey and He also honored me in big things through people like those in Abilene, Texas, that impacted the Romanian local community in several places. Lots of children from the orphanage in Gavojdia village were blessed because of their work, more children in the VBS from the Susani surrounding villages were touched with the Gospel and those that served on the House of Joy construction site shocked everybody by how fast Americans build. As a result, on Saturday we had around 250 people that came to touch the walls (people were actually sitting on bricks, little walls on the House of Joy building).

What a great testimony for all the people that saw and heard about what happened to Susani, Romania last week because some people from Abilene were ready to put God first and His priorities for their lives. All they did was indeed a real success spiritually, relationally, materially. The leaders of the group from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church are courageous, hard working people. It was a blessing to be around them, to see how they encourage each other, how they motivate their team. I believe with all of my heart this is the beginning of a huge partnership that we will build one bit at a time.

The vision that God has for this partnership is bright and powerful, it is a saving vision, a joyful vision. The House of Joy wants to bring the joy of salvation to as many people as possible in our generation. Last week, together with our brothers and sisters from Abilene we were able to make a huge step in reaching this goal. The abundant joy will flow.

What a joy it is to hear first hand the impact our mission trip had. Thank you Ovidiu for sharing from your heart. (By the way, I still miss that wonderful honey you and your bees made!) Also, another thank you to our wonderful team for the impact you had and the seeds you planted. Have a blessed week. Aspire to new heights.

2010-06-18T10:08:00.001-05:00

Reflection

2010-06-16T11:14:00.002-05:00
I do my best thinking when I’m rested. In college I much preferred getting a good night’s rest and then studying in the morning. Therefore I ask that you forgive me in advance if this trip reflection doesn’t make perfect sense. I’m writing during my last leg of the trip home on very little sleep. However, so many wonderful memories and thoughts are flooding my mind.

I could best sum this 10 day trip up in two words: INSPIRATIONAL and GRATITUDE. God did amazing things on this trip; things my simple mind was not even capable of dreaming before our departure. We do so much planning and preparing for our trips but it is hard to plan for a miracle. God took 41 Americans from all walks for life and combined them with 19 Romanians to make one of the best, if not the best, teams I’ve ever worked with. He used each person in a mighty, mighty way.

Upon our arrival the House of Joy community center was nothing more than a dream, a partial foundation, and a pile of rocks. By Saturday night we were able to host a community wide celebration “Texas style” with 250 guests on a solid concrete foundation with the first floor being 70% complete. Just three weeks ago Ovidiu feared we would not be able to do anything because of three weeks of continuous rain. Yet perfect weather and hard work eased all our fears. Only those in attendance will truly believe the efficiency our construction team worked. You would have had to see the progress to truly believe the miracle. I want to take a second to say thank you to Nathan, Stan, Jay, Danny, Dale, Mike, Darrell, Tim, Don, Greg, Kevin, and John for their long, hard hours this past week. You started an hour before the rest of our team and you worked several hours after everyone else in the blazing heat. For those of you that completed your jobs and joined the construction team in the afternoon to lend a helping hand thank you for your sacrifice as well. Your work has laid the foundation, both literally and spiritually, for thousands of lives to be changed. Before the first brick was laid, I snuck over to a corner of the foundation and wrote “Pioneer Drive.” I think this is a warranted tribute for the work you have started.

For the orphanage team, I truly cannot express how grateful I am for your hard work. Thank you to Meredith, Brooke, Chad, Heather, Paula, Judy, Alexa, Tim, Alex, D’Leesa, Barbara, Jackie, Kylie, Angela, and Elya. Many of you reading have worked in orphanages before; therefore you know the changes that take place over five days. I appreciate the flexibility with which this team worked. Many plans were changed; however, I saw so many smiling faces our last day. As I delivered the humanitarian aid to the director he confirmed what I saw by extending an open invitation to return. Lives were changed. Seeds were planted. I know of two that were impacted for eternity. A special thank you to Delia for opening the door to allow us to work with these children. Thank you for the foundation you have laid and the follow-up you will continue.

Very few of you have travelled to Susani. This is one of those places you have to be going! You don’t just stumble upon it! However, this village has become a place of hope for 2,800 kids that live within a 25 mile radius. Thank you to our VBS team for building upon this foundation that Ovidiu and his team have paved. Thank you to Chelsea, Brian, Annelle, Jimmy, Morgan, Payson, Tracy, Krisi, Erin, Lacy, Patsy, and Nelson for all your hard work. A special thank you to Adina for opening her home to our team and allowing us to serve out of it. The children obviously had a blast the entire week, otherwise they would not have returned for our party Saturday night and brought friends and parents with them. One would have to observe the children eagerly waiting for the van to pick them up each day to understand how much these children get out of these events. I think the record this week was 39 kids in one van!

I didn’t intend on this being a blog of thanks, but how can you reflect on a successful trip without saying thank you? With that said I want to say a special thank you to Pastor Stan Alcorn for joining our team. What a testimony to have the senior pastor on your trip. Personally, I want to say thank you to Stan and Pioneer Drive for taking a chance on a young guy (somewhat young I guess) with absolutely no infrastructure in place but a heart for a country. You could have travelled with hundreds of others but you took a chance on me. I will never be able to repay you for this trust. Thank you to our numerous translators. Many of them took time away from school and other special events to join our team. You are a testimony to the work Ovidiu and Adina have done over the past five years. Thank you to Alex Hyde for spending the past five months in Romania assisting me in making all the preparations for this trip. Thank you to Nathan Adams for working with me on this side of the ocean. Thank you to Gigel for helping us in so many ways, especially for opening your center to our team so we would have a comfortable place to stay. Thank you to my best friend Todd Long for accompanying me on this trip. I could not have done it without you. Thank you to my father (Nelson) for going as well. Your support means so much. I never would have even heard of Romania if it were not for you. Most of all thank you to Ovidiu, Adina, Alex, and Ruben for what you did before our arrival, what you did during our time in Romania, and the follow-up you will do after our departure. Ovidiu you've inspired so many people, me included. I'm honored to work with you. I'm honored to call you my friend. I'm honored to call you my ministry partner. May God bless the future of this ministry.

Now we move on to the next chapter. I just wish I knew what it was. God obviously has many great plans for the future. We will be sorting through many of these plans the next few months. I hope each of you will join us as we follow His lead. If you want to know more shoot me an email at jonahogg@gmail.com. Blessings. Aspire to new heights!

Not the end, just the beginning

2010-06-14T04:28:00.003-05:00
Many wonderful things have happened the past few days. As I briefly mentioned in my previous blog, we had a wonderful celebration on Saturday night at the House of Joy construction sight. Over 250 adults and children from 10 plus villages joined our team to celebrate the work that had been done and to commemorate this marvelous project. It was so great to dream with our Romanian brothers and sisters about the day we can actually dedicate a completed House of Joy. This “community center” will serve as a beacon of hope to over 2,800 children and their families from 20 plus villages around Susani. Ovidiu and I have dreamed of the day we will complete this facility so that we can host VBS and Medical teams to serve these communities. We will also have a place for the children to play soccer and basketball and to receive educational support from our computer room and classrooms. We will be able to provide family support via a social worker that can teach life skills to the parents and assist them with vocational skills that will assist them in meeting the needs of their children. The sky is the limit as to what we can do with this marvelous facility.

On Sunday we were able to stop at Timisoara with the team on our way to Budapest. We spent several hours touring the city center and seeing where the revolution began. We shared a meal together and then we continued on to Budapest. Today marks our last official day of this trip. The team will tour Budapest and spend some time fellowshipping together. Tonight we will celebrate with a traditional Hungarian meal and one last time of sharing as a group. I’m sad to see this trip end but so excited and optimistic about what the future holds.

I left America not knowing exactly what God would do with this trip and what His plans were for this ministry. It was wonderful to pray, dream, and plan with a number of my friends and fellow servants the past few days. I have no doubt God has great things in plan for this ministry. I trust He will continue to do great things upon our return. I have no doubt tomorrow will not be the end of something great but rather just the beginning of something even bigger. I ask that you join me in praying about this future. I welcome you to send me a personal email at jonahogg@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like more information.

Thank you again for following this trip through my blog. What an honor it has been to provide feedback. I’ll continue to provide updates via this blog in regards to Ovidiu and Adina and the wonderful work that will continue in Susani. Thanks again. Until we meet, aspire to new heights.

A full House of Joy

2010-06-12T15:10:00.004-05:00
Tonight will be a short night so I'll make my update quick. We had a wonderful celebration tonight at the House of Joy. Over 250 adults and children, not counting our team of 50, joined together for a Texas style party. I wish time allowed me to fill you in and share pictures. I promise I'll post in the next few days. We will be getting up very early tomorrow to travel to Budapest. On the way to Budapest we will stop for a few hours in Timisoara. It will be nice to see our old home town. If you have not had a chance to watch this video interview of Pastor Stan Alcorn from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church I encourage you to give it a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eEkkQvI6so

Thank you again for your prayers and support. I look forward to visiting with you more in person. I promise to post more pics, blogs, and stories tomorrow and the next few day. Until then, aspire to new heights.

A day to celebrate

2010-06-11T15:07:00.001-05:00
What a glorious day the team had. We began by allowing our village team to observe our orphanage team in action. What a joy it was to see them in action. The children responded so well. Relationships have obviously been forged the past five days. This was never more obvious that when we heard two separate stories of salvation that took place at the orphanage today. Praise the Lord! At the conclusion of our time we were able to gift two large suitcases full of medicine and humanitarian aid. We were also able to gift a large amount of cleaning supplies at the director’s request. Director Teodoru response was one of extreme appreciation. He went on to extend an open invitation to the team to return any time they want to work with the children. He said, “Our children obviously love your team. We welcome you bank any time. Please come back.” How do you respond in any other way but to say “We will return.” I broke my first rule of missions. Never make a promise unless you can guarantee to keep it. So my challenge to each of you is to help me keep that promise. I’ll be accepting applications soon!

Upon our return to Susani I was blessed with the chance to travel with Ovidiu to the numerous villages to pick up children. During our ride he told me that there are over 2,800 children in 20 plus cities within a 50 mile radius of Susani. What a mission field. We would drive down the dirt streets of these villages and children would run out of their houses to catch our vans. Ovidiu and Adina obviously have a following and our desire is to reach as many of these 2,800 children as possible. Think of the lives that could be impacted for His Kingdom with that many new missionaries in Romania.

After VBS in the village our VBS team decided they would walk around the corner and assist the construction team. It was so awesome to watch men, women, and children all carry brick. Our team worked in unison as the exterior walls continued to rise. Our time is soon ending but this team is determined to leave their mark.

Tonight we had a special time of sharing. It is always great to hear stories from each team. After our sharing time we shared the Lord’s Supper together. What a blessing it was to do this with Romanians and Americans. After that we presented each translator with a gift. Finally we were able to show our appreciation to Ovidiu. Three members of our team washed Pastor Ovidiu’s feet as a sign of humility and appreciation. They then placed a brand new pair of West Texas cowboy boots on his feet. I’ve seen Ovidiu smile, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him smile that big. As happy as he was to receive these boots I’m not sure they can even come close to show him our love and appreciation for the work he has done, not just with this team, but in years past to pave the way for this ministry. Ovidiu, you inspire me. I truly hope you inspire those reading. Aspire to new heights.

Just the right tools for the job

2010-06-10T13:28:00.002-05:00
“Don’t arrive with your spear if you need to be plowing.” Michael Watkins

This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. How often do we try to put a round peg in a square hole? We think we have all the answers, just move out of our way and let us show you. I’ve been honored this past week to work with 40 of the humblest, hardest working Americans I’ve ever worked with. Each member of the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church team brought the exact right tool for the job, as well as the perfect servant attitude to put that tool to use.

I made a big mistake packing for this trip. I did not pack near enough comfortable work clothes. I definitely did not pack the appropriate work shoes. These guys and gals on the other hand came completely prepared, armed with a can do, flexible attitude. I was honored to spend the afternoon with our construction team. After 15 minutes I had my shirt off (don’t worry I had on a t-shirt under it). To be honest I had to wrap it around my head to catch all the sweat! It was approximately 95 degrees today without a trace of West Texas wind. Our job today was to move large brick (by hand) so that our brick layers could erect the exterior wall of the House of Joy. As time progressed we developed an assembly line with 10 plus guys passing bricks from one person to the next in an effort to keep up with our six brick layers. In 12 hours we moved and the brick layers placed an entire truck load. It was the perfect example of teamwork. I’m please to say that over a fourth of the exterior wall was erected today!

Prior to joining these guys we took a group to tour a private Christian school in Lugoj and to take a brief tour of the city. Upon our return the Susani VBS team continued to do marvelous things with the children. We were blessed again with a great turnout. As expected the orphanage team continues to build quality relationships with the children. Several older kids are even participating and attempting to build relationships with the team. What a reason to celebrate.

We are sad that tomorrow will be our last day of VBS. We will make a presentation of Humanitarian Aid and cleaning supplies to the orphanage director. Saturday will be a special day of celebration. I’ll fill you in tomorrow. Thanks so much for praying for our team and for reading the blog. God has blessed us with a wonderful trip. We could not have asked for better conditions and a better response. I look forward to sharing pictures and stories with many of you in person over the coming weeks. Until then, aspire to new heights.

