Seminary Update

Hello friends,

I have not written an update for a while and it is time. We hope you are all doing well!
First off, we want to thank you for your prayers for us in these last few months. Last time I wrote, I mentioned how we had been looking for jobs since we arrived here and had not had any success. It was a very discouraging time for us. Shortly after I wrote that, within a period of two days, three different jobs became available to us. I began working two part-time jobs and Lisa began watching my friend’s toddler during the day. I am working a few hours a week in the Academic Services Dept. on campus and then I am washing windows for a company one day a week. This has been a great help to us in making ends meet and we thank God for this provision. Both jobs are flexible with my class schedules, which was a huge problem with other jobs I had looked at. So again, thank you for your prayers about that!

This school year is different because I am in what’s called the “Call to Ministry” process, which includes all kinds of extra work and expenses alongside my regular class schedule. So it is kind of exciting, as people are more intentionally walking alongside us to help discern calling and prepare for the future, but it’s also more stuff to take care of. The whole process is good in that it is shaping us in ways we didn’t expect, and God continues to work in us according to what he wants. We are excited as we continue to dream about what’s next and where God might be leading us.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the church, specifically the reputation that it has. Some people will always scoff at the church and find reasons to reject her. Whether it’s the notorious phrase, “It’s full of hypocrites,” to the many scandals that have surfaced over time, people can always find a reason to think they are above participating in the life of the church. And there are so many expressions of the church. I think that is a biblical and beautiful thing. It can also be messy. But just what is the church supposed to look like? Jesus prayed earnestly in John 17:20-23, as a sort of last request before his death, that his church would live in oneness together--even as he is in perfect oneness with his Father. And above all else, this is the thing that will cause the world to believe that Jesus is the real deal.

Stanley Haurwas once said, “The purpose of the church is not to prove that Christianity is true, but to demonstrate what the world is like if it is true.” Do you see the difference? This is why Jesus said in John 13:34-35 that we are to love one another as he has loved us, and that BY THIS people will know that we are his disciples—and this will in turn show that Christianity is, in fact, true. If the church does not live out its claim that it follows Jesus in this way specifically, nothing else we talk about matters because it comes from people who do not practice the most distinguishing mark of Jesus.

We easily grow dull to the command to “love one another” because it becomes too familiar to us. It is easy to reduce it to being nice to each other, even faking it to an extent. But Jesus wants his church to love each other sacrificially, in a way that draws them into “oneness.” Therefore, anything that gets in the way of this and causes unnecessary division is sinful, whether it is selfish preferences, conflicting ideas, prideful arrogance, self-righteousness, or whatever. God hates it (strong language!) when we sow discord among each other (Proverbs 6:19). There are a billion things that can divide God’s church but it is the self-sacrificing love of Christ expressed to each other that unites us. So the Apostle Peter said, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). One of the distinguishing marks of a mature congregation is the ability to live in unity amongst great diversity. This is the picture we are given in Revelation 21:24-26. It is a church that has learned to “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). What could be a more beautiful expression of Christ to the world, and a more joyful community to participate with? It is not the “coolness factor” or how “relevant” it feels or any other side issue that will ultimately produce fruit for God’s kingdom. It is Spirit-driven love for one another that spills out into participation with God’s mission to the world. How awesome would it be if you heard someone describe the church as “those people who really love each other” or “those Christians who are willing to lay down their very lives for each other?” Wouldn’t you want to look into a community that was known for that?

There is a kind of smugness that is popular in the evangelical world these days. It can be incredibly satisfying to prove someone else wrong, or to appear more intelligent and less ignorant by our smug remarks and our superior doctrines. This kind of thing is rampant on social media and is the path the world gives us to make it to the top. It is all an attempt to save our own skin and the very opposite of what the church is called to. It is utterly unloving. May God help us to repent of self-centeredness and playing the one-up game with each other. May we lose that kind of life so that we may gain Christ, who is our very life. Amen!

Love in Christ,
Mark, Lisa, Samuel, & Judah

First Haircut

I finally broke down and cut Judah's hair a couple weeks ago. I kept putting it off (even though he had a mullet/rat tail/ wings going on) because I loved the curls. Fortunately, his hair is growing back some, and there's still curls! I'd love for him to have some awesome curly, rocker hair, so we'll see.
Before the haircut......



After.....

First day of Kindergarten!

Today is the beginning of Samuel's 2nd week of Kindergarten.... and he is LOVING it! He started off rough (getting a warning his first day of school), but made it his goal to stay in good behavior, and he's been doing great. He's making friends, having fun, and enjoying his teacher, Ms. Goodfriend. Isn't that a perfect teacher name? :)

A seminary update is coming soon, as well as some pictures from our trips to Kansas and Ohio last month.

