jonathan’s blog

Here is a recent picture of our 8 month old boy who is growing WAY TOO FAST! He’s got “Ma-Ma” down…and “Da-Da” some of the time. When he wants more crackers he says “more”…and we think he might have a version of “bao bao” (carry me) down…but we’ll have to see about consistency. Here he is cruisin’ around the coffee table, on the search for stray cookies and whatever else he can put in his mouth!

A couple of weekends ago, we took a trip down to the OC. Emily’s cousin Charles was getting married…and Kay and Bekah were both flower girls. Congrats Charles and Angela! We decided to make a weekend trip out of it, and ended up staying the weekend in Laguna Niguel. There is a HUGE park in Irvine that has pony rides and train rides. The kids were SO excited. Here is Bekah on Corky.

Here is Kay on Sky.

Here they are trying their first “Big Stick Popsicle”.

And here they are on the tail end of the train. When Kay and Bekah boarded, they were so excited to be at the end. They kept talking about how they were going to ‘drive’ the train. Then when the train actually started…they both looked at each other with shock and surprise. I guess they thought they were at the front of the train, and really were planning on “driving” the train.

And here they are as flower girls. Kay is a pro…but this was Bekah’s first time! By the end of the night, Kay’s boquet-ball was as beautiful as when she started…but Bekah’s boquet-ball looked like a morning star ball and chain weapon, straight out of braveheart. I have no idea how she destroyed her flowers so thoroughly.

admin My Family

Barack Obama, 44th President (Elect) of the United States of America.

Every election and peaceful transfer of power is an amazing display of how great our nation is…but to have the first Black President ready to take office is truly history in the making. Jim Crow laws, ridiculous black voter registration laws, the Civil Rights movement, was all just 40 years ago! And now this…a Black President, Commander-in-Chief, Head of the Executive Branch of our Government! This is a great day for all Americans, reminding all that the American Dream is still very much alive and well…and that we as a country still have so much to be proud of.

As great as this day is for our country and the dreams of her citizens, as Christians, we need to take a bit of time to responsibly realign ourselves to our nation, our new president, and the times. The people have chosen an extremely compelling and charismatic leader, with plans of hope, unity, and peace. This is awesome. The people have also chosen an extreme pro-choice president. This is not so awesome. I don’t know what the ramifications (literal and spiritual) are, but I know that we as a nation, a people, and as the Church have made a decision to align ourselves with terrible darkness. Whether this was a conscious decision, a necessary evil, part of the Obama package that we choose to ignore…it is what it is, and we as the praying church need to now pray harder than ever.

As of November 5, 2008…our job description as the praying church has drastically changed. Never will we stop praying for LIFE, MARRIAGE, and every other moral obligation we are called to uphold…but we will add to that list of responsibilities: Barak Obama and Joe Biden, their families, and their staff and advisors. The Bible tells us clearly to pray for our leaders. We pray for wisdom, favor, and righteousness. We pray for God’s Light, and Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation be released. We pray for compassion, peace, and justice. May God help these people lead our nation.

admin Reflections

Three passionate posts about Abortion and then silence. And now here we are, Election Day! I haven’t been sure what to say…what to do? Have I said too much?…or not enough? Should I have done that?…or should I have done this? Was I responsible in getting the right messages out? What mistakes did I make? Did I do enough?…or not enough?

What did I (we) do?

–40+ Day Fast. For the Elections, the ending of abortion, the protection of the sanctity/definition of marriage, and revival in California…still fasting and praying, gotta see this through! Will definitely EAT tonight while watching election results. As a church, we have had some discussion regarding abortion, quite a bit regarding same-sex marriage, and even a little on McCain/Obama…but by and large, the bulk of our corporate times together have been in prayer, fasting, and intercession.

–The Call California. This past Saturday, I (and my family and church) attended an event called “The Call California” in San Diego. It was a day of fasting and prayer, set aside to intercede on behalf of the state of California and our nation. It was a powerful, transforming experience, to say the least! 12 hours of prayer…1/2 of it spent in the baking hot sun with no shade! The idea comes from the Old Testament book of Joel…where a Call to return to the Lord in fasting and praying is issued forth in a time of deep darkness. No breaks, no intermission, no eating, no letting up…from 10 am to 10 pm, 25 thousand Christians went to war (spiritual war!) for the heart of our nation. We prayed for the ending of abortion, the protection of the sanctity of marriage, and revival for California! Watching our church press in for 12 hours…wow, you guys rock.