A blessed day

2010-06-09T15:09:00.002-05:00

As Pastor Stan was preaching tonight I was reminded how much I enjoyed it when an American pastor would preach at our church in Romania. As I looked around my good friend Gigel Olariu’s church in Resita I saw many familiar faces. Faces I’d seen change over the past 10 years. What a joy it was to return to this church to set it completed after being under construction for 10 plus years. The last time I was here we were having a medical mission trip in what is now the finished sanctuary. It just makes me realize that time moves on regardless of where we are. It makes me sad. Sometimes I wish I could pause time in Romania when I return to American until I can make it back to Romania. I always hate to miss things. I’m always humbled when I visit a Romanian church. They always treat me as though I’m the most important person in the world. It just reminds me how gracious and inviting my brothers and sisters of Romania can be.

We were so blessed today. The orphanage team continued to build solid relationships with the children. I love mid-week because that is always the turning point with relationships. The ice has been broken, was are being torn down, and friendships are being built. I’m glad to report that the concrete finally arrived at our construction sight. Slava Domlui! We were able to complete the House of Joy foundation. Our men worked their fingers to the bone. The rocks and dirt and hours of moving buckets of water are beating them down but the joy of building this beacon of hope is strengthening them beyond understanding. Today we were told a member of the community complained that the children were attending Vacation Bible School at the village. This was the last week of school and they could not understand why the students would choose to spend time with us rather than enjoy field trips and the pleasures of the last week of school. I’m not sure I completely understand their decision either. However, I do know 100 children can’t be wrong!

Last night we shared our dinner with the mayor and regional director for the Baptist Association. As I addressed the group I told them I had no doubt we were right where God wanted us to be, doing what we were supposed to do, with the people we were supposed to be doing it with. Why else would men of such influence stand before us and express such gratitude and extend open invitations to return. God is moving in a mighty way in Susani, Romania. He has blessed us to work with Ovidiu and Adina. He has blessed me to have the support of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. I still have no idea what the future holds. Right now I’m not worried. As Stan read to us from the book of Philippians I scanned across the page to verse four of chapter two which read, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Sounds like a good idea to me! Aspire to new heights.

A note from a trip participant

2010-06-08T15:02:00.003-05:00

Danny Barefield is the Minister of Music for Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. This is his second trip to Romania.

What an awesome experience to come to Romania for this mission endeavor. Today we completed the prep work to lay the remaining concrete slab for the “House of Joy” in Susani. The concrete was supposed to come but was delayed by a failure in electricity at the plant. Hopefully in the morning things will move faster and more work can be accomplished. Though we were dissapointed, we were able to observe other members of our team hard at work. We watched the children play, observe Bible stories, sing and do crafts. Over the day the team hosted more than 100 children. I was able to sit down at the keyboard with Sammy (15) who plays drums and Raul (13) who plays guitar and have a little jam session. The most enjoyable part of the day for me.

The people are amazing. There is such a sweet spirit among the people of Romania and they have been so receptive. This is a relationship that will not conclude after this trip, but will continue for years to come.

While this is not the type of work I ever do, it has been fun to work with those who do. It has also been a joy to work alongside my other church members all together for the same cause. I am thankful for a mission hearted church.

We appreciate your prayers and support. Blessings, Danny Barefield.

Day 1 in the books.

2010-06-07T15:22:00.002-05:00

It is 11:15 P.M. in Romania. Our team had a wonderful day. Our 45 member team split into our three groups and dispersed to begin our work. Group 1 headed to the orphanage in Gavojdia. Group 2 headed to Susani to do VBS with the local kids and Group 3 began construction of the House of Joy in Susani.

The orphanage team had a great day that primarily focused on building relationships with the children and planting seeds for the remainder of the week. The Susani VBS team had close to 60 kids. We’ve been told to expect even more tomorrow. The construction team made huge strides to the foundation for the House of Joy community center. Only a few hours of work are required tomorrow before the cement trucks arrive to pour the foundation. Our hope is that we will be able to begin working on the exterior walls on Wednesday.

God has been so good to our team. We finished the night with over an hour of sharing time. It was great to hear why God moved so many to join this trip to Romania and to hear how he has already begun doing great things with the kids! I cannot wait to see how tomorrow will go.

Thanks for your prayers and support. Aspire to new heights.

They're here!

2010-06-06T16:19:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to report the team made it safe to Budapest and then to Romania. They had great flights and only had one bag not make it. We were able to eat lunch and take in beautiful Szeged, Hungary before crossing into Romania and making it to the Precept Training Center at 11:00 p.m. This was approximately 35 hours after they loaded the bus for Dallas so they are exhausted. However, they are ready to go. Can't wait to post updates and pictures each day. Thanks for your prayers. Aspire to new heights!!!!

Airplane Time

2010-06-06T03:45:00.000-05:00

Airplane time has to be good for something, right? I mean suffering through 10 hours in coach on a completely full plane, elbow to elbow with a complete stranger has to pay off. I’ve done so much of this international travel the last 10 years I’ve compiled hundreds of stories regarding air travel. Like the time the mom, not my wife, just the mom of the kids sitting next to me, allowed me to monitor her kids while she slept and watched movies. Not sure why I did this. Guess I just felt sorry for them. Anyhow, they climbed all over me, flipped through my books, stole my headphones, pulled back my eye mask when I tried to sleep, and best of all puked all over my shoes. The worst thing was the mother didn’t even attempt to help clean up the child. That was a good one! Another favorite was on the first of two 10 hour flights home from Africa where the guy behind me yelled and kicked every time I tried to lay my seat back. Said he couldn’t see the T.V. Well pardon me! To avoid a national (or world) crisis I slept upright all 10 hours. I’ve paid my dues! Surely some good can come from flying.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t written in my journal or wrote for that matter in over a year. This is one of my favorite things to do. I also love a good book. Another thing I rarely find time to do. I actually have two books I plan on reading during this trip.

But, you know, more than anything, travel and time alone are good for reflection. Just inside my notebook I keep a statement I wrote after my last job change. “Drive by a desire to succeed. Motivated by a fear of failure.” I’ve never really read between the lines of this statement but it probably symbolizes all the good and bad in me. I am a very driven person. I hate to fail. Failure is not an option. I think about my work as a salesman and how hard it can be to live the daily rollercoaster of sales. One second you are high, the next you are as low as a snake’s belly (to quote my dad).

You may wonder what any of this has to do with my trip to Romania. I did after all promise to blog on the trip! Well guess what. I want this trip to be a success as well. I promised Ovidiu the day I moved home that one day we would work together to fulfill His will for Romania. Upon my job change from Buckner I was freed up to do just this. I promised God I would be ready the second He wanted me to use the experiences and resources He gave me to serve Romania. Shortly after He took me up on that promise when Pioneer Drive Baptist Church came calling.

Ten months later, here we are! I don’t know what’s next. Gotta see how this goes first! I know there are other churches and individuals interested in working in the villages of Romania. And I know the needs are great. The rest of the puzzle I’ll just leave up to God.

Regardless, failure is not an option! I figured that out on an airplane!

Thanks for taking this ride with me. Aspire to new heights!

Finally!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-04T08:30:00.003-05:00

It’s been a long road to get to today. You’ve had a chance to hear from both Todd and Ovidiu. I hope it is very obvious how excited the three of us are about this trip, as well as the future. We are still in the “wherever He leads” phase of this ministry (if you want to call it that). We have no idea what the future holds. However, we are super excited that Pioneer Drive has chosen to join us in Romania. Our prayer is that God will continue to reveal His plans during this trip and guide us towards the future. We appreciate your participation either as a trip participant, financial supporter, or prayer partner. I’m off to the airport to head over a day early to make sure all the details are ready for the trip. For those of you leaving tomorrow, I’ll see you at the Budapest Airport on Sunday.

For those following along from home, I'll do my best to post updates as often as possible.

Until then, be blessed. Aspire to new heights! Jon, Todd, and Ovidiu

Total Surrender

2010-06-03T07:39:00.001-05:00

“There are certain burning questions every Christian must answer in total candor. Do you hunger for Jesus Christ? Do you yearn to spend time alone with him in prayer? Is he the most important person in your life? Does he fill your soul like a song of joy? Is he on our lips as a shout of praise? Or has he been smothered by distractions, nullified by pride? Do you eagerly turn to his memoirs, his Testament, to learn more of him? Do you thirst for the living water of his Holy Spirit? Are you making the effort to die daily to anything and everything that inhibits, diminishes, or threatens your friendship with him?... that will happen only when we break away from the lives we have grown accustomed to living, lives ruled by our desires for security, pleasure, and power. It is these desires that hold us back from recognizing the truth of our need for God’s mercy. It is these desires that prevent us from peeling off the filmy residue of our lives without God and prevent transparency.” Compiled from The Importance of Being Foolish by Brennan Manning

What exactly do you hope to accomplish on your journey or mission next week? Why are you going on this trip? Was it to make a difference in the life of a child; a community; maybe a country? Or, was it to make a difference in your life? In all honesty, I hope your desire is for all of the above. I hope and pray that while you are impacting those around you that this trip will be a time of spiritual revival for you as well. I hope this trip will be an opportunity for you to find yourself, to grow closer to God, and to renew your spiritual strength.

For me, a mission trip always serves as a chance to re-visit my priorities in life. What things are controlling my time, my energy and my passion? Each morning during our trip, as well as the days leading up to the trip, I hope you we will take a hard look in the mirror to determine more about yourself, as I do the same. Remember, before we can show His love to others, we must fully understand what His love means to us.

Be blessed. Aspire to new heights!

A friend for life

2010-06-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

One of the many advantages to starting a new life in a new place as far away as Romania is that you meet wonderful people from all over the world. We met people in Timisoara from India, Africa, Australia, the UK, the US, and many other places. Odds are you never would have met those people! Kacee and I are so lucky to be able to call the Long Family our friends. Shortly after we moved to Timisoara we were invited to a lunch after church. Todd, Lisa, Mikie, and Emma were at that lunch as well. Over the next few weeks we got to know each other really well. The Longs happened to live just a few blocks away from us. Over time we included each other in our ministries. Todd helped me teach my classes on several occasions and I was fortunate enough to spend time with his high school students as well. Most important of all, I introduced Todd and Lisa to Ovidiu and Adina. Once we moved home, Todd and Lisa were able to remain very close with Ovidiu and Adina.

Time and circumstances usually draw friends apart. However, our bond over Romania (especially our love for Susani and Ovidiu and Adina) has kept us close. As I returned on more than one occasion to Romania with mission teams I always included Todd. He was right there by my side to assist in leading the groups. He’s a wealth of knowledge and a joy to be around. For those of you going on our trip, you will truly enjoy your time with Todd. I must say he is one of my best friends. We are blessed to be partnering together to help Ovidiu and Adina. Only God knows what the future holds.

I’ve linked several of Todd’s blogs on Susani for your enjoyment. They will help you get to know him better. Until tomorrow, aspire to new heights!

A Message from Ovidiu

2010-06-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

Hello again from Romania. Let me share a few things about our ministry that God gave us here in the western side of Romania. After my wife and I graduated in 2004, God opened a door for us to work for Him in this area in the village of Susani, a very small village of just 250 people. In the last 5 years and a half we were able to share the gospel with lots of people in our village and in the surrounding villages. Our heart is for the young people of Romania that desperately need Christ. During this time we saw young people coming to Christ, being baptized and now are following Christ in faithfulness. Our greatest joy in the ministry is represented by our disciples, a group of young people that took the responsibilities that we had 5 years ago. Because of them and the biblical strategy of discipleship we were able to reach more children, teenagers and young people in the whole area where we serve.

We have a Thursday night church service with our people of Susani. Every Friday we meet with the teenagers in our area. A team of young men that my wife and I invested in are responsible for conducting this meeting. Every Saturday there is a meeting in Susani with many children from many villages (approximately 12). We pick them up in our vans and bring them here where they learn about Jesus, sing, play, are doing crafts, having fun. God gave us a vision that is bigger than our potential and possibilities. We are amazed of how God leads us and brings people on our way to be a part of this vision that we love to call the House of Joy, because where God is there is joy. Our vision is to take the Gospel’s message to many people around us during this generation through the specific ways He gave us for these times . Christ brings joy to the world and by grace we are His instruments in this generation that needs the joy of his Word.

The visit of the people at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas, in the second week of June is a tremendous blessing that can be considered a miracle from God. We are anxious to see them serving God in Gavojdia orphanage (25 miles away from Susani), working on the House of Joy property (building the walls of the House of Joy Center) and having VBS with the children in Susani area (more than 12 villages).

As my good friend Jon always says to end, “aspire to new heights” and we will see you soon.