Brief Update

Hello friends!

Summer's getting near the final stretch (though it feels like we live inside the sun lately), and school will start back up at the end of the month. I just finished up week 5 of a 6 week summer intensive on Biblical Hebrew, which crams a full year of Hebrew into 6 weeks and tells you that you like it. Seriously though, it has been a really cool language to learn so far, very engaging and artistic. My professor is amazing, and she reminds me of my Mom with her passion for God's Word and some of her mannerisms. I think they would get along well if they ever met.

The North Park campus has always had lots and lots of crazy squirrels. When I was in undergrad, we would see them everywhere and joke that they were plotting to take over the university. Well, nine years later they haven't diminished one bit and they are a bit more bold than they used to be. Sometimes when I go out back to dump some garbage in the dumpster, I inevitably encounter one in a predictable but always surprising encounter that goes like this: I walk out my back door with a bag from the kitchen trash, usually thinking about something for school or whatever, and when I lift up the lid to the dumpster, there sits a suddenly panicked squirrel who was helping himself to some morsels of food. As soon as he sees me, he jerks back and forth looking for an escape route and then leaps into the air with claws and incisors outstretched, which causes me to freak out and drop the garbage bag as I cover my head. Then the lid to the dumpster, which I have let go of in my panic, slams down with a BANG that adds one last element of terror to the whole encounter, as the squirrel darts off into the bushes. Of course the squirrel never leaps directly AT me when it escapes, but it doesn't help that some of them actually have red eyes and I swear they are smiling at me when I walk by them on the campus.

Pray for us... that we would be protected from the squirrels, yes, but also just for our family as we have been tested in our faith lately. We truly appreciate all of you and your prayers for us. We hope your summers are times of refreshment and rejuvenation (and that you are keeping cool!).
Much love,
Mark

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Studies show you are the best husband and dad EVER!
We love you sooooo, sooooo much!
Love,
Lisa, Samuel, and Judah.

Jam Session

Nope, not Sam jamming this time, just Mark. Mark was long overdue for some guitar playing. So, I thought it'd be fun to take some pictures (and videos!) of him. Judah wanted in on the action too, and desperately wanted to play with those guitar pedals! :) I tried to get Judah to imitate Mark with his own little guitar, but he just had more fun pretending it was a broom. Oh well.








If you didn't catch what Mark was doing, it was a sweet little rendition of this. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n40qpIJIvNw

Seminary Update

Dear friends,

Thank you for your prayers as I finished up first year finals here at seminary! I have not received all of my grades yet but will find out in the next few weeks how it all turned out. I feel pretty good about my final papers and tests and am glad I had some prayer support for the long hours and energy needed to complete everything. So thank you.

These last few weeks I have been catching up on rest and spending some quality time with Lisa and the boys, including playing outside, wrestling, and Lego constructions. I am teaching Samuel how to play wiffle ball and Judah is still trying to eat everything he gets his hands on. Samuel is really excited to go to kindergarten in the fall.

A couple weekends ago I went on a men’s retreat with my church family here up to the wilderness of upper Michigan. It was a good time away from the city to rejuvenate and reconnect with God’s good creation.

Plans for this summer include a few intensive courses, some time with extended family, and hopefully making some money. I have a job possibility with a company that I am currently in dialogue with. They have very flexible hours and past seminary students have worked with them. Please pray that this might work out for us.

It is amazing to me to think that a whole school year has gone by since we moved up here last August. God has been faithful and present in more ways than we can recount. We have been stretched and molded in ways that are both challenging and exciting. Thank you for your continual prayers as you remember us.

In Christ’s love,
Mark

Ju-dah!

Soooo tired...

Quick update....

Last weekend, Samuel was a ring bearer at a friend's wedding. He was a little stud in his suit.

Judah was just soooo tired after the busy weekend. :)

Right now, Sam and Mark are in a blanket tent in the living room, eating ice cream, and watching Star Wars. They're sleeping out there tonight. It's become a tradition for them now. I think this is the fourth or fifth time they've done this? So fun, great memories. :)

Update on the Boys

SAMUEL....
While in Kansas last month Samuel lost his first tooth! It seemed a bit early (he turned 5 in February), but he got his first two teeth before 4 months old, so I shouldn't be surprised. Samuel pulled his own tooth the first night we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He was quite excited that the tooth fairy left him fifty cents, and when I asked him what he was going to do with his money, he said he wanted to give it to God. Awww..... In actuality though, he is not usually that surprisingly sweet. :) No more loose teeth yet, but his adult one has already popped through.


