THE MIND-BLOWING AND THE MUNDANE So, here's what's been going on in the exciting world of No Other Name and its various members these last few weeks. These items appear in the order in which I think of them and their degree of importance will vary dramatically. Sam's wife Kim is expecting their first baby! He or she is due on 10/10/10, which is not only cool, but also sounds rather lucky. In fact, I think "Lucky" would be a great name. Boy or girl. Chad's girls Kinley and Addie (6 and 4, respectively) are both now playing softball. Is there anything cuter than little girls playing softball? ... Well? I didn't think so. Sam and Kim also just moved into a house that Sam is totally remodeling. If you follow our Tweets (twitter.com/noothername), you know all about Sam's love/hate relationship with this house. As of yesterday, they have a functional toilet. There was much rejoicing. Last month, we got to perform for our friends at Focus on the Family during the National Religious Broadcasters meeting in Nashville. What fun that was! We told them that we were Tim Tebow fans before it was cool. There was a point earlier this month when I endured 11 takeoffs and landings in about a 14-day period. Maybe not a big deal for someone who flies all the time. But wow, I was sick of airplanes. My husband, Chris, and I went to Niagara Falls for our seventh anniversary a couple weeks ago. They look really cool when they're still partially frozen! (The Falls, that is. Not the Canadians.) And like I said to several friends -- seven years and no itching! Hold the Benadryl cream! Last weekend, we watched a lot of Tim Hawkins videos on the RV. Do you know Tim Hawkins? A great comedian. Check him out if you don't know about him. The words to his "Thank God for the Dollar Store" are inspired. Speaking of our RV, she's had her troubles lately. But she's holding up well. We ride her hard and put her up wet most weeks, so we can't complain. In the last few weeks we've been in so many different types of churches -- huge, tiny, Baptist, Nazarene, Church of God, medium-sized, young, old, you name it. But in each one, we've found sweet people. It's been a good year so far. I know three people who had a baby on March 27, which is also my mom's birthday. Weird, right? We went to Florida for gigs a few weeks ago, and while we were there, we went to the world-famous Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. I went to it every year as a kid, and I was just giddy about going back. It'd been too long. The strawberry shortcake was as good as I remembered. The rides were more nausea-inducing than I remembered. Yikes. That night, we saw Michael W. Smith in concert there. It was sooo cold! In Florida! In March! But we endured. And we had a great time. My husband recently earned his pilot's license. I'm very proud of him and happy about it. But there were moments during his training that he didn't tell me about until WAY later. For instance, once in a while, his instructor would simply reach over and shut off the engine, and then say "OK. Now land the plane." I guess it's good practice, but sort of nerve-wracking for a wife. Anyway, the adage drilled into Chris' head during his training is "Fly the plane." It simply means that no matter what happens, don't panic. Just "fly the plane" and you'll be more likely to figure something out. I thought of this advice last Sunday night when our track for "The Love of God" messed up during a really poignant time in the service. Sam was trying to sing his solo, but the track was just not right. None of us could figure out what was wrong or where to come in. Eventually, we just had to stop the track, and we spontaneously went into "Christ Arose" a cappella instead. It worked out OK. Of course, we sure wish it hadn't happened like that. But sometimes you just gotta fly the plane. I can't believe March is almost over. This year just started, right? And this Sunday is Easter? What? And I'm going to be an aunt again before the year's out? Holy cow! Well, I guess if time flies when you're having fun, then we must be having a blast. We've got lots of exciting things coming up soon, so stay tuned. And come and see us on the road! Until then, fly the plane. Love, Laura
JUST FINISH I've been watching a lot of sports lately. I guess I could pretty much say that sentence at any point in time and it would be true. But anyway, I got to thinking about something the other night as I was watching Olympic figure skating. (And before I get emails from those who say that anything that requires music and is subject to the whim of judges is not a sport, I'll just say that anything that requires a man to sling a 100-pound woman five feet in the air and 10 feet away from himself and requires her to spin several times before landing on a single blade -- on slippery ICE!! -- is at the very least an athletic endeavor.) Anyway, it got me thinking about pressure. About how for most of these athletes, their entire lives thus far have led