Ovidiu Patrick

Ovidiu and Adina Patrick – Following His Game Plan

2010-05-31T08:30:00.001-05:00

“Hello from Romania! As the pastor of Susani Baptist Church I want to thank you for joining me and my wife Adina as we serve our community and those around us. Please allow me to share with you about my family. God allowed me to meet Adina while I was in seminary in Oradea and in the last year of school we got married. Since then, God has blessed us with a great marriage of 6 ½ years. I have a degree in theology and my wife Adina has a degree in social work. Since July 2007 she works as a social worker in a small city hall one mile away from our home. Every Sunday I preach the Word of God twice, once in Susani village and in the afternoon I preach in Lugoj city, 13 miles away from Susani. We are excited about our church in Susani and the efforts our members are making to reach our community. We are also happy about our new ministry in Lugoj. We have started a Bible Study group where we have young people that come to study and to have fellowship with our team. We love helping people and show them the love of Christ. For those that will join us in Romania soon we cannot wait to see you. For those that are not coming we pray you will visit us soon.” - Ovidiu Patrick

As I reflect upon the years I’ve known Ovidiu and Adina many things come to mind. The first thing I think of is a great team. All good teams have a game plan for their opponent. However, it is usually the ones that are most capable of taking the circumstances they face and altering their game plan that come out winners. Ovidiu and Adina exemplify what it means to allow God to be in control when it comes to making a “game plan” for their life and ministry. Ovidiu has served as pastor of a small Romania village by the name of Susani since graduating from seminary close to five years ago. Early in his career Ovidiu and his wife Adina decided to remain in Susani long-term in an effort to reach the youth and adults of this village and a number of surrounding villages. All too often these remote villages are forgotten by missionaries and local believers. Ovidiu is young, educated, and trustworthy, all of which are characteristics necessary to pastor a large church in Romania. However, Ovidiu and Adina feel God has called them to serve via the remote villages, not the large cities.

Through VBS, camps, weekly prayer meetings, and now short-term mission teams, Ovidiu and Adina are reaching hundreds of children in these remote villages. And, by reaching these children, they are also paving the way for their parent’s salvation. Are there consequences to this decision? Absolutely. Are they greater than the consequences of not following His will? Absolutely not. John F. Kennedy observed, “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

As Kacee and I were toiling with the idea of moving to Romania a friend made this statement, “When God’s will is for something to happen, it is going to happen, with you or without you. If you are not willing to help make it happen, He will find someone that is willing. The people He is calling you to serve will not suffer due to your lack of commitment; however, you will!” Thank you, Ovidiu and Adina for your willingness to follow His “game plan” and teaching all of us to be receptive to His will for us.

Ovidiu once sent me an email containing the following verse, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them." Hebrews 6:10. What a joy it is to partner with such Godly servants. See you soon good friend. See you soon.

Aspire to new heights.

2010-05-30T10:00:00.003-05:00

Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves. Only such a larger purpose can inspire us to heights we know we could never reach on our own. For each of us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are here to do, and why. But, nothing short of God’s call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose. Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service. - Os Guiness
One thing about me that you will soon learn is that I’m a huge NASCAR fan. Make fun if you want, but NASCAR is not just for your “redneck” father anymore. It is a modern day sport that I find entertaining. Anyhow, my reasoning for loving the sport is irrelevant to the point I’m trying to make. One of my favorite NASCAR personalities is Daryl Waltrip or DW as he is affectionately known by race fans. DW is the lead analyst for Fox and considered to be a strong Christian. During a recent race DW was asked how dedicated a driver was to winning. He said, “The difference between dedication and commitment is very small. When you sit down for breakfast and have bacon and eggs the chicken is dedicated but the pig is committed.”

So, my question to you is, “are you dedicated or are you committed to your role in our trip?” Are you counting the days until our trip? My dad always told me the most important thing in life is to do something you enjoy doing. I cannot think of anything else I would rather do than introduce my new friends to my old friends in Romania.

Ask yourself today, “Am I the chicken or am I the pig.” I’m a Hogg! Have a blessed Sunday. Aspire to new heights.

Quality time

2010-05-29T10:33:00.002-05:00

If you’ve read my blog in the past, I apologize for reposting an old blog. However, I felt it was very relevant to our upcoming trip.

Some of my most memorable moments in Romania were in the villages, most notably Susani. Susani was our home away from home. I don’t have an exact population count on Susani and I’m pretty sure the census won’t make it over, but my best estimate is approximately 300 residents. I haven’t been able to find a good source of information on Susani on the internet. Let’s just say Bing, Google, and Wikipedia do not recognize this little village. However, I’ve been told a number of stories that I’m sure have been passed down from generation to generation. If my memory serves me right artifacts have been found that date back to 25 B.C. I’m not sure we truly know what history is!

As I’ve said before, this village is home to two of my closest friends Daniel Olariu and Ovidiu Patrick. Daniel is a local farmer, business man, and jack of all trades. Ovidiu is the local pastor. Visiting Susani is like taking a step back in time. There is not a single paved road in the village. Residents live in small homes with a large garden out back. The coolest thing is seeing the livestock grazing in the fields nearby, open range. I promise you it is one of the prettiest sights you will ever see.I still remember spending a few days in Susani during our first winter in Romania. Traditionally Romanians return to their family roots in the village following the first freeze to process meat for the coming year. We processed the animals the old fashioned way. I will save you the details (and pictures) but it pretty much involves an axe, knife, a tree and rope. At the end of the day they have a bucket full of meat to either be smoked or salted that will last the year.Romanians are event oriented and this is definitely an event for the ages. Everyone returns to the villages and they have a large feast. Kacee and I were fortunate enough to “enjoy” this feast. We had pan fried liver and lungs, brain, pork, bread, and pickles. Kacee and I mostly had pork and bread. I did try the lungs and liver but I have had brain before and I chose not to try it again. This is where I tell you that it is offensive in most cultures if you refuse to eat food they’ve prepared!Most people would get wrapped up in this process and how archaic or uncivil it is, as well as how unpleasant the brains, liver, and lungs were. But if you truly look beyond what we would consider different you find yourself a culture steeped with tradition and appreciation for quality time together. This was one of the first things I grew to appreciate about Romania and still miss to this day. All too often I find myself consumed with speed and productivity. We miss so many opportunities in life for fellowship and relationship building.

No doubt one does not have to travel to a village half-way around the world to experience these things. But a quick visit is refreshing and reminds me of how important quality time with friends and family should be. I hope you will enjoy this quality time as well. Aspire to new heights.

More than a partner

2010-05-28T09:59:00.004-05:00

I’ll never forget the first time I met Ovidiu and Adina. Kacee and I had been living in Romania probably no more than two months. Our good friend Daniel invited us to a Romanian wedding. What a cultural experience. I’m not much of a wedding guy! (other than my own, of course!) Therefore my opinion may be a bit off regarding this experience. However, I do recall a service that took several hours (and we didn’t understand any of it). Anyhow, after a lengthy ceremony we joined close family and friends for a reception. This was a little more to my liking. Over the next three to four hours we ate and ate and ate. Just when you thought you could not eat any more, they brought out the cake! Anyhow, I digress.

As we entered the reception Daniel sat me and Kacee across from Ovidiu and Adina and said, “Sit here, they know English!” The rest as they say is history. We struck up an immediate friendship. For those of you that know Ovidiu and Adina you will agree with me that you cannot help but be drawn to this wonderful Christian family. For those that do not, I hope you soon find out.

Ovidiu serves as the pastor for the Baptist church in Susani. He is a loving shepherd for his people. What sets Ovidiu and Adina apart from all the others is the fact that they are so committed to the future of the young people of Romania. On more than one occasion they have gathered via van and bus over 300 youth from numerous surrounding villages. Now if one truly believes that the future of Romania is the young people, how could you not want to partner with Ovidiu and Adina?

Aspire to new heights!

The Power of Prayer

2010-05-27T10:51:00.002-05:00

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

One of the greatest blessings our ministry and trip can receive is prayer. I’m so grateful to know that each trip participant has a prayer partner praying behind the scenes for our trip. I’m also blessed to know that a group will be gathering tonight to lift our trip up in prayer. I wanted to take a few minutes to list a few specific requests in hopes that you will add them to your prayer list.

Safe Travel – Pray for save travel to and from the airport and Abilene. Pray for a safe flight. Pray for our travel in Hungary and Romania.
Volcano – We are all aware of the volcano situation in Iceland and what impact it can have on our travels. Pray for a good West Texas wind to push the ash cloud North!
Weather – Pray for good weather leading up to our trip so that the foundation for the House of Joy will be completed. Pray for good weather during our trip so that we will be able to continue construction and so we will be able to build relationships with the children as we spend time with them outdoors.
In Country Team – Lift up our in country hosts. Pray for Ovidiu, Adina, Ruben, Danny, Delia, and our many volunteers, partners, and translators.
Trip Leaders – Pray for Jon, Todd, and Nathan as they continue to finalize details for the trip and lead the team during our time in Romania as well.
Pastors – Lift up Pastor Stan and Pastor Ovidiu as they share His word on a daily basis, both as our team leaders, and at local churches each night.
Health and Rest – Pray for the physical and mental health of each team member. Pray that everyone will remain healthy and strong and that jet lag and different food types will not have a bearing on anyone’s health.
Orphanage – Lift up the children we will be working with at the orphanage. Pray they will see the face of Jesus in each team member. Pray for their future. Also lift up the staff and volunteers that work to make life easier for these children.
Susani – Lift up the village of Susani. Pray for His word to spread through the members of this community. Pray they will go forth from this village and be witnesses throughout Romania and other countries as well. Pray they will be receptive to our work and adopt it as their own.
Longevity of Ministry – Pray that the seeds planted during this trip will be long lasting. Pray for the House of Joy community center and the impact it will have for years to come. Pray for those that will be left behind to continue the ministry. Pray for the future of the orphanage and the children we will be serving in the orphanage.
Ministry Partners – Pray for our existing ministry partners in Romania and the US. Pray that God will continue to bring forth individuals and churches willing to serve in Romania.

For additional information on Romania and ways to pray for our host country visit the following link (Pray for Romania).

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Aspire to new heights.

Making Connections

2010-05-26T11:34:00.004-05:00

There is no truer statement than “Hindsight is always 20-20.” Looking back over the past 10 years and the relationships God has blessed us with fully confirm this statement. I’ve already shared with you in previous posts about my first two visits to Romania. However, it was not until my third visit that several key relationships would be established that are still playing a role in our lives today.

Upon my return from Romania as an intern I decided I wanted to go back to school and complete my doctorate. During that time I really wanted to return to Romania and conduct my dissertation research on Romanian agriculture. Through a friend of a friend I met a man by the name of Mike Attaway. Mike was an agricultural missionary and he was actually going on a trip to Romania during Spring Break. I decided to go on this trip with Mike. Sparing you many of the details, this was where I first met Daniel Olariu and the first time I visited Susani.

These relationships might have seemed similar to all other relationships. However, three years later Daniel assisted me in finding a teaching job in Romania. Daniel also served as our guardian angel while we lived in Romania. Most important of all, Daniel exposed us to Susani (and introduced us to Ovidiu and Adina, more on that another day). Susani became our home away from home. The people of this great village adopted me and Kacee and treated us like natives. Now some five years later I finally have the chance to return the favor. I cannot wait to see so many familiar faces. I’m so excited to be returning to work with the children of Susani and to partner with the natives of Susani in building the House of Joy community center.

I’m thankful for those of you that are joining us on this adventure. I’m thankful for those of you that have also helped financially. I’m especially thankful for those of you that have committed to pray for this ministry.

Aspire to new heights.

Just Jon

2010-05-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

“God has provided each of us with certain capabilities and opportunities. He is aware, of course, of our environmental obstacles and roadblocks – for example, the problems we have faced in our family life. He knows our inherent weaknesses and the circumstances that are beyond our control. But at the same time, God wants us to use what we have at our disposal. He wants us to develop our capacities and use them to the fullest.”

– Gene Getz

This quote really resonates with me, especially as I reflect upon the numerous mission experiences I’ve had. You see, one of the things I like the most about missions is that you can be whoever you want to be (within reason of course)! It is a little like the guy who always stays at a Holiday Inn. He is capable of so much more just because of where he spent the night. Going on a mission trip gives you the opportunity to be the person you want to be.

Now before you scoff, give me a chance to defend myself. I’m not telling you to go on a mission trip and impersonate a doctor. What I am telling you is that your slate is clean. Even though our slate is always clean with Jesus, we sometime operate as though it is not. But on a mission trip we are free of all our past. You can use your past as a guidepost rather than a hitching post!

What I really love is the fact that I’m Jon, the guy that flew across the ocean to spend a week serving when I’m on a mission trip. I’m not Jon the salesman. I’m not Jon the guy who forgot to use his blinker and cut you off. I’m not Jon the guy who should have spent more nights in the library when he was in college instead of hanging with friends. I’m not Jon the guy who chose to watch T.V. instead of have my quiet time. I’m just Jon, a servant of Christ.

However, it should not stop there. My hope is the person I become while on mission is not some counterfeit person; rather I hope this is the person I truly desire to be, the person God created me to be. With that in mind I try to take that person home with me and be that person back home as well. It is a challenge to maintain, especially when life gets back in full swing. We have a family to take care of, a job to tend to, and no doubt our personal vices (golf, football, T.V.) pulling at us from different directions. Regardless of who you are when you get on the plane to fly to Romania and regardless of whom you become when you return home, I truly hope you will ask God to show you who He wants you to be. Maybe He will use this trip to mold you into that person. That’s my prayer. Aspire to new heights.

A passion secured

2010-05-24T11:34:00.002-05:00

My first trip to Romania no doubt made me fall in love with this country. It was not until my second trip that I actually developed a passion for my second home. I decided to return to Romania the summer of 2000 to serve as an intern at an orphan camp. Writing this blog brings back so many memories. Camp Lapusna as it was called was a good three hour bus ride from civilization. This old camp at the top of some mountain was originally a youth summer camp during communism. We were so happy to get one warm shower a week. Usually we walked to the river where we would jump in the water, get out, apply soap, and jump back in to remove the soap. The water was so cold it would take your breath away.