Last Friday, we all went to visit the school Samuel is going to go to next fall. It's not our neighborhood school, but is around a 15 minute drive and really close to the lake. When it came down to it, Mark and I hesitated with our neighborhood school because we haven't heard very impressive things about it.
So, through the crazy Chicago school lottery system, Samuel got into a different school, which has an emphasis on fine and performing arts. Everyone was uber nice when we visited and Sam was excited when he saw how fun the classrooms were....ESPECIALLY because they have computers. :)

JUDAH....
Judah has starting walking... sort of. He still enjoys crawling (because he's fast at it), but he's walking more and more. Right now he can take 6 or 7 steps at least. Here's a video of him a few days ago. I have a more recent video of him walking more, but this one was cuter. :)

Judah also got to play drums with Dad for the first time yesterday. He is already a drummin' fool. :)

And finally, here is what Samuel did while Judah drummed. :)

Judah's Birthday

It still amazing that Judah is already one! We celebrated his birthday (actual date is March 9th) over Spring Break in Clay Center, Kansas.


Judah, you are absolutely amazing. You are beyond cute, with your big brown eyes and cute little nose. You are so joyful and laid back, and we're already noticing how much you balance out Samuel's more serious, perfectionist nature. On our worst days, one look at your smiling face, and our day gets soooo much better.
We thank God for you. We didn't know if we'd have any more children after Samuel. While we were still grieving the loss of our baby through miscarriage, God gave us you. We pray more than anything, that you would love God first and foremost in your life, and your love for Him would be your guide. We pray that we will raise/train you well, the way God desires us to, and when the time comes for you to follow God's call on your life, that we will let you go with our blessing. We can't wait to see what all God wants to do through you, and we feel so humbled and blessed that we get to be your parents. You are a beautiful gift and we love you so, so much!

Update 3/7/11

We are long overdue for sending out an update to you all… we hope you are doing well!
We stayed in Chicago over Christmas break and Lisa’s family came to visit for several days. I also took a week-long intensive course on Ruth and Esther in early January and then had a week off before classes started back up.
My second semester is halfway over and going smoothly so far. I am thoroughly enjoying my classes again and finding more and more that this is what I want to do, and feel called to do, with my life. Lisa and I have had many good conversations about the future, wondering what it might look like. We are excited about that and look forward to how God may lead us. Her support to me is amazing and life-giving. I thank God for such an incredible wife.
Samuel and Judah keep growing up into little boys who are wildly fun. Judah is completely mobile on all fours now and is starting to play with big brother quite a bit. His laugh is quite hilarious and contagious. Both boys love to wrestle Dad and snuggle Mom, though sometimes the roles do switch so that I get snuggles and Lisa gets attacked.
I was recently struck with a renewed sense of wonder while reading Romans 5:6-10. Basically, it says that at “just the right time,” when we were still powerless sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. Why is our condition of powerlessness considered to be “just the right time?” The passage goes on to explain that while we were still sinners—at our very worst—Christ died for us. And this is the demonstration, the absolute best picture, of the love of God. I have been meditating on this passage for days now, and my perceptions of God’s love are still way too small. I cannot get my mind around this. How could anyone do this? And if he was willing to do this for his enemies, the passage explains, how much more can we have confidence in God now, after being reconciled to him? Enemies with no hope suddenly become permanently adopted family. What else can they do, but celebrate?
We want to continually express our thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support. We have been so blessed to have the kind of encouragement that we have been given. We ask that you continue to pray for us, as we always need it and desire to be covered with God’s protection and provision.

Much love to all of you,
Mark, Lisa, Samuel, & Judah

Weekly photos

Not really much photos to share right now, but I do have a pretty cute one of...

Samuel with Pony, who by the way, has had his tail fall off three times now. All were completely traumatic for Samuel, so I played "doctor" and mended Pony up as quickly as possible. Then, after Pony's fixed, I become Samuel's hero for a while, which is lovely.
Also, in this picture, you'll notice that Sam is in nothing but a towel. That's because he just had a bath, and always after his baths, he loves to come sit by the radiator for a while and get all toasty warm.

Another picture of Sam...


He's totally into Star Wars legos and here are his legos after a pretty intense battle. Notice how Annakin, Snow Troopers, and others are now decapitated and dismembered as a result of the wrath of Optimus Prime (located by Sam's right arm). Ugh. Boys. :) I can't wait to have a little girl someday that wants to play with dolls and do fun girly things. Boys are especially weird at times.
Here's a closeup of Annakin. Poor Annakin.


Here's Mark, following in the tradition of his Grandpa Decker by taking a nap on the floor after lunch. :)


And finally, I'll leave with a video of our little man Judah.

In Process....

Yes, it's a miracle.... we've actually written on this thing.
We're actually in process of revamping our blog and turning it into an "our life in seminary" blog, with photos and a monthly update. This is our sincere desire, intention, and our hope. We'll see. :)