to this moment, and the rest of their lives after this will be affected by how well they do right now. In these next three minutes. I don't think I could take that sort of pressure. One by one, they would take the ice and perform amazing maneuvers that would be impossible for nearly everyone in the whole world. And yet that isn't what is remembered. What is remembered is that one time when their angle in the air was a little off, and they landed on two feet instead of one. Or worse, maybe their blade came down strange or maybe they over-rotated just a touch, and this one little mishap sent them down to the ice in an embarrassing tumble that will haunt them forever. I thought of the same thing over the last two weeks of the NFL playoffs. Do you realize that BOTH the great Brett Favre and the great Peyton Manning ruined their team's title chances by throwing interceptions late in the game? That may have been Favre's last pass ever in uniform. These guys are arguably the two best ever to be called quarterback. And yet even they can cave under the pressure. No one is infallible. I find myself overwhelmingly grateful that my life as a Christian is not that way. God is not sitting rink-side with a pencil and calculator, ready to dock my score in case I turn that triple-axle into a double or perform that spin too loosely. He is not standing at the water cooler on Monday morning talking about what a stupid call that last passing decision I made was. Of course, Scripture does say that He is watching, and that we all must give account for our deeds. But nowhere does He say that our past mistakes are still held against us once we've owned up to them and asked for His grace. We can start the routine again, over and over on fresh ice as many times at it takes. The New Testament compares our Christian life to a sport several times, mostly to a race. And yet, at no time, are we commanded to win. Paul simply tells Timothy he has "finished" the race (2 Tim. 4:7). He does say in Corinthians that we should "run in such a way" as to win the prize (1 Cor. 9:24). But nowhere does he say we are required to win. We are simply to run with endurance and discipline. The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to "run the race with patience" (Heb. 12:1). Perhaps Paul said it best in Acts 20:24: "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me -- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." Indeed. Love, Laura
GOSPEL GREEN LIGHT IN THE RED-LIGHT DISTRICT A week ago today, I was wrapping up an adventure unlike any other I've had. My husband and I were invited to join a group of believers on a trip to Mumbai, India. There are so many little encounters and stories I'm still trying to process, but today I'll just give you a little taste. Initially, when I think of going to an impoverished area like the slums of Mumbai, the first thought is "What physical need will I attempt to meet there?" Will I feed hungry people? Will I give school books to children? Will I bring clean water? All of these efforts are worthy, and among Mumbai's 20 million people, they are welcome. But this was not our mission. Our mission was simple and can be found in one chapter of scripture -- Luke 10. That's it. That was our strategy. There was nothing to memorize. There were no bullet points. There was just the simple plan outlined by Jesus Himself. In a nutshell, just go out and meet people. Don't weigh yourself down with extra baggage. And when you find someone who is interested in what you have to say (i.e. a "person of peace"), talk with them. If they invite you into their home, go inside. If they offer you food, eat it. If there is no person of peace in an area, simply move on to the next place. Using this method, I was personally able to share (through a translator) the story of the gospel with dozens of people. There is a Most High God, who made everything you see, including people. He loves people and wants to have a relationship with them. But people did wrong, and they were separated from God, because He is holy. But because He loved them, He provided the only sacrifice that would pay for the sins of the people -- His perfect son Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect human life, was crucified, dead and buried. But He rose again after three days! And now, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can be right with God. All we must do is believe that Jesus is Lord and confess that God raised Him from the dead. Of course, each situation was unique. Sometimes the story was longer and more detailed. Other times, it was just the basics. Often, it included personal testimonies from me or one of the other team members. Almost always, it was listened to intently. One woman named Mila still stands out in my mind. We met Mila in the red-light district. Our translator had known her from his time as a social worker in the area. He led us to her home, where she sat outside on a sort-of homemade hammock. She invited us all