Every experience I’ve had working with orphans, regardless of the country, has been a wonderful experience. However, the two experiences that stand out the most involved living with the children 24/7. The first was this particular experience in Camp Lapusna. The other was in Latvia. Sure you may build relationships with kids teaching VBS half a day or even a full day, but the true relationships come from sharing meals with the kids, tucking them in bed at night, and spending all your free time with them.

Oh the memories of Camp Lapusna. How could I forget the Water Nazi, stepping on a viper, or living off peanut butter and crackers! I still remember riding a bus from the Budapest airport to camp. It took close to 15 hours on a long and winding road. I remember sneaking into my room so not to wake my roommates. Even better, I remember waking (with jet lag) to all 15 of my roommates staring at me as they tried to figure out who I was!

But the memory than stands out the most was something that revolved around a key hole. You see, each morning the staff and interns would meet for prayer before everyone else was up. During this time we would pray for the children individually by name. Our meeting room was connected to one of the sleeping quarters for the children. And unbeknownst to us the children would take turns looking through the key hole of the door and watch us pray. Little did we know the impact this simple act of faith would have on a room full of children.

Don’t you agree with me that every child, or every person for that matter, deserves to be prayed for by name? I hope you will join me in praying for them. Aspire to new heights.

A Chance Encounter

2010-05-21T09:01:00.000-05:00

If you’ve read my blog in the past or if you’ve gone back over some of my older posts you’ve probably heard me quote my wife more than once. I’m proud of my wife and I’m proud to have shared so many wonderful experiences with her the past nine years (as of Wednesday to be exact). We have a lot of similarities and many differences. She balances me out. At times she’s the roots and I’m the wings of our relationship. At times it is the other way around.

I’ll never forget one of the most profound things she ever said; “Sometimes God takes us one place just to get us to another.” This should be our mission statement. During the nine years of our marriage we have lived in Lubbock, Houston, and Romania. That may not seem like much to you but we have had three stints in Lubbock, one in Houston and one in Romania. This does not count several moves in Lubbock and several in Romania. This means a lot of moving and a lot of “homes” or houses rather. Home to most of us is where our family is, where we reside day-in and day-out. Some say, “Home is where the heart is.” The question is; can your heart be in two places at once? Romania has to be a place where I “left my heart.” In preparation for an upcoming trip to Romania in June I’ve reflected a lot about what has drawn me to this country for the past 10 years. During this self discovery I found my trip notes from the very first trip I took to Romania in March 1999. As a side note, I’m not sure I’ve ever thanked my dad for taking me to Romania with him. Knowing he is the only self proclaimed follower of my blog I can give a shout out to him and say thank you for exposing me to this wonderful country. Isn’t it amazing how one small experience in our life will shape our decisions from that point forward?

If my memory serves me right I don’t think I even knew where Romania was before this trip in 1999. I’m not even sure I knew Romania was a country (geography was not my strong suit). Now this country I’d never heard of before has become the place I think about daily. My thoughts, prayers, hopes and dreams may not revolve around Romania, but they definitely go there often. After reviewing my notes I’m reminded why. I spent the very first day in this country in a dilapidated orphanage with 100 plus kids that had absolutely no hope or promise. I spent the entire week with six of the most spiritual men I’ve ever known. Their wisdom and spiritual maturity still guide me today.

Many would argue my passion is less about Romania and more about Romania being the first country I ever took a mission trip. There may be a hint of truth to this statement but I still believe it is about the country. Honestly it probably isn’t the country itself, but rather the people from this country. Some of my best friends are Romanian. Others may not be Romanian but I met them in Romania. As I take the next few weeks to share with you my aspirations for Romania I hope you catch a glimpse of the oversized hearts my friends in Romania have. I love them as though they were family. To me they are! For those of you that are travelling with me to Romania in June I hope you will one day share my enthusiasm. For those that are not, I hope you will follow along and join us the next trip! Until then, aspire to new heights.

New Beginnings

2010-05-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Your computer is not playing tricks on you. Today is May 19, 2010, and the last time I blogged was May 18, 2010. I guess you could say I’ve taken a yearlong sabbatical from blogging. To say I didn’t have anything to blog about would be far from true. Much has happened the last 365 days. I’m not even going to focus on that. I don’t want to dwell on the past. I’d rather focus on the future. I’m excited about the future, primarily my upcoming trip to Romania June 5-15 with Pioneer Drive Baptist Church. I want to spend the next few weeks talking about Romania and why I have such a heart for this wonderful country. Most of my blogs will be directed at those joining me on the trip. However, I hope others will follow along as well. Who knows, maybe you will join us on the next trip. My hope is that I’ll be able to continue writing blogs during our trip. Then upon our return I might actually keep blogging. Who knows! None-the-less, I hope you aspire to new heights. I know I’ve been challenged the past 365 days to do that very thing. I hope you join me.

Where are you

2009-05-18T15:13:00.002-05:00

A friend recently posted on my blog asking where I was. I responded by asking him if he had a map. It's been one of those months. I'm blessed by my job and the opportunity to be a voice for those that have no voice. But the travel does wear on you. I've been in so many meetings I just could not find the strength to blog when I got to the hotel. To be honest, I'm really not blogging today. I've even considered taking my blog off. However, I don't want to just yet. At least not until I give my wife props one more time.

Earlier today I was taking a short break between thank you notes to let my pen cool off. During this time I decided to read Kacee's blog. She doesn't give herself enough credit but she's a great communicator. Honestly, she conveys the message much better than I do. For that reason, I hope you will read her latest blog (May 11). Not only is it inspiring, it really is my life mission. She just says it better than me!

I'm not going to promise I will blog any time soon. I'm not even going to promise I won't just take this thing off. Who knows where tomorrow will lead! Blessings. Aspire to new heights.

I'm your Huckleberry

2009-04-01T20:35:00.002-05:00

One of my all time favorite movies is Tombstone. Val Kilmer makes this movie. I guess that is why I'm so stoked about visiting Tombstone, Arizona tomorrow (yes it is work related). So, consider this a teazer for more to come (hopefully with pics). But, until then I thought it would be cool to hear from you in regards to your favorite Tombstone quote. Here is a video to give you some inspiration. More to come soon. Aspire to new heights.

Show me results

2009-03-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

When we lived in Romania it amazed me to discover that most stores did not open until 9 or 10 and most people didn’t really go to work until 10ish. Culturally Romanians focused first on relationships and events while efficiency was not that high on the priority list. I learned this the hard way when I tried to teach a time management class. I even went so far as to give my students a day planner. I think it is safe to assume most did not use it! Fair enough. We can write off these differences as cultural differences and as I’ve said I don’t think all these differences were bad (I even miss many of them). After all how many of us work a solid 9 to 5 anyhow? But if culture is their excuse, what’s our excuse for poor productivity? I think it’s safe to say they may accomplish as much in a work day as we do anyhow.

As I said in my last blog, I’m reading a book called It’s Called Work for a Reason, by Larry Winget. Winget’s no nonsense approach to work has really captured my attention. Many would frown at other cultures for their "work ethic" while standing on our pedestal as though we were the "working force that makes the world go round." Winget on the other hand would disagree. He says, "What difference does it really make what people are doing as long as what needs to get done really gets done?" He goes on to add, "Don’t measure busywork. Don’t measure activity. Measure accomplishment. It doesn’t matter what people do as much as it matters what they get done."

This reminds me of a good friend I had in college that would cram the night before an exam and make the same grade if not better than I would after studying for two weeks. It drove me crazy but in the end the teacher didn’t care how much we studied. He just wanted to see how well we knew the information. The same is true in the workplace. We are not measured on how hard we work each day, we are measured by what we accomplish. Like it or not, there will always be those that can put in little effort and have great results, while some will put forth lots of effort to show the same results. I guess we just have to know our abilities and our limits.

After reading my last blog I realized I might be putting myself under a microscope. I’ve taken the risk of being known as the biggest hypocrite in the world by blogging on work if I don’t let my actions speak for themselves. Fortunately my wife is the only one that reads my blogs. Unfortunately she knows my work ethic around the house! It’s the end result honey, not the effort! So I guess that is my disclaimer. I’m not blogging on work in an effort to even attempt to sing my own praises but rather to just plant a few thoughts in the one or two minds that read this blog. But, more than anything maybe I’m just planting thoughts in my own mind. If nothing else, maybe I’ll think about all this the next time I try to skate by with little or no effort at work or attempt to just look busy! After all, the great John Wooden even said, "Never mistake activity for achievement."

I better get back to result producing work! Aspire to new heights.

Get to Work

2009-03-16T21:32:00.001-05:00

A friend and colleague gave me a book she said “I had to read!” The book is titled It’s Called Work for a Reason. If I didn’t know my colleague so well I would think she was trying to send me a message (so RG are you?). After reading more about the author, she may be trying to tell me something. You see, the author, Larry Winget and I have a lot in common, most notably we tend to, “let our mouths overload our butts,” as my high school football coach called it. In this book Winget tells it like it is. Not only do Winget and I both shave our heads, we obviously don’t mind sticking our costly boots in our mouth!

I’ve just started reading this book and I can’t put it down. Winget’s fluff cutting antics inspire me. Right off the bat he strikes a cord with me when he fires, “The bottom-line answer to every problem in business is this: People aren’t working!!” Preach on brother.

I’m a worker. I’ve always been a worker. My father instilled this mentality in me. I don’t know very many people that work any harder than my father and his brothers. They grew-up in a day and age on a small West Texas farm when you worked to make a living. You milked the cows before school and you drove the tractor until dark (while getting an education in-between). I know my life was far from difficult like theirs, but one thing my dad did expect was hard work. From nine to five he worked at a bank. So we primarily worked on the farm and ranch on the weekends and any time the bank was closed (Labor Day had an entirely different meaning in my family). In the summer we either got a job or we worked on the farm. Vacations pretty much amounted to a long weekend trip to Dallas to watch the Ranger’s play and a day at Six Flags.

I guess this is why Winget’s book really hits home with me. I love to read and I’ve read multiple leadership books, all of which have been somewhat helpful but they also contain hundreds of ideas (or fads) on how to be successful. It’s kind of like the diet craze. Each time a new book comes out containing a fad diet, millions buy it. Everyone is looking for the quick fix whether it relates to work or health. The last thing we want to hear is that we have to work for success.

The nice thing about hard work is that you don’t have to be the smartest man on the block, you don’t have to be the most educated, and you don’t have to be the most experienced. You can cover miles and miles of “resume red flags” with good old solid nine to five labor. Just don’t get discouraged by the occasional floater that rises to the top via other means. After all, even turds float! (look for my book on this leadership phenomenon in the future).

I can’t wait to read more of this book. I hope you don’t mind me sharing with you some of Winget’s rantings, and a few of mine. If nothing else I’m sure you’ve grown to expect it from me! Sorry again for the lapse in blogs. Hope to at least have one a week in the future. Work before blog, right?!! Aspire to new heights.

Humble, Radiant Hogg (Pig)

2009-03-04T19:54:00.002-06:00

I apologize for my recent hiatus. This has been an eventful month both at home and at work filled with sickness and increased workload. I could do without the sickness, but I’m enjoying the busy schedule. To be honest I poured myself into this blog during a time when I needed the therapy. Now I find myself rolling again, but I don’t want to neglect the joy I’ve found in writing my thoughts; just probably not as often as before. With that said, here goes nothing!

WORD SEARCH CONTINUED: HUMBLE

When my daughter Brynlee gets hooked on a movie she watches it until the DVD no longer functions. Right now she is on Barbie princess movies. Before that she was consumed by CARS. But before all the other movies there was Charlotte’s Web. Lucky for me this was during the time when we drove back-and-fourth from Lubbock to Houston for the holidays. I think I can quote this movie verbatim and I’ve never actually visibly seen the movie. You know you can learn a lot from a spider. After all she’s the one that said, “People are very gullible. They'll believe anything they see in print.” That’s why I blog!

In her search for words to describe Wilbur, and save him from ending up on a plate at the breakfast table, Charlotte tabs Wilbur as “humble.” Charlotte says, “Humble has two meanings. It means ‘not proud’ and ‘close to the ground.’ That's Wilbur all over.”

That’s who I want to be, a radiant, humble, Hogg! (Can you be radiant and humble?)

I’ve been reading a book by Stephen M.R. Covey called The Speed of Trust where he describes a humble person as someone that “is more concerned about what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having the ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution than being recognized for making it.” Wow, what a mouthful, but what a statement to live by. Covey goes on to say,

Being humble does not mean being weak, reticent, or self-effacing. It means recognizing principle and putting ahead of self. It means standing firmly for principle, even in the face of opposition. Humble people can negotiate intensely. They can drive hard bargains. They can express themselves firmly and clearly in intense situations in close personal relationships. But they do not get caught up in arrogance, bravado, manipulation, or win-lose power plays….Humble people also realize clearly that they do not stand alone, but rather on the shoulders of those who have gone before, and that they move upward only with the help of others.