–I voted and sent in my absentee ballot last Friday. McCain/Palin in hopes that Abortion will begin to get overturned. Yes on Prop 8 to protect the definition of marriage, as a union between a man and a woman. Yes on giving animals exercise…I would never have voted on this, except for the insistence of my animal loving cousin and SSun. Yes on Prop 4, to make sure minors need to notify their parents before they get an abortion.

I was strongly criticized from many for zeroing in on Abortion, at the exclusion of so many of the other struggles our nations faces. I didn’t mean to seem ignorant of the other issues, or insensitive to the plight of those with no health insurance or who are fighting and dying in Iraq, or blind to the idea that the US has seriously alienated itself from the Global community. I also wasn’t trying to use guilt tactics to get people to vote for a pro-life candidate.

I voted for McCain/Palin primarily for the issue of Abortion…but I found myself siding with the Republican party on many of the other issues. I tend to lean heavily towards deregulation and less government intervention…not just for the economy. I believe in the need for the government to regulate different parts of our society at some level, but as little as possible. I’m a firm believer in free markets and the invisible hand. I believe healthcare for the poor is a great idea, but having the government run it might prove to be a disaster. I must concede that Obama has much more ‘presence’ than McCain, and might do wonders in repairing our ruined global image…but even in this, because we are in a time of war, I still choose McCain.

Palin. Wow, what a handful of horrible interviews. I cringe when I even think of them. But through it all, I like her. She brings something different and good…and given the chance I think she could be a great vice-president. She is already outspoken in regards to pro-life, but if she could become a champion for children with down syndrome and other disabilities, and if Cindy McCain could champion adoption as she has in their own home…it could set the course of the heart of America in a whole new direction.

I’m anxious to see the results. Obama is clearly favored…but I am hoping for a miracle. I am still fasting and praying for LIFE. I can’t fathom another 4 year term, another 5 million unborn babies aborted. I know there are other issues, I just feel like this is the most important one. I realize whatever statements I make in this blog probably won’t change a person’s mind, one way or another…but I have this strange burden to want to draw the line on abortion, one final time before the elections are totally over.

I spent a few days in Berlin, Germany. And there, driving/walking the streets of Berlin you can’t help but think about World War II and the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime will always be remembered as a global tragedy of epic proportions. The crazy thing is that the church was split on Hitler. After World War I, Germany fell on some pretty hard times, numerous national crises. Hitler came along with a tremendous amount of charisma and presence, along with a slate of new social and economic reform…hope for Germany. The people AND the church in Germany were so hungry for someone, anyone to get them out of the pits, that many Christians choose to look the other way in regards to the whole Aryan nation and the purging of the Jews, and gave their support to Hitler.

Looking back, I’m utterly embarrassed for the church. It shrank from its moral obligations in favor of reform and growth. I think the parallels are uncanny, when we look at the numerous crises America now faces, and a leader that can seemingly pick up the broken pieces and reform our way out of this. It all looks and sounds so good…except for this one issue of Abortion, and the sheer quantity of unborn that get aborted every day. The Freedom of Choice Act (Abortion Anywhere Anytime Act) and Obama’s promise to push that through is in itself reason enough to draw a very clear and definite line. This is a ridiculous piece of legislation. Let me be perfectly clear on this, I AM NOT SAYING OBAMA IS HITLER. Please, that is not the conclusion I am trying to draw. Rather I’m trying to point out the grievous mistake of a church that forsakes its moral commitment to culture and society, that abandons her role as moral compass of our nation…for the sake of other things, whatever they may be. We can’t afford to rationalize away the deaths of another 5 million.

I’ve looked at the positions and thoughts of Christians that have chosen to vote for Obama. And to be brutally honest with myself…I could easily see how I could have lead our church down this same path. Coming out of the traditional church…the Exodus has always found itself on the edge, not liberal, but very progressive. We have had anti-establishment, anti-religious, anti-narrow-minded undertones from the day we planted this church. We have done our best to be relevant and tolerant to our culture and society.

In fact, if it weren’t for Lou Engle, and his strong stance against abortion and for marriage…I’m not sure where I would stand right now. Furthermore, if I didn’t already have a good relationship with him, I might have written him off as just another loud narrow-minded intolerant Christian. I think I can honestly see how an emerging church might end up supporting Obama. Having gone through the 40 Days of Fasting, embracing the burdens of Abortion, and attending The Call…I must say I’m thankful that I was averted from a position of supporting Obama at the expense of Abortion. It is chilling to think that I could have readily led so many down that wrong path. And, it is wrong. Tolerance goes only so far…and even less so when we talk about the position of the Church, and even less so when we talk about the position of Leaders in the Church. LIFE cannot be ignored…and we as Christians cannot lay down our moral obligations for any reason…none.

admin Reflections