I am glad to have been caught in the reckless raging fury that they call the love of God.
--Rich Mullens
Salvation is all about letting yourself get wrapped up in the love of God.
God created us so He could be in relationship with us (Genesis 1:26 and 27).
Unfortunately we blew it (Genesis 3).
To bring us back into releationship God sent his Son Jesus (or Yeshua in Hebrew): John 3:16.
Jesus lived a perfect life, so when he was crucified he became the perfect and final sacrificial Lamb. He took on our sin so that it would no longer keep us from God (II Corinthians 5:21).
All you have to do is trust Jesus (Yeshua) to do this for you (Romans 10:9-13).
You can do this right now! Have the kind of LIFE that's been bouncing me around the stage and around the world. Pray this prayer:
Dear Jesus (Yeshua),
Thank you for loving me. Forgive me of all my sins. Cover them for me. Become Lord of my life and help me to live for you.
Amen.
If you prayed that prayer you can have assurance that you will have life more abundant while living on the earth and life eternal in Heaven. There's no magic to the prayer that's here. It's about trusting Jesus (Yeshua) as lord of your life: trusting that He knows what's best for you because he created you. It's about trusting Him to cover you when you mess up.
I'd love to know if you prayed that prayer. Shoot me an email .
If you're not ready to pray that kind of prayer and really mean it, here are some more things to consider: Who Is Jesus and Knowing God.
Thomas Tornado Tinglehoop and the Three Christmas Clues
My brother got me into a Book Expo held at the Javitts Center here in New York. I was able to leave query letters with SEVEN publishers! It was like walking all around the country in a couple of hours.
Please pray that one of these all-new contacts will choose to publish it.
In the query letter I told them that there are comments about the book online, but at this point I only have one. I received numerous emails encouraging us about the book, but unfortunately my inbox was corrupted. Ach!
If you happened to have read the book and have something good to say about it, please go to RichDrama.com/Tinglehoop and click on "What others are saying..."
Thanks so much!
In Christ Alone,
Rich
Please pray that one of these all-new contacts will choose to publish it.
In the query letter I told them that there are comments about the book online, but at this point I only have one. I received numerous emails encouraging us about the book, but unfortunately my inbox was corrupted. Ach!
If you happened to have read the book and have something good to say about it, please go to RichDrama.com/Tinglehoop and click on "What others are saying..."
Thanks so much!
In Christ Alone,
Rich
Photos from Israel
Though Beth lost her sight at birth, her presence on the trip brought a greater awareness of the details of Israel to the rest of us. Here she is "seeing" a replica of a first century cross.Other pictures from our trip are here.
There were a few from our trip to the Dead Sea that were taken at a low resolution, so they weren't allowed on that other site. Here they are.
Grammy Award-winning cousin
My brother, Bob (left), was in town for the Book Expo held at the Javitts center. He and his wife, Shannon, run Lightbourne, a small company that creates book and CD covers. Bob won a pretty major award for his cover of Reflections in the Ice
Between Bob and I is our cousin, Nick Brophy. He was in town to engineer an album for the band, Radio Mundial. He won the Grammy for his work on the album, Tribute to Tradition
Here we are with Bob's wife, Shannon, at LaGuardia Airport:
Nick's brother John was also in town, but it never worked for all of us to be in one place at one time. John designs backgrounds for video games.
Though the Brophy family never lived near us when we were growing up I think it's cool that we all turned out to be full time artists.
My playwriting mentor honored
Tina Howe, who was my playwriting professor at Hunter College has just received the Distinguished Achievement in American Theatre Award from the William Inge Theatre Festival.
Site Feed Updates
One way to know when my blog is updated is to subscribe with a Site Feed reader. Here are a few Blogger.com recommends:
Bloglines (web-based), and NetNewsWire and Shrook (Mac OS X). More are listed at AtomEnabled.org.
I've been fairly pleased with Bloglines. It updates every hour, so it's not as fast as receiving emails, but could be faster if you check your email only once or twice a day. It has a notifier you can download (Mac or Windows) that will tell you when the site's been updated. If you go with them, here's a link that will set it up for you:
Bloglines is free, as are most of them. A lot of sites are moving to site feed updates because all of our email boxes are getting so over-crowded!
Bloglines (web-based), and NetNewsWire and Shrook (Mac OS X). More are listed at AtomEnabled.org.
I've been fairly pleased with Bloglines. It updates every hour, so it's not as fast as receiving emails, but could be faster if you check your email only once or twice a day. It has a notifier you can download (Mac or Windows) that will tell you when the site's been updated. If you go with them, here's a link that will set it up for you:
Bloglines is free, as are most of them. A lot of sites are moving to site feed updates because all of our email boxes are getting so over-crowded!
We just got back from Joyce's ordination
Joyce is now officially ordained as an elder in the Church of the Nazarene. She's holding a gift from Eastern Nazarene College, a sculpture by Scott Stearman, who once took us horse riding in the Colorado Rockies.