Man I have a lot to learn and a long ways to go! I know who a few, and I mean a few, of my faithful readers are and I know they ALL agree with me, especially when it comes to being right (even though I’ve never been wrong!). To be honest I’m not sure I’m not everything negative in Covey’s first statement. I like to be right. I like to have good ideas. I like to stand by my beliefs. I like to be recognized. Ouch. The scary thing is we will all be humbled at some point in time. As Jesus said in Luke 14:11, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

So, starting today, I’m going to strive to be “more concerned about what is right rather than being right.” I’m going to focus more on action rather than ideas. I’m going to be open to new ideas. I’m determined to be more about “we” than “I”. And I’m going to recognize contribution from others and not worry about personal recognition.

I hope you will join me. Aspire to new heights!

The Write Way

2009-02-17T18:53:00.001-06:00

What do you think is the most popular form of communication today? I read somewhere that an overwhelming majority of Americans (90%) prefer to use email as their primary form of communication. I must admit I did not, and really do not, believe the percentage is that high. However, there is no doubt email and text messaging are growing in popularity. Don’t believe me? Take a look at those around you. Don’t have a smart phone? You are definitely in the minority.

But what does this mean about the new generation? What is the world coming to when a text message or email can replace a simple phone call, or better yet, a face-to-face conversation? As much as I would like to take the high road, I cannot. I’m not completely innocent. I was just as excited as the next guy when I got a smart phone. My wife says I will get up in the middle of the night to read an email! If you can’t beat them, join them! So, instead of changing I decided to get her a Blackberry! Now I’m the one telling her to put down the phone!

To be honest, I look at this modern day form of communication as a good thing, if you choose to be different. The best way to rise above those around you is to just be different. That’s what Peyton Manning has decided to do. Last week I was watching an Outside the Lines special on ESPN about Manning. Since his entry to the NFL, Manning has hand wrote letters of appreciation to players he respected that are retiring from the league. During the show, a number of them commented on how much they appreciated the hand written note. The “hand written note.” There’s a concept; a lost art if you will.

Like I said, I’m not above reproach here. However, I’m smart enough to know that if you truly want to show someone you care and that you are different than every other emailing, text messaging, techno freak out there, you have to put it on paper! I probably have the worst handwriting in the world. Man my penmanship is horrific. It’s so bad I actually have to print. However, it’s the thought that counts! Right? I hope. None-the-less, I try every chance I get to show my appreciation for those I’m involved with, both personally and professionally, with a handwritten note. I guess I learned from the best. Every time I returned to school after a visit I would open my bag to find a note or two from my mother. The trend still continues through my wife. Every time I go on a mission trip she leaves me notes to let me know she is praying for me and that she is proud of me.

Peyton Manning is one of those guys, like Kurt Warner that I talked about last week. In this world of media scrutiny I honestly cannot remember ever hearing a negative story about Manning. He’s another example we should all try to follow. So the next time you want to show someone they mean something to you, don’t take it from me, take it from Manning and drop them a note, on paper! Aspire to new heights.

The Thunder Rolls

2009-02-15T15:54:00.003-06:00

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns

Have you ever had a week when a song just speaks to you? This past weeks was one of those for me and this song says it best. I’ve cried out to God and the thunder continues to roll but I can hear His voice in the distance and I know He is by my side. You see, as I write this blog I find myself wide awake at 3:00 a.m. (or at least awake). Every once in a while you have one of those days, or weeks, where it just seems like things could not get any worse. Over the past 10 days we have had a plethora of sickness in the Hogg home. Brynlee is on the down hill stretch of a cold that was accompanied by a massive cough that kept her up several nights in a row. Last week Becton had the stomach bug and was kind enough to give it to me. Now Kacee is on her fourth day of a bacterial infection that has major side effects like nausea, high fever, and chills. After recovering from his stomach bug Becton picked up Brynlee’s cold and cough and he still has a ways to go before he recovers.

I’m so thankful that we live in Lubbock and that grandparents are nearby. I don’t know any way I could survive without them. Kacee is locked up in her parent’s house and the rest of us rotate kids so that we can sleep every other night. Now you see why this Casting Crowns song speaks to me in this moment. It’s moments like this that we draw close to God, many times to make accusations. Heck, I’ll be the first to admit I rarely look a trial in the face and say, “God thank you for making me stronger!” No, usually I’m the first to say, “Why me? What have I done to deserve this?”

I’m reminded of Paul, and the “thorn in his side.”

2 Corinthinas 11:23-27 “…I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “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.”

I could not have said it any better. I know in my weakness comes greater faith. That doesn’t make it any easier. However, one does not have to look far to see that their “thorn” is far less severe than the “thorn” in the side of others. And it is for that very reason that “I will praise You in the storm.” Aspire to new heights.

A 30th worth remembering

2009-02-12T20:38:00.002-06:00

If I told you we were all work and no play while living in Romania, I would be lying. Kacee and I both agreed that this was a chance of a lifetime on many fronts and we were not going to miss a one of them. So we sat aside a portion of our savings to make sure we saw as much of Europe as we could. One of my favorite trips was snow skiing in Davos, Switzerland. It was actually my 30th birthday (four years ago today) and Kacee decided this was a great way to celebrate. It was only about 12 hours drive from Timisoara and we had a team meeting in Budapest to attend a few days before. This only left eight hours on the road. The drive was picturesque. It was crazy but we actually spent as much time driving in tunnels through the mountains as we did on the road.

It’s a good thing the sights were worth seeing because the skiing was more than this flatlander could handle. Let’s put it this way; the Alps made Ruidoso look like a hill in the Texas Hill Country. The skiing was so, so hard. A green was as hard as any black I’ve gone down. Consequently, we asked for a reimbursement on our three day rental and just used one day! None-the-less we truly enjoyed walking around this skiing village. It is a trip I will not soon forget. Who knows, 40 is not that far away! Enjoy the pics. Aspire to new heights.

Role Model

2009-02-10T21:01:00.002-06:00

Who did you look up to growing up? Was it an athlete? How about a movie star? Maybe it was just a common, down-to-earth person from your home town. Were they a positive role model or a negative role model? Did your perception change about them as you grew up? I must confess I’ve changed my opinion about a number of my role models as I’ve grown up and matured. Unfortunately sometimes they give us no choice.

Dr. Robyn Silverman describes role models as “people who others imitate, emulate or look to for guidance. There are good role models who inspire greatness in others and bad role models who are what we call ‘bad influences.’” Dictionary.com defines a role model as “a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, esp. by younger people.”

So who do you think is a better modern day role model, Alex Rodriguez, Michael Phelps, or Kurt Warner? All three are a success in their sport. All three are examples, one positive and two negative. So who would you want your kids to look up to?

As a Texas Rangers fan I was somewhat an A-Rod fan (thought I though he was grossly over paid. With all the scandal surrounding Barry Bonds I had hoped A-Rod would break all his homerun records. Now, he’s no better than Bonds other than the fact that he admitted his use and chalked it up to being young and stupid.

I must also admit I rooted for Phelps to win all eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics. It was definitely the “feel good” story America needed this summer. Imagine the dejection millions of people are now feeling after seeing the pictures of Phelps smoking a marijuana pipe on YouTube.

Kurt Warner on the other hand has always been above reproach. Known for his rise from grocery store stock boy to Super Bowl MVP, Warner has always professed his faith in Christ and his actions prove what he believes. Whether he is stocking shelves or confusing defenses Warner has served as the perfect role model. I was so disappointed that Warner was not able to win another Super Bowl.

Honestly super star athletes serving as bad role models is nothing new to the industry. Long before my time, athletes were having inappropriate relationships on the road, consuming mass quantities of alcohol and drugs, and attempting to win at all cost (don’t believe me, check out the MLB steroid scandal). What seems to be more disappointing than anything is the attention media provides for the “bad” role models and how little press the “good” role models get (again, check out ESPN for proof). A portion of my doctoral dissertation was on perception verse reality. I don’t want to bore you with my findings and I would have to find my dissertation to do so (I think it is a door stop somewhere in our house), but, in a nutshell, perception is rarely equal to reality. Sure our country has serious moral issues, but we rarely hear of those living above reproach like Kurt Warner and Tim Tebow.

I’m not sure what we can do to change this. I’m not even sure what I’m writing about. Isn’t that what blogging is all about? Providing me with a platform to rave on and on about something I have little if any knowledge of? Maybe not, but that seems to be what others do!

Honestly I just wanted to give a shout out to Kurt Warner. He’s a good example of someone “pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.” In this day and age with all of the negativity maybe we can learn something from him. Aspire to new heights.

Mother’s Day Out

2009-02-08T18:08:00.000-06:00

I once made the mistake of saying I was babysitting for Kacee. Notice I said once! I’m certain I’ve made a million mistakes and I have a million more ahead of me. However, you won’t catch me saying I’m babysitting my own kids again. And I definitely will not refer to it as “my wife’s day off!” Regardless of my poor choice of words, I did take care of Brynlee and Becton this weekend. It is days like this that help me understand what a sweet, patient wife I have!

Brynlee and Becton have booth been under the weather. Becton has had the stomach bug and Brynlee woke Saturday with a terrible cold. It just so happens this coincided with a baby shower and funeral Kacee needed to attend. With that “deer in the headlights look” we waved good bye to Kacee as she drove down the drive. It was not until the end of the day that I realized how brave she was to return. This must be what unconditional love is! I do not attribute this to high maintenance children (and if they are, I made them this way). No, the greatest problem is definitely my lack of patience.

Please know I’m not writing to criticize my children, my wife, or even myself (though I probably need it). My true reasoning is to sing the praises of my wife. I’m as guilty as the next person for not giving credit where credit is due for a stay at home mom. All too often we (speaking of myself) look at this as their job. I’ve even made the mistake of saying she does not need a “day off!” I was right, she doesn’t deserve a day off, she deserves a month!

I’ve always wondered why we tab one day a year to celebrate Mother’s Day. Our mothers are so instrumental in who we are and who we will become. They deserve more than one day’s recognition. There is no way I could do what I do every day if I did not have mothers and grandmothers doing what they do to help raise my children. So the next chance you get, thank your wife and you’re your mother for what they have done in your life. I know I don’t thank mine near enough. Thank you MeeMaw. Thank you MeeMee. Thank you Mommy! Aspire to new heights. I know I will because of these ladies.

The Snipe Hunt Goes International

2009-02-05T17:01:00.003-06:00

I’m sure most of you, especially those from the South, remember your introduction to snipe hunting. For many of us this was a ritual or orientation to high school. The best thing about a snipe hunt was the anticipation of taking the next group on their hunt. But what exactly is a snipe? According to Wilkepedia,

A snipe hunt is one of a class of practical jokes that involves experienced people making fun of newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task. The origin of the term is a practical joke where inexperienced campers are told about a bird or animal called the snipe as well as a usually ridiculous method of catching it, such as running around the woods carrying a bag or making strange noises. In the most popular version of the snipe hunt, especially in the American South, a newcomer is taken deep into the woods late at night and told to make a clucking noise while holding a large sack. The others, who are in on the joke, say that they will go around the snipes and push them back toward the hunter. The frightened snipes, they say, will be attracted to the clucking noise and easily caught in the bag. The newcomer is then simply left in the dark forest, eventually to realize his gullibility and find his way home or back to camp.

My good friend Todd Long had developed a great student ministry in Timisoara. Occasionally I would join them for events or retreats. Being from the South as well, Todd and I decided we would take the boys to a local village for fun and games, hot dogs, and smores. Some how we even decided the boys needed to be introduced to the tradition of snipe hunting. For weeks Todd and I talked and talked about the great snipe hunt. After a while this story grew legs of its own. The snipe slowly took shape and they had a visual image in their mind of the “thing” they were going to catch. Funny enough, Raol, the team leader, was probably more excited than all the others put together.

Finally the day of the great hunt came. We had a wonderful day of playing soccer, trying to teach flag football, and eating. As the sun began to set we passed out the yellow plastic Billa shopping bags (as if it would hold a bird). Each boy was given a flashlight and sent on their way. We even offered a $100 reward for the first snipe. This just added fuel to the fire. They ran all over that village looking for the birds. They were kicking over mounds of dirt, looking under logs, climbing trees, all in an effort to win the prize.

Unfortunately the sun sat without a single snipe being caught. We gathered the boys around the camp fire to cook smores. They were so dejected, but not near as dejected as they were once I told them the truth! You would have thought we had kissed their sister they were so mad! We did share with them a Bible passage on being deceived and we tried to make a lesson of it. However, it was not until we told them that they could carry on the tradition of snipe hunting by doing it to others that they forgave us.

Everyone seemed to let this event go after a few days; everyone except Raol that is. He was determined to prove us wrong and save face. After all, he was their leader and he had been duped. Much to my amazement he shows up one day for lunch with an article from ESPN on an actual snipe bird. Apparently a snipe is a member of the shorebird family. It is difficult to catch for experienced hunters and the word “sniper” is derived from it to refer to anyone skilled enough to shoot one!

I’m not sure if these boys have continued the snipe hunting tradition, and unfortunately we lost Raol last year in a terrible car accident. But this is one day that will go down in my book of memories forever.

Aspire to new heights.

Hold You

2009-02-03T22:08:00.004-06:00

Kids say the cutest things. Living with a 2 ½ year old is never dull. Oh how often I wonder what is going through her thought process. There is no greater reward than returning home after a long day to the welcoming arms of a child, especially after a long trip. Earlier this week I returned home from a long-weekend trip to Honduras. As she always does, my daughter greeted me at the door with a hug and a kiss and an immediate request of “hold you.” Whenever she wants me to hold her she asks in a sweet, innocent voice, “Hold you.” As if she could actually hold me! None-the-less I always comply.