to sit with her. While we sat, we chatted. We learned about her family. She was raised a Muslim but had been married to a Hindu man for 15 years. Their marriage had been arranged, and they had two children who were now in school. She fed us lunch -- a delicious dish of rice, greens, peas and tomatoes with mango juice to drink. All around, young women stood in doorways, in their cotton nightgowns and heavy makeup -- a constant reminder that we were, indeed, in the red-light district. Eventually, we asked Mila what she knew about Jesus, and what she said has not left my mind since. Here is a woman raised in a religion whose adherents never know where they stand with their god. All the rituals, all the cleansing, all the prayers -- everything can be perfect. And yet there is no assurance of anything better. And now she is married to a man in a religion with so many gods that no one knows for sure which one to call on today. We asked her, "What do you know about Jesus?" "I think Jesus is the best God," she said. We sat there stunned while she continued, "Because when you have other gods, you must do all the rituals, and have all the charms and jewelry. But when Jesus is your God, He is all you need." God used a Muslim/Hindu woman from the wrong side of an impoverished city on the other side of the world to reiterate such a simple truth to me. We could use such a simple, accurate view of our own story here in America. We try to make it about so much more -- our buildings, our music, our budgets, our strategies, our books. But when Jesus is your God, He is all you need. It's true! Mila was not ready to accept Jesus that day, but I told her that it was obvious He was chasing her. She smiled and seemed to agree. He is chasing her and millions like her all over the world. Pray for them all, that they would slow down and follow the God who is all they need. Love, Laura
ETERNAL GIVING I can be a bit of a cheapskate. I usually buy the store brand in any product. My car is 15 years old. Some of the clothes in my closet have been through three presidential administrations. And I refuse to open a new bar of soap until the old one is down to a one-inch square. But there are some times when I tend to be extravagant, and usually it's when I'm buying something for someone else. Whether it's that gadget my husband's had his eye on or that cute hat I know my sister would just love, I don't mind spending a lot on the perfect gift. Even better if it's on sale! (Hey, I didn't say I was Mama Warbucks.) This time of year, the challenge is prioritizing my generosity. Of course, the perfect gift for my friend or my dad is wonderful. But what else am I spending my money on? Whose birthday am I celebrating anyway? I want to be as wise as the ones who brought Him gold, frankincense and myrrh when He was a child. After all, even the newest gadget will be out-of-date and the cutest hat out-of-fashion by next Christmas. Only certain investments are eternal. The wisemen's gifts foretold His kingship and His future sacrifice all at once. (And likely provided the financial means necessary for His family to escape to Egypt before Herod's genocide.) The day before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final time, Mary poured a bottle of perfume on His feet and then wiped them with her hair. We are told that the perfume was worth a year's wages. So, by our standards, let's say it was worth at least $20,000 or so. Where do you think Mary had gotten such an expensive item? How long do you suppose she had been saving it? We don't know the answers, but we can assume that it was probably her most prized possession. And yet she joyfully lavished it on her Savior. And now her wild abandon is chronicled as an example for all of us. Her eternal example. What is your most prized possession? What is mine? Would I willingly give it to the Lord? Certainly He knows my heart. Does He receive my gifts to Him as the sweet aroma of Mary's gift? Or does He know that I've withheld something? That some things are just "too precious" or "too expensive" to give up? Resolve to invest in something eternal this Christmas. There are plenty of worthy causes to choose from, but none more worthy than the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which No Other Name has been honored to represent these past few months. Last year's offering goal was unmet. As a result, people who would have heard the real story of Christmas this year did not hear it because the ones who are ready to tell them could not get to them. Don't let such a tragedy happen again this year. Why not resolve to spend at least as much on Kingdom activities as you do on your closest family member? You can give here: http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/fa/store.prod/ProdID/256.cfm. Perhaps one day far from now, you will meet someone who heard the story because you gave. You can make this Christmas last forever. Love, Laura
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