Itinerary Updates
Wendy
The Honduran Director of Compassion, Orestes Zuniga, spoke to us this morning.
He compared us, as Compassion artists and speakers, to Miriam, who was the mediator between the princess who wanted to help baby Moses and the mother who raised him. In the end, the slave and child of poverty became the national leader who led his people out of bondage.
He thanked us on behalf of the local churches, who are partnering w/ Compassion.
I got to meet the next child Joyce and I are sponsoring today. Her name is Wendy.
She and the other kids in her class performed some songs and dances for us, and I performed La Gente Que Jesús Conocia (The People that Jesus Knew) for them. At the end I asked if any of them wanted to know Jesus more. All of them I could see raised their hands, including Wendy. I led them in a prayer of Salvation. Without hesitation that was the highlight of the week for me!
I played a game with them in which they would grab hands with a friend, creating a loop and a third child would stand in the loop between their arms. When the teacher would give the command the children would raise their hands and the third student would need to find a different place. It was like musical chairs in that someone would not have a place to go. I was drenched in sweat after five minutes of scurrying and ducking!
Wendy told me she wants to be a doctor! Lord, help Joyce and I to give her all she needs from our letters and gifts to overcome the poverty all around her and bring healing to her patients and to her nation. Amen!
We went to her home but her parents had already left for work. Though the door was locked, I could see that her home was slightly better than some around it. It's made out of concrete and painted green. She has both her parents living there, so that gives me even more hope for her success.
As we were walking away I was told that there have been girls kidnapped from this neighborhood that attended the Compassion project. They believe the girls were taken by a group known to kidnap kids and sell them as sex slaves in Mexico and America.
Wes Stafford, president of Compassion, happened to sit next to me at dinner. He has a vision that one day a Compassion child will grow up to be president of his or her country.
He gave me great hope for Wendy truly becoming a doctor when he told me that Compassion will bring their Leadership Development program to Honduras. On my Compassion trip to Bolivia four years ago I was able to meet students in the program. They are the best of the best Compassion graduates, who are given scholarships. The developing leaders in Bolivia were preparing for careers in everything from medicine to pastoring. One student had a vision to be an influencer on his president.
Wes said every time he visits Compassion kids and their families he takes a picture with about 10 kids who don't receive letters from their sponsors. He writes those sponsors and tells them what a very special child they've chosen and encourages the sponsor to let the child know that.
Wes is our speaker tonight. These are my notes from his talk:
He said 35,745 kids have been sponsored through the artsts and speakers in this room.
He told a story about a 6 year old who had been hit by a bus. The church was packed with kids for the funeral. Someone asked each child why they were there, and 50 of the 60 children there said they came because the 6 year old (before he died) led that child to the Lord . Wes said the sponsor that encouraged that child will be shocked to know how much he or she impacted the Kingdom of God.
The hero in Peter's denial was the rooster. "The look you imagine on Jesus' face as he looked at Peter when the rooster crowed says everything about your concept of who Jesus is and your relationship with Him." Wes brought up all the arguments the rooster might have had: I'm not the right one for the job. I can't be called there! Why should I? He was obedient.
[A note from the present: When we were standing in Caiphas's courtyard on our trip to Israel we heard a rooster crowing!]
Jesus looked at Peter not with anger, not with disappointment, but with love. Peter's only rebuke was that Jesus asked him 3 times if he loved him to match his 3 denials. Jesus request: Feed my sheep.
During the massacre at Littleton Cassie Bernal was asked if she believed in God. Before Cassie heard the pistol she heard, "Cassie, I believe in you." She said yes at the right time and inspired hundreds of thousands of teens. When God says, "Do it now," go for it!
Tonight we debriefed our experience. One of the things that I was encouraged to do is to speak into the childrens' lives powerful names: mighty warrior for God, talented, beloved. Lord help us to communicate how very much they are loved by the Lord.
Craig Timmer, my first liaison for Compassion, talked about how different the sponsorship process would be if the kids were really there in the back of the room after the performance.
They live in poverty, but they are not poor when they have Jesus.
If you would like to sponsor a child click here: Compassion.
He compared us, as Compassion artists and speakers, to Miriam, who was the mediator between the princess who wanted to help baby Moses and the mother who raised him. In the end, the slave and child of poverty became the national leader who led his people out of bondage.
He thanked us on behalf of the local churches, who are partnering w/ Compassion.
I got to meet the next child Joyce and I are sponsoring today. Her name is Wendy.
She and the other kids in her class performed some songs and dances for us, and I performed La Gente Que Jesús Conocia (The People that Jesus Knew) for them. At the end I asked if any of them wanted to know Jesus more. All of them I could see raised their hands, including Wendy. I led them in a prayer of Salvation. Without hesitation that was the highlight of the week for me!
I played a game with them in which they would grab hands with a friend, creating a loop and a third child would stand in the loop between their arms. When the teacher would give the command the children would raise their hands and the third student would need to find a different place. It was like musical chairs in that someone would not have a place to go. I was drenched in sweat after five minutes of scurrying and ducking!