My daughter and son are both lucky. Not because they have me as a father, but rather because they have someone to hold them. I was reminded of this blessing during my time in Honduras. It was our first stop at Nueva Esperanza that we were introduced to 20 plus infants (0-4) with two caregivers. All ten of us did our best to comply with the cries to be held. Many of us held two at a time. Unfortunately this was only temporary. After 20 minutes we had to place the kids back in their cribs and leave. There was not a dry eye in the group, including the children.

There are 150 million orphans in the world, each with a name, each with a longing to be held. For those of you that are parents and grandparents, the thought of a child with anyone to hold them is heartbreaking. My love and passion for the orphans of the world came long before I was a parent. However, my broken heart came on my first trip after becoming a father. On that very day your perception is completely changed. We’ve had a rough year in the Hogg home. My daughter had tubes put in her ears and my son had RSV and spent a week in the hospital. The doctors and nurses provided excellent care, but the greatest medicine seemed to be the love of a mother or father as we held them tight and kissed them on the head.

Don’t you think every child has the right to be held? I do. And I think Jesus did as well. In the book of Matthew he actually placed his hands on a child and mandated "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (19:14)

I’m reminded of a week I spent in Latvia. This trip was especially special because we actually stayed in the orphanage. Each night we would read a book to the kids and join them in prayer time before tucking them into bed. One would think a child would grow out of wanting to be held. But for one that has never been held that desire never goes away. Every night for a week I actually held a 15 year old boy by the name of Janis and rocked him to sleep as we told stories and sang songs.

So how do we fulfill this desire? One child at a time. At Nueva Esperanza Buckner is attempting to raise support to pay women from the local church to spend a few hours a day in the orphanage holding children. We already have a similar ministry in Russia. What an amazing ministry. Not only are you providing supplemental income for women in need, but you are providing loving arms to hold a child. Father Buckner would be proud. If you have any interest in supporting this program or personally going to hold a child, shoot me an email at jhogg@buckner.org. As a former colleague of mine once said, “All you need to go on a mission trip is two arms to hold.”

Holding on for Him. JH

Aspire to new heights.

Word Search Continued

2009-02-01T21:47:00.002-06:00

As I said in my blog entitled Flyin’ High (January 11, 2009), my wife inspired me with her blog on selecting one word to describe yourself for the year. Unfortunately I’m very indecisive and have had a hard time narrowing down my selection. I started with a list of several hundred. I think I’m down to 20 or so (but the list keeps growing). To help me pick I’ve decided to blog on those that seem relevant (what else would I blog on). Maybe that will help me narrow my selection.

EXPAND

We all (or most of us) remember the book by Bruce Wikinson titled The Prayer of Jabez. The entire short book focuses on 1 Chronicles 4:10, “Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

I’m not writing to debate the validity of this book, but I was reminded of Jabez and his prayer this weekend while traveling to Honduras with Buckner and a group from the Midland Christian festival Rock the Desert.

Over the past four years God has done wonders to broaden the horizon of this small town farm boy. As a matter of fact, my growth really began 10 plus years ago when my dad took me on my first mission trip to Romania and Russia. Until that time the biggest stretch I had experienced was moving to College Station (no Aggie jokes). What followed were short stints to Kenya, Guatemala, and numerous visits to Romania. On top of that we lived in Romania for a year and covered most of Europe during that time. I was even able to ski the Swiss Alps on my 30th birthday.

Since my employment with Buckner I have been blessed to visit Russia, Romania, Latvia, Guatemala, Mexico, Kenya, and now Honduras. Strange enough I probably read The Prayer of Jabez, and more than likely prayed the very same prayer, in 2000. Man how my territory has expanded since then.

For the first time in my life I’ve begun to look at “expansion” in an entirely different way. Sure my experiences have expanded the past 10 years by visiting a number of countries. Without a doubt my family has expanded the last four years with the addition of two little ones. My thought process has even expanded as I have been exposed to so many wonderful Buckner ministries. But is there more to this expansion thing? I’m starting to think there is.

To me, expansion should also mean getting out of our comfort zone. Visualize an old worn out sweatshirt. I have this yellow sweatshirt that is two sizes too big. I’ve owned it for over 10 years. I’m not sure why I bought it. It is so very ugly. I don’t think I ever wore it out of the house. However, I put it on every evening when I get home from work. Kacee hates it. I call it Ole’ Yeller. I even wore it when Becton was born (I was sick, cold, and I had it in my bag). If Kacee believed she could get away with it I know she would throw it away. Anyhow, I digress. Over time this shirt has stretched and stretched to the point that it is a lot bigger than it once was. However, I’ve never noticed (maybe because I’m a lot bigger than I used to be as well). None-the-less it is still the same shirt. Our comfort zone is somewhat the same way. It slowly stretches with a few little things here and there, but we really never realize it is expanding. That is good. A little stretching does us all some good. As we grow, so grows our comfort zone.

As good as a little stretching is for our personal development an occasional expansion beyond just a little stretch will do us all some good. As Brennan Manning once said, “If we are going to keep on growing, we must keep on risking failure throughout our lives.” Why not take a risk? Do something you would never do in a million years. Follow a dream you’ve had for ever. Take that leap of faith.

Expansion may be my favorite “word of the year” yet. Unlike Ole’ Yeller it just seems to fit for the place I find myself today. Maybe you should join me. If we all wore ugly yellow sweatshirts no one would think anything of it.

Stretch on! Aspire to new heights.

In the Dark

2009-01-29T17:45:00.000-06:00

Dictionary.com defines culture shock as “a state of bewilderment and distress experienced by an individual who is suddenly exposed to a new, strange, or foreign social and cultural environment.” During our time in Romania, Kacee and I both had our share of bewilderment and distress! As I’ve said before, “if we had a dollar for every time we asked ‘why,’ then we would have been able to stay a second year for free.” Probably the greatest advice we received prior to our departure was from our friend and mentor Teri McCarthy; “When something seems odd or different than you are accustomed to, just remember, it’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just different.”

I’m sure I could blog on a weekly basis for at least a year on our culture shock. Where to begin? I guess the logical place would be the first case we (Kacee) came down with. She has been begging me for weeks to blog on her first case of culture shock anyhow. For those of you that know me, you know that I would never attempt to get a laugh at someone else’s expense, especially my wife! However, she has just begged and begged. So to make her happy I will share it with you guys.

After living in Romania for about three weeks the wheels came off a bit. To set the stage let me tell you a bit about our first apartment. It was a one bedroom, one bath apartment with a small kitchen and living area. It was furnished with aged furniture (putting it nicely). I still remember watching the Olympics on our 15 inch black and white T.V. with rabbit ears. Now Kacee and I are not needy, needy people, but the floors were not quiet up to our standard to say the least. They were wood and you could almost grow vegetables in the cracks. We were on the first floor so we really didn’t want to open our windows because they were eye level to those on the sidewalk. Did I mention we did not have AC? We also did not have a washing machine, so we washed clothes in the bathtub. Got the picture yet?

To make things worse, we were beginning to discover the true cost of living in Romania. We had based our budget on general assumptions from other professors living in Romania. However, Timisoara is further west and apparently the cost of living was a bit more that our colleagues. Out of a complete lack of judgment and sensitivity I shared my concerns with Kacee. So really I’m to blame for this culture shock. Mater of fact, I’m pretty sure I felt to blame for everything, including the relocation.

Looking back I’m not quiet sure why I was shocked to return home to a completely dark apartment. As mentioned above, we lived on the bottom floor so we usually kept our windows shut. Since we lived on the bottom floor our windows also had security shades that blocked out 100% of the light. It was no surprise the windows were closed, but I was a bit caught off guard that all the lights were off. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” I asked. “Because we don’t have any money to use the electricity,” Kacee said! (Ask a stupid question…) To know me and Kacee is to know that I sometimes (okay always) exaggerate things and Kacee sometimes (okay always) reacts accordingly. She calls this “adding spice to the story.” I obviously “added spice” to the fact that we had no money, and that things were going to be tight going forward. I can admit that today!

Looking back, we can have a big laugh (unfortunately at her expense). Funny thing is Kacee has always feared Teri would use her as an example when training new professors! Let me just say (covering my tale now) that I have the sweetest, most supportive wife in the world. Had I chose to move to some African village and live in a grass hut, Kacee would be by my side. We’ve been to Romania, Houston, and back and forth to Lubbock a number of times. She’s always been by my side as my biggest fan and supporter.

The truth of the matter is that Kacee and I both believe God never calls one member of a family without calling the entire family. When He called me to Romania, He called Kacee as well. That’s why we made such a good team. Thanks honey for your support (and the laugh)!

Aspire to new heights.

The Interest of Others

2009-01-27T17:28:00.002-06:00

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:1-8

Wilkepedia defines humility as “the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others.” In this day and age (dog eat dog world) it has become human nature to be the best (at all cost). Every day we see someone climbing the rungs of the corporate ladder via the knife in someone else’s back. This goes against the very nature of humility and the advice Paul gave the Church in Philippi; “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

According to the Roman Catholic theologian, poet, and writer, François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, (François Fénelon), “Humility is good in every situation, because it produces that teachable spirit which makes everything easy.” To be honest, if I had a name like him I would be humble as well! But he does make a good point. How much more likely are we to learn from an experience if we are humble? Experience has taught me that if I’m not humble God is good to humble me. There is such a fine line between arrogance, confidence, and humility; as there should be (at least the later two). We probably need a healthy, Christian mix of confidence and humility. Arrogance; however, we can probably do without. Seth Godin put it this way, “Confidence is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, particularly in marketing or investing. Arrogance, on the other hand, is hard to reward. My favorite combination is the quiet confidence of knowledge, combined with the humility that comes from realizing that you're pretty lucky and that you have no idea at all what's guaranteed to work tomorrow.”

So how do we find this healthy mix that will allow us to “look out for our own interests, while looking out for the interests of others?” Wilkepedia explained that legitimate Christian humility is comprised of the following behaviors and attitudes:

Submission to God and legitimate authority;
Recognition of the virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those which surpass one's own, and giving due honor and, when required, obeisance;
Recognition of the limits of one's talents, ability, or authority; and, not reaching for that which is beyond one's grasp.

So, as I continue my journey into 2009 in pursuit of the perfect word for the year, I cannot help but think (know) I have a long ways to go to become the humble person God designed me to be. Loosing all my hair was a good start! Living in a country where I didn’t speak the language was a big help as well. Having two kids is just icing on the cake! Just last night I got to paint my three year old daughter’s toe nails. God obviously has a sense of humor! Glad He is patient with me.

Aspire to new heights. Humbly yours, JH.

Just ANOTHER Word!

2009-01-25T18:59:00.001-06:00

ACTION

Have you ever heard the old saying, “I’m just getting my ducks in a row”? What exactly does that mean? The best explanation I could find online is the process of preparing for something; like lining up ducks for target practice. Personally I prefer to look at this statement to mean: 1) I can’t make up my mind, 2) I’m stalling, or 3) I’m very particular! This is obviously a very famous phrase. I Googled the phrase and found 20 plus blogs on the topic and several blog sites by this title.

For some reason I just can’t get beyond the notion that it is indicative of a lack of action. Man I just wish people would get off the couch already! Knowing that I’m a man of little patience helps explain why I have very little tolerance for lazy people. I’m a man of action and I like to see things happen and I like to make things happen. One of my all time favorite quotes is by author Seth Godin. He says, “Getting your ducks in a row is not nearly as powerful as actually doing something with your duck.”

All too often we spend so much time trying to make things exactly perfect that we miss out on the opportunity. Sure the temptation is to make sure that whatever we do is done the best way possible (and rightfully so). But what if this “strive for perfection” results in no action at all? John F. Kennedy observed, “There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

This year I want to be much better at seizing the moment when there is a window of opportunity. Nike was right on the money when they coined the phrase “Just Do It.” That phrase has remained at the forefront of their marketing strategy for years. Last year Buckner came up with “Go.Be.Do.” in an effort to encourage people to “Go Somewhere, Be a Voice, and Do Something.” God has blessed each one of us with the ability to do something. The question is “are we willing to do it?”

With the recent economical crisis the theme for most companies and families is “Do more with less.” Doing more is a good start. Doing anything is an even better start. That’s my goal for 2009. Aspire to new heights.

My “Own” Office

2009-01-22T19:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I told you my struggle to get prep time for the first day of class. I had hoped to be settled in my new office and working on lesson plans weeks before class started. Unfortunately, that was not reality. Fortunately, I did get an office the first day of class. Man was I excited to have a new office. So what if it was on the fifth floor of a five story building. And who cares if you don’t have an elevator. I need my exercise anyhow. And do you really need electricity or the internet? Not in this day and age. I will just charge my laptop at home during lunch (and climb the stairs again)! And I love those smoke filled internet cafés. What was important was the fact that I had my own desk.

That first morning, my friend Cosmin took me to my office. He made sure my key worked before wishing me well. I remember his final words as he left, “Looks like someone decorated for you! Enjoy.” At that point it did not register with me that I might be sharing an office. Guess I overlooked the fact that there were two desks in my office. Immediately I began to make myself at home. After all, I had lesson plans to prepare! In less than an hour I was able to clean out the “big desk” that for some strange reason was full of paper, pens, pencils, etc. I wonder why? By this time it was approaching lunch. Though we had been in Romania a month I was unable to muster up the courage to find the university cafeteria. Baby steps!

About an hour later (maybe two, it is Romania) I returned to “my office.” Now what happened next probably would have captured the attention of a normal person. However, I was so consumed with my new office and the hours of work I had ahead of me that I totally overlooked the fact that all of my stuff had been moved to the small desk. “Strange. Who would have done that? Oh well, might as well move it back!” Looking back I’m dumbfounded that it took meeting my office partner a few hours later for it to dawn on me that I was sharing this office! You know, that small desk wasn’t that bad after all.

Now the story would be funny if it ended here. However, it gets better! For weeks I went about my business working from the small desk. I would work in the morning, return home to charge my computer, teach class in the evening, and then return to my office to do more work. Now the office was a bit small so I didn’t leave a lot of things overnight. After all, I had to charge my computer at night! Now I’ve already labeled myself as a “less than observant person.” So it probably doesn’t strike you as strange that I didn’t realize things being moved around on my small desk. Sure I noticed a pencil moved occasionally; sometimes my books would be moved as well. However, I did have an office partner. Maybe he moved them. Wrong again!

Weeks into the semester I opened “our” office door only to find a small Romanian man sitting at “my desk.” How dare he? Maybe he was just waiting on my office partner. Wrong again. After several minutes of pointing, grunting, and broken English, and horrific Romanian, I discovered he was a part time professor. So it wasn’t that crazy that I didn’t notice his subtle changes to “our desk.” He only worked two days a week. I wonder what he thought about my stuff being there. Assuming he was more observant than me.

The great thing was he and I developed a neat relationship over time. It was great to learn about Romania, Timisoara, and the university from someone that had been there long before Communism fell. I’m glad I shared an office with both of my office partners. Think how boring and lonely it would have been otherwise! Life’s too short to spend it alone. Aspire to new heights. Have a great weekend.

What's in a word?

2009-01-20T22:57:00.001-06:00

As I said in my blog entitled Flyin’ High (January 11, 2009), my wife inspired me with her blog on selecting one word to describe yourself for the year. Unfortunately I’m a terrible picker. Sure I can pick my nose but I’ve never been able to pick a winning team (evident by my Ags), a career (evident by my resume), or my clothes (evident by my wife’s control of my wardrobe). Really the only thing I ever got right was picking a wife (I hope she agrees). From that point on she has done all the picking for me! Since she is not picking my “word of the year,” I’ve decided to pick several. I started with a list of several hundred. I think I’m down to 20 or so. To help me pick I’ve decided to blog on those that seem relevant for the day. Forgive me if I ramble. Maybe you can help me narrow them down.

WORD #1: WAIT

WAIT! Another four letter word for Christians. In a world where time is consumed like a prairie wildfire, waiting on the Lord can be excruciating. King David tells us, “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes wait for the Lord.”

I have always struggled with patience. I was ready to pack my bags and move to Romania after my first visit in 1999. However, God made me patiently wait until fulfilling this calling in 2004. When I asked Kacee to marry me I was ready that day. I couldn’t believe it could take a year to plan a wedding. Guess I should have asked a year earlier. And when Brynlee was born I was ready to get down on the floor and play with her. It took me weeks to resolve that she was just going to take a bottle, sleep, and go to the bathroom for months.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t pray for patience. God might grow you into a patient person.” I’ll be honest, I never prayed for patience, but my mother or wife or someone must have. Kacee would be the first to admit that the year we lived in Romania made me into the semi-patient man I am today.

If you were to ask me the greatest lesson I learned while living in Romania I would tell you that patience would be in my top three (remember I can’t pick). One would think this might be a jab in the face of my adopted Romanian family. On the contrary; I consider this one of the best things Romania has to offer and often long for the pace of life we lived in Romania.

When I think about waiting, as it relates to my life today, I think about God and his power. As I have said several times the last few weeks, I truly feel God stirring in my gut to do something awesome. The hard part is waiting to see what that is. Sure we all hope and long for God to do something great in our lives and there is no greater time to anticipate this than at the beginning of another year. So maybe I’m just one of “those people” waiting on God to do something amazing. Or even better; maybe I should always anticipate God doing something amazing. After all, He’s yet to disappoint.

So until He reveals His plans, or He comes back first, I will be waitin’ on the Lord. And, aspiring to new heights! Peace out.

To Change a Nation…

2009-01-18T19:41:00.001-06:00

Think of the three most influential people in your life. More than likely one of those three was an educator. Henry Adams once said “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” If this is true then how can we truly measure the value an educator has on a student? After all, lessons learned from an educational institution will determine who a person becomes. It is estimated that over 90 percent of world leaders and heads of state attended a university or an institution of higher learning. Imagine the difference in our world if these leaders had been taught by Christians presenting their disciplines from a biblical worldview. It was for this very reason that I chose to teach college in Romania. And it is why I continue to serve with the International Institute for Christian Studies as a member of the board.

I just returned from a wonderful weekend spent with my fellow IICS Board Members. It is always so refreshing to spend a few days with my friends and fellow servants. As always my favorite part of our time is reflecting upon the stories of lives changed the previous semester. Currently, more than 41 IICS professors from a broad range of disciplines teach in 18 nations around the world. As Dr. Charles Malik said, “The university is a clear-cut fulcrum with which to move the world. Change the university and you change the world.” To my knowledge IICS is the only organization in the world dedicated to using Christian professors in secular universities to shape these future leaders of the world.

The Vision of IICS
The IICS vision is that someday every university student in the world will have at least one instructor who will articulate and demonstrate the love and lordship of Jesus Christ for them.

The Mission of IICS - Develop Godly Leaders
The Mission of International Institute for Christian Studies is to bring glory to God and impact the world by developing godly leaders for every sector of society - government, business, home, church, the arts, law, the sciences, education - as we provide key universities and academic institutions with educational services and Christian faculty who teach and live in such a way as to draw others to faith and transformation in Christ.

The Method - Thinking Outside the Box
In a nutshell, IICS places college professors in secular universities (outside the U.S. and Canada) to teach in their discipline with the hopes that they will impact the future leaders of that country by leading them to Christ. In this world of “post denominational missions,” IICS is a mixture of “outside the box” missions that empowers future leaders of the world to have an impact on their own country via professors serving as career missionaries. To my knowledge there are no other agencies doing missions this way. According to Os Guinness, “The IICS work is one of the most extraordinary mission movements in the world today. It is costly, and often it will not see huge immediate returns, but it is a rare, farsighted and remarkable work that is sowing seeds of unimaginable significance.”

No doubt the harvest of the future is contingent upon the seeds we plant today. Thank you IICS and my 41 plus friends for doing your part. Is God calling you to be a seed planter?

To Change a Nation, Teach the Leaders.
To Teach the Leaders, Go to the Universities.

Aspire to new heights.

Think Backwards

2009-01-15T19:24:00.000-06:00

“Think Backwards!” At first glance it probably makes you think of someone that “beats to a different drum” or has a strange way of thinking. Though that may be true and I may have a “backwards” way of thinking, I’m speaking more in literal terms, more like the saying “hindsight is 20/20.”

As I continue to travel down memory lane and reflect upon our time in Romania I find myself discovering something about this experience, and life in general. Life is comprised of multiple parts (experiences); taken individually they may be meaningless; taken as a whole (our life) and they have a completely different meaning. For example, if you were to read my journal you would probably think our year in Romania had a lot of ups and downs. However, as I reflect upon individual experiences with the knowledge of our entire experience I realize how fulfilling that year was. I would not change a thing about that year and in many ways miss our time in Romania (I have my days where I want to be there)! I guess hindsight is 20/20!

One experience that jumped out at me today was our first day of class on October 1. Kacee and I took a giant leap of faith moving to Romania. We didn’t have a place to live, I didn’t know exactly what classes I would teach, and we didn’t even have a ticket home! Being the “western thinker” that I am, on top of my teaching experience, I had hoped to know my classes, know my students names, and know where I would teach the class weeks in advance. Unfortunately, October 1 arrived and I new nothing. I didn’t even have an office. So much for being prepared! My translator and contact at the university told me not to worry because the students usually did not arrive for the first few weeks of the semester anyhow!

Finally, after several days I discovered what classes I would teach and where they would be held. I even received my own office (a great story for another day). I spent several days working on my material, mostly at the internet café down the road. When the first day of class arrived I was prepared; somewhat.

What I had lost sight of was my true reason for being in Romania. Yes it was to teach agriculture. That was a huge priority. However, job number one was to build relationships with my students. I guess God figured the best way to do this was to take all of my plans and “file 13” (trash) them.

Looking back now I realize that the students that did attend (not mandatory) my class attended much for the same reason I moved to Romania; to get to know me. Consequently our classes took an entirely different approach. We spent as much time talking about America and Romania as we did agriculture. Now I know all of you have had that teacher or professor that you can just push one or two buttons and they will go off chasing rabbits for the entire allotted class time. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, that was me. Granted I had a responsibility to the university to teach my agriculture class, and I did teach. My hope is that all of my students would admit that they learned a lot about agriculture, education, and leadership. However, I hope many of them will admit they learned a lot about life, me, and for a handful, Jesus.

This is the great thing about God. All the planning in the world is worthless if it is not His plan. I guess I can see that now. At the time, Kacee would tell you I was a bit frustrated. Thank you God for always knowing the right plans.

Trust Him with your plans. Looking back you will be glad you did. Aspire to new heights.

Rate of Return: A new year, a new beginning.

2009-01-13T16:38:00.002-06:00

Have you ever found that God will use any and all means to speak to us when He wants to get his message across? Sometimes He even uses a preacher! I have to give props to my pastor Bruce Venable for drawing my attention to a story in the Seattle Times about Leon McLaughlin. McLaughlin’s story is amazing.

After a trip to Mexico, and an unlikely incident with a bathtub full of water, McLaughlin committed his life to providing fresh water to every person in the world. Surprisingly, he has had great success. Now partnering with World Vision he is on task to install his water filtration system in all 59 countries where World Vision works.

This is no doubt a feat that anyone would be proud to accomplish, especially while holding down a nine-to-five job. But even more amazing is that McLaughlin’s nine-to-five job is shining shoes! His downtown Seattle shoe shine stand serves as the corporate headquarters for his ministry; evident by the pictures from around the world above his stand.

The beginning of the year is no doubt a time to refocus our lives on that which is important to us and some things not so important that we feel necessary. Close to 50% of all Americans will make some sort of New Year’s resolution. Many will quit smoking on January 1. Even more will commit to exercising and loosing weight. Others recommit to reading their Bible or following a tight budget.

My New Year’s resolution is to increase the rate of return on one investment. The investment – me. The investor – God. The return – what I do with that investment. God has blessed all of us (or invested in us) with the ability to make a difference. For me personally I yearn, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “to leave the world a bit better.” I’m sure I’ve used this quote before so you will have to forgive me. However, I feel it is still relevant. In his book The Call, Os Guinness says, “Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fulfill a purpose bigger than ourselves…For each of us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are here to do, and why. But, nothing short of God’s call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for purpose…Calling is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.

I’m inspired by our shoe shining friend (I may even try to get a shine from him one day and pick his brain). Here is a guy that could be content shining shoes for $5 and boots for $8. Instead he shines shoes so that he can change the souls of others (I know, cheesy!). He has obviously found his true calling and in doing so he lives it out with a “special devotion and dynamism” evident by his “summons and service.”

Thank you Bruce and Leon for showing me what it means to follow His call. Now if I can just do the same. I know it will be a challenge. Only 60% of Americans keep their resolution past the first month. Close to 45% keep them six months. However, as my wife has tried to impress upon me, “this is not a ‘diet’ but rather a ‘lifestyle’ change!”

Blessings to you as you seek to make a lifestyle change. Aspire to new heights.

Flyin' High

2009-01-11T19:19:00.002-06:00

I’m so proud of my wife. Though she never gives herself enough credit, she is actually a pretty good writer, as evident by her most recent blog on her "word for the year." Apparently you select one word to describe yourself for the upcoming year. You can go to her blog to read the entire post and learn more about this process. But is was her word and reasoning that truly inspired me. Kacee picked FLY as her word for 2009. To you and me this is just another word. Maybe it is the act of levitating or maybe it is that pesky little thing that won’t get off your food. But to Kacee it means much more.

She explains, “Where I grew up will always be home. It will always be where my heart is. It is where I find comfort. Where I find family. And friends. And security. I had never moved away, not even for college, but in 2004, Jon and I made a huge leap and moved to Romania…I learned more about myself than I had ever learned before. Now please don't get me wrong, you do not have to move anywhere to open your eyes and have a world view, but for me that is what it took. I want to be home,” she goes on to clarify. “This is where my roots are. I want to live here. But no matter where I live I have such a deep desire to also have wings and FLY…I do not want to be close minded about things. I want to learn. I want adventure. I want to be positive. I want to take chances and explore. I want to try new things and do the things I have said I would do for years.”

Kacee’s blog truly made me begin my search for 2009, not only for my word of the year (still have 10 plus to narrow down from), but even more, how I would make this my best year ever. To me, flying means much more than just leaving the comforts of “home” and traveling the world. Flying means leaving the comforts of our life and taking risks. This is something I’m not always that good at doing. Even when we moved to Romania I had a T.V., Playstation, car, computer, cell phone, and so much more. I’m not sure I left my comfort zone or if I just took my comfort zone with me!