Wendy told me she wants to be a doctor! Lord, help Joyce and I to give her all she needs from our letters and gifts to overcome the poverty all around her and bring healing to her patients and to her nation. Amen!
We went to her home but her parents had already left for work. Though the door was locked, I could see that her home was slightly better than some around it. It's made out of concrete and painted green. She has both her parents living there, so that gives me even more hope for her success.
As we were walking away I was told that there have been girls kidnapped from this neighborhood that attended the Compassion project. They believe the girls were taken by a group known to kidnap kids and sell them as sex slaves in Mexico and America.
Wes Stafford, president of Compassion, happened to sit next to me at dinner. He has a vision that one day a Compassion child will grow up to be president of his or her country.
He gave me great hope for Wendy truly becoming a doctor when he told me that Compassion will bring their Leadership Development program to Honduras. On my Compassion trip to Bolivia four years ago I was able to meet students in the program. They are the best of the best Compassion graduates, who are given scholarships. The developing leaders in Bolivia were preparing for careers in everything from medicine to pastoring. One student had a vision to be an influencer on his president.
Wes said every time he visits Compassion kids and their families he takes a picture with about 10 kids who don't receive letters from their sponsors. He writes those sponsors and tells them what a very special child they've chosen and encourages the sponsor to let the child know that.
Wes is our speaker tonight. These are my notes from his talk:
He said 35,745 kids have been sponsored through the artsts and speakers in this room.
He told a story about a 6 year old who had been hit by a bus. The church was packed with kids for the funeral. Someone asked each child why they were there, and 50 of the 60 children there said they came because the 6 year old (before he died) led that child to the Lord . Wes said the sponsor that encouraged that child will be shocked to know how much he or she impacted the Kingdom of God.
The hero in Peter's denial was the rooster. "The look you imagine on Jesus' face as he looked at Peter when the rooster crowed says everything about your concept of who Jesus is and your relationship with Him." Wes brought up all the arguments the rooster might have had: I'm not the right one for the job. I can't be called there! Why should I? He was obedient.
[A note from the present: When we were standing in Caiphas's courtyard on our trip to Israel we heard a rooster crowing!]
Jesus looked at Peter not with anger, not with disappointment, but with love. Peter's only rebuke was that Jesus asked him 3 times if he loved him to match his 3 denials. Jesus request: Feed my sheep.
During the massacre at Littleton Cassie Bernal was asked if she believed in God. Before Cassie heard the pistol she heard, "Cassie, I believe in you." She said yes at the right time and inspired hundreds of thousands of teens. When God says, "Do it now," go for it!
Tonight we debriefed our experience. One of the things that I was encouraged to do is to speak into the childrens' lives powerful names: mighty warrior for God, talented, beloved. Lord help us to communicate how very much they are loved by the Lord.
Craig Timmer, my first liaison for Compassion, talked about how different the sponsorship process would be if the kids were really there in the back of the room after the performance.
They live in poverty, but they are not poor when they have Jesus.
If you would like to sponsor a child click here: Compassion.
Hangin' with the kids
We got to hang out with a lot of kids. A favorite thing of theirs to do was to take "un foto" with our cameras.
Among the best
This family invited us into their home. The three boys are all sponsored through Compassion:
Dwight, 13, is one of the top two students in Honduras.
Hugh, 11, is receiving a scholarship.
Bruce, 9, is ready to conquer the world.
My liaison with Compassion is chatting with some of the neighborhood children to the left.
Compassion Concert
Tonight the Honduran Compassion staff asked for a concert! It was quite awesome to have all these talented musicians get up and bless us all. Most of the songs were either written to help them talk about Compassion or could have been. I put together an iMix of all the songs that are on iTunes, so you can press your own CD of almost half of the songs. The rest can be purchased on the album listed here:
| Phil Keaggy | "Who Will Save the Children" from ReCollections. Randy Stonehill sings the duet with Phil Keaggy. (iTunes |
| Bruce Carroll | "While I Have this Chance" on the Compassion Sunday DVD. "Shelter Me" from The Psalm Project. |
| Geoff Moore | "Every Single One" from Every Single One |
| Rich Swingle | "La Gente que Jesús Conocia" (RichDrama.com) |
| Jeremy Camp | |
| Andrew Peterson | "The Land of the Free" from Clear to Venus. (iTunes |
| Randal Goodgame | "I Did not Catch Her Name" on War & Peace. (iTunes: Randall's song as performed by Caedmon's Call |
| Jeremy Casella | "Love That Will Not Let Me Go" from 10,000 Angels. |
| Danny Oertli | "God Wrote a Song" from Nothing Left to Prove. (iTunes |
| Shane from Siler's Bald | |
| "What a Ride" from What a Ride. | |
| "All I Want Is You" from Smile for Jesus. | |
| Eli | "Stand" from Second Hand Clothing. (iTunes |
| Richard Allen Farmer | "I will Make the Darkness Light" on Leadfoot. |