I have the privilege of talking (or listening!) to Kacee each day so I have an even greater understanding of what her intentions were in her blog. Therefore, I must give her credit for inspiring me, both from her blog and from our conversations. A wise man once told me that you will never be any better than your wife inspires you to be. I’m so blessed to have a wife that inspires me to be a better father, husband, and all around person.

I do not know what 2009 holds for me or my family. I can honestly say I feel God stirring deep in my gut. Because of that I truly believe great things are yet to come for me, my career, and my family. I cannot wait to see what He has in store for us this year. I’m sure I could put Him in a “box” and put parameters on what He can do this year. That’s the temptation. However, until I know His exact will I’m going to make every effort to “fly” a little bit more in everything I do. Anything less and I would be selling myself short, and God.

Aspire to new “flying” heights! Blessings.

The Fork

2009-01-08T18:10:00.001-06:00

As I was thinking about my Romanian adventure blog for this week it dawned on me that I probably never shared our story as to why we even moved to Romania. Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” My life has been full of forks. There have been so many forks in our life we almost have an entire place setting. Maybe I should start by taking a few steps pack, to set the stage.

After graduating with my master’s degree I decided to try my hand at the family business. So I moved home, bought a trailer house (no jokes) and prepared for my future in banking. It didn’t take long for me to realize that a small town was not the place for a recent college graduate with a girlfriend miles away. After one year I decided to return to school and work on my doctorate. But before I could leave, God planted a seed in my life that continues to grow to fruition. My father and a group of men invited me to travel with them to Romania and Russia on a fact finding mission. This trip changed my life forever. I knew God was calling me to live in Romania; I just didn’t know when or how. Each semester break I would return to Romania to do mission work.

However, after finishing my doctorate I had a momentary lapse of sanity and decided to try my hand at banking again. Things went much better for three years but I knew something was missing. Finally, after months of deliberation we sold the family business. I was completely at a loss. What was I going to do with a degree in animal science and two degrees in agricultural education, plus four years of banking experience and a love for Romania? Enter the International Institute for Christian Studies. One day I received a call from an acquaintance asking for the contact information of a mutual friend that lived in Romania. It seems the acquaintance had a family friend that was moving to Romania to teach college. Come again? By the end of the conversation I learned of IICS that sends college professors to third world countries to teach in their discipline in an effort to reach the future leaders of said country.

It was at this point that God was so in control of every minor detail that Kacee and I could not question His call. We stormed through the application process. We even flew through the fundraising process in less than six months. Even more amazing was the fact that our house sold “for sale by owner” in two days, for a profit! After a week long check out trip to Romania I signed a contract with the University of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Banat Timisoara in Timisoara, Romania. A few months later we put everything we owned into storage and boarded a plane with way too much luggage and moved to Romania.

What did I learn from this adventure? Guess you will have to tune in next Friday to fin out! Until then, aspire to new heights.

Was the Grinch onto something?

2009-01-06T17:24:00.000-06:00

As I said in my last blog; “I can be a bit of a Grinch when it comes to Christmas.” Fortunately the addition of kids has made me much better, but I have a ways to go! This year, as I paused to reflect upon what Christmas meant to me, I discovered my heart had become somewhat cold and callous. My obsession with the commercialism of Christmas had caused me to overlook the joy that can still come from giving a gift from the heart. This was never more apparent than this year as my daughter Brynlee celebrated her third Christmas.

More than ever before I anticipated Christmas morning, not for the gifts I would receive, but rather the look on Brynlee’s face when she saw her new kitchen delivered straight from the North Pole. But, much to my dismay, the harder we tried to impress her with presents the more impressed she became with the wrapped presents under the tree, or “my present” as she so affectionately refereed to them! She stormed right through her gifts and moved right on to her little brothers! Kind of makes you wonder whether the emphasis should truly be on the physical gift itself or just the act of giving (or receiving for Brynlee). After all, the central theme to Christmas is both receiving and giving. How often do we lose sight of this?

Perfecting the art of giving should be a top priority in our lives. However, developing a giving heart seems to be secondary to greed and the lust for more. In this world of excess, today’s role models like Britney Spears, Adam “Pacman” Jones, Lindsey Lohan, and Michael Vick give more to the Department of Justice than they do to UNICEF. Just once you would like to find a positive role model that gives out of the kindness of their heart rather than obligation. But if we truly value what has been given to us one would believe we would want to give something in return. Jesus did say, “To whom much is given, much will be expected.”

Giving to others as a result of the fullness we feel from receipt of a gift is true generosity, not obligation giving. It's the natural process of recognizing what we have been given and then sharing it. The Christian knows to serve the weak not because they deserve it but because God extended his love to us when we deserved the opposite. In his second book to the Church in Corinth Paul explained, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (v. 7). He goes on to say “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (v. 12).

For me one of the greatest gifts I ever received was from someone that I did not even know. After speaking at a local church during one of my visits to Romania a generous couple invited me to their home for lunch. Knowing that Romanians are notorious for their hospitality and that they will sacrifice a month’s wages just to make sure you have a quality meal while visiting their home I kindly accepted their invitation. For almost two hours this Romanian family treated me like a king, feeding me more than I would normally eat in an entire day. With each bite my heart would break a little more knowing the sacrifices that were made. Though this gift of hospitality was far less valuable financially than many gifts I have received, the true value was worth more than a month’s salary to me.

In honor of this sweet Romanian couple I’m going to resolve to give more from the heart in 2009. This year I want to prove that I do believe that it is better to give than to receive. And why not? Even the Grinch realized this, right before his heart grew three sizes: “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”

Here’s to a productive 2009. Blessings to you and your family. Aspire to new heights!

Holiday Hangover

2009-01-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

Consider this good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it; it’s only 355 days until Christmas! We are almost two weeks removed from the most anticipated and lived for holiday of the year and many are already making plans for next year (Yes Kacee I’m talking about you!). For me, however, I cannot begin to think about next Christmas. How could I? I still have a severe pain in my lower back from taking down lights, storing the tree, and making 20 plus trips to storage. Monday is my first official day of work in 2009 and we still have Christmas presents stacked in every corner of the house. With so much to play with Brynlee still insists on pushing the same button over and over on her toy computer (which causes the monkey to make the same sound over and over!). Pardon me for not thinking about Christmas 2009; I’m having a hard time getting over this year!

You will have to forgive my negative attitude. Kacee has accused me of being the Grinch himself on more than one occasion. There’s just something about the commercialism of Christmas that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it’s one too many “black Fridays.” Or maybe it’s the overemphasis of the “Holiday Season” and a lack of emphasis on the true meaning of Christmas. Whatever the reason I occasionally have to check the mirror to make sure I’m not turning green and growing long hair all over my body.

I’m reminded of a story I once heard about two ladies who were walking through the mall a few weeks before Christmas. As they peered into the window of a store garnered with nativity scenes, one friend said to the other, “I’m so sick of religion trying to horn in on my Christmas!” As funny as this story may sound, it may be closer to the truth than we want to admit. Consider this, since 1997, Holiday retail sales have increased an average of 15 million dollars a year. In 2007 record sales neared 470 billion dollars. That means on average, most consumers spent 816 dollars on holiday-related shopping this season. Compare these numbers to the estimated 275 billion dollars Americans gave to charity last year. That’s almost half as much as we spent on Christmas alone.

Regardless of my “poor” Christmas spirit, I have to be honest; I love presents (Don’t tell Kacee, I have a reputation to protect). But who doesn’t like getting presents? Not a single one of us, not even the Grinch himself, would want to get rid of presents. This year marked my 33rd Christmas and I still receive the same warmth in my heart when my mom passes out presents that I did 20 years ago.

But what about giving presents? At what point in our life do we feel this same warmth in our heart from giving a present that we have when we receive a present? Jesus, after all, did say "It is more blessed to give than to receive." However, faced with a holiday season that's too often fraught with chaos, stress, waste, and debt, it's easy to lose track of the pleasure and meaning of giving. At its core, the exchange of gifts should be a joyous ritual. Those neck ties, iPods, and tennis bracelets we bestow upon loved ones should serve as an acknowledgment of admiration and appreciation. Unfortunately, to many, gift giving has grown to represent the headache accompanied with the chore of finding something for someone that already has everything.

Most people would agree that when they feel gratitude for what they have received, they have an experience of fullness. From that fullness, you naturally want to give back. Based upon the one “true gift” God gave us, do we not have a responsibility to give to others? Or, to put it boldly, if we do not honor our Giver by giving to others, then maybe we never truly accepted His gift. As a believer, if we truly comprehend what Christ has done for us, then surely out of gratitude we will strive to show that same love to others.

More on this in a few days. Until then, welcome to 2009. Aspire to new heights!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-21T20:57:00.004-06:00

I’ve had a blast blogging the last few weeks and I look forward to 2009. Until then, Merry Christmas from the Hoggs.

Aspire to new heights.

Romanian Journey

2008-12-18T20:47:00.002-06:00

During our stint in Romania with IICS in 2004 blogs did not exist or were not that popular, and even if they were, internet access was another subject in itself. What I did keep was a daily journal of this memorable journey. I never had much use for the journal other than our monthly newsletters; however, with my new blog I’ve decided to post once a week on our journey. I hope you do not mind.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE (TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP)

Some of my most memorable moments in Romania were in the villages. Our home away from home was Susani, a small village with approximately 300 residents. This village is home to two of my closest friends Daniel Olariu and Ovidiu Patrick. Daniel is a local farmer, business man, and jack of all trades. Ovidiu is the local pastor. Visiting Susani is like taking a step back in time. There is not a single paved road in the village. Residents live in small homes with a large garden out back. The coolest thing is seeing the livestock grazing in the fields nearby, open range.

Each year after it turns cold families return to the villages to visit family and to process meat for the coming winter. This is where the ride in the time machine begins. We processed the animals the old fashioned way. I will save you the details but it pretty much involves an axe, knife, a tree and rope. At the end of the day they have a bucket full of meat to either be smoked or salted that will last the year.

Romanians are event oriented and this is definitely an event for the ages. Everyone returns to the villages and they have a large feast. Kacee and I were fortunate enough to “enjoy” this feast. We had pan fried liver and lungs, brain, pork, bread, and pickles. Kacee and I mostly had pork and bread. I did try the lungs and liver but I have had brain before and I chose not to try it again.

Most people would get wrapped up in this process and how archaic it is, as well as how unpleasant the brains, liver, and lungs were. But if you truly look beyond this you find yourself a culture steeped with tradition and appreciation for quality time together. This was one of the first things I grew to appreciate about Romania and still miss to this day. All too often I find myself consumed with speed and productivity. We miss so many opportunities in life for fellowship and relationship building.

No doubt one does not have to travel to a village half-way around the world to experience these things. And there is no better time than Christmas to refocus on family and traditions. I hope you find what you are looking for in the next few weeks.

Aspire to new heights.

Plantin’ Chickens

2008-12-16T20:34:00.001-06:00

Many of my Aggie friends take offense to the numerous Aggie jokes told around the world. I however, both, find the humor, and realize the free publicity A&M receives from these jokes. One of my favorites is about an Aggie that decided to raise chickens. He goes to the feed store and buys some chicks. He takes the chicks home, and plants them with their heads sticking up. He waters them, but they die. He goes back to the feed store and tells the proprietor that he bought defective chicks, and gets another set. This time he plants them with their heads sticking down. He waters them, but they die. He then sends a letter to his Alma Mater, describing the problem. They send a letter back asking for a soil sample.

Guess this is a case of agriculture confusion. I’m reminded of another story of a close female friend (you know who you are) that proceeded to argue with me that square bales of hay could not be “bales” of hay; they were shaped nothing like a “bell.” Apparently she always thought a “round bale” of hay was called a bale because of its shape! But probably my favorite example of agriculture confusion was when a member of my Sunday school class in Houston told me how much he liked my cowboy boots. He then proceeded to ask if they were CACTUS. Of course they were not cactus but rather ostrich!

As Will Rogers once said, “Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects.” It just seems a greater percentage of our population lacks sufficient knowledge related to agriculture. Now, I don’t want to beat a dead dog. I already made a case for Agricultural Literacy in my last blog. However, I do want to focus a bit more on the value agriculture could have around the world.

According to World Vision, “Close to 799 million people go to bed hungry each night — most of them women and children and more than 153 million children below the age of 5 are underweight.” They go on to say that, “Reducing malnutrition among children under age 5 in poor countries can decrease child mortality by 20 percent.”

Research from the Penn State University estimates that “two-thirds of the Third World Population draws a living directly from agriculture; meaning 60% of the absolute poor in Third World are farmers.

Even a dumb ole’ Aggie could conclude that with over half the Third World being farmers we should be doing a better job of empowering them to feed themselves and the world. Dr. Norman Borlaug, senior consultant and 1970 Nobel laureate once said, "Agriculture is the engine that stimulates change in rural development. A farmer's neighbors come to see the results of using new methods, and a village is transformed very quickly."

It’s easy for me to say this, but much more difficult to conclude HOW we can reach these farmers. That is where you come in! I hope you will join me in starting a discussion on how we can join together to change the world. I hope to hear from you.

Aspire to new heights!