Kenneth A. Camp's Blog, page 9

Do You See Value in the Vulnerable and Broken?

You place value on someone when you consider them to be important and have worth. Intellectually you might place value on someone, but do your actions back that up?

[image error]

Willing to explore this with me?

First of all, do you notice those who are vulnerable and broken? Do they have a name or are they just a group of people who need something.

I am going to get real with you for a few minutes if you will let me.

One reason we don’t bring the vulnerable and broken into our lives is that we don’t see the value in it. In other words, we don’t see how by doing so it will bring additional value to us. We are more concerned about how a relationship with them will put a drain on us. Well, there is a good chance it won’t add any value to your life.

Yes broken and vulnerable people will ask a lot of you because they probably need to ask. Who exactly are the broken and vulnerable living life around you? They all have names. They all have a story if you are willing to take the time to hear it.

A widow who is lonely needs someone to spend time with her. My friend Matt tells the story of a recently widowed woman in his community. Her husband passed away just a few weeks after a fire burned down a workshop behind their home. Her husband spent a few weeks in the hospital before passing away. The burned down workshop remained untouched for a few months. At her husband’s funeral, he was honored as a World War 2 veteran. This newly widowed woman went from accepting the folded flag and a 21-gun salute of her husband to a sign in her front yard that she had 30 days to clean up the burned down building. No one took the time to find out her circumstance.

A child whose father has left him needs a male mentor. My friend Joe, an avid fisherman, each school year mentors young boys who have no or an absent father. Not only does Joe meet with these boys at school for lunch, he will also take them fishing where he can teach them a skill and have ample time to invest in their lives.

A man living on the streets doesn’t just need you to hand them a few dollars at the intersection. Some other friends of mine, Brian and Dawn, drove through an intersection many times a day. They noticed the same man “working” on the corner asking drivers for money. Over the years, they spent time learning his story, about his family, and his struggles. They helped him with basic needs, but more importantly they got to know him.

A teenager who has been in foster care for years needs you to bring them into your forever family. John and Leslie had two young teenage boys when the youngest one asked Leslie what foster care was. He asked because a school mate lived in a foster family. After she explained the definition, he asked why he couldn’t be a part of their family. That simple question began the journey of this family adopting a son who had spent many years in foster care living with multiple families.

What do all these stories have in common?

One thing is that they all involve real people with real names with real stories of brokenness.

Another thing is that each one encountered someone who saw past that brokenness and saw a person with value.

We aren’t called to save the whole world. We don’t have the ability to do that to begin with; however, we all can respond to the one that God puts in our path. And that begins with seeing people through a lens of value.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound..,Isaiah 61:1

The Key to the Missionary Problem [Podcast 025]

In this episode I share my thoughts about this book, The Key to the Missionary Problem that I first read as I rode in the backseat of a small van traveling around a sub-tropical island in the South China sea.

[image error]

Even though this book was written over 100 years ago by Andrew Murray, it is still very relevant to our generation, and here is why:

The church as not the obedience or the determination to attempt the task to proclaim the gospel within this generation…She does not seriously desire to proclaim the gospel in every country on the face of the earth. The Christians of our day are not unitedly resolved to accomplish it.Andrew Murray

Listen here to my thoughts about the Four Problems Andrew Murray states in his book:

I highly recommend this book! You can get it here: The Key to the Missionary Problem: A Passionate Call to Obedience in Action

If you like the podcast please click this link so you can subscribe and leave a Rating and Review: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/his-hands-his-feet-podcast/id1165097533?mt=2

Thank You!

Why Does Your Foster or Adopted Child Reject Your Love?

It is a scene that plays out in foster and adoptive families over and over. Parents tearfully share stories about the children they welcome into their families rejecting their love. It’s especially painful when, no matter the child’s age, they stiff-arm every effort a parent gives to help them feel loved and find healing.

[image error]

This past Sunday the pastor at my church quoted from a book by Dr. David Benner—Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality (Spiritual Journey). First as I listened, I identified in my own life the ways I struggle with surrendering to love. Then I began to listen through the lens of my experience as a foster and adoptive dad.

I bought the book and began reading, and I can see clearly how many of my son’s actions—His high need for control; his overly cautious tendencies; his need to be with one of us all the time, yet struggling with trusting us with his deepest thoughts; His desire to be the center of attention and to always be right, the first, and the best—point to one thing.

They are all manifestations of fear.

Thankfully these days most foster or adoptive parents understand that our kids live in a chronic state of fear. The challenge we have is not always recognizing that many of our kid’s actions are fear-based. Even if we accurately identify it, we struggle with knowing how to help them overcome that fear.

So here is the paradox we face. We bring them into our family because we want to show them true love and help them heal whether they are in our family for a few days or forever. Yet often that love is met with a shove.

What is it that they are afraid of exactly?

They are afraid of our love, even if they don’t consciously understand what they are doing.

They are afraid we won’t always be there for them. That we will give up on them. That we will not come back. Even though they desperately want to believe that we truly will be their forever family or will help them heal from the wounds in their life.

So they shove us away. They test our love. They control. They manipulate. They do everything except one thing.

Surrender.

Wait. What? Yes, surrender. To accept our love for them,  really accept it, they have to surrender to our love.

That is how Dr. Benner puts it, and I agree with that assessment. Because I have the same struggle.

When I look at my own struggle and fear of surrendering to Love, I can better understand a child who has been wounded, some over and over. Hopefully this gives me a deeper compassion and understanding, but it doesn’t always.

Benner reminds us that Perfect Love casts out Fear. Yes that is out of the Bible—1 John 4:18. In case you aren’t aware, you nor I are perfect love.

God is Perfect Love.

He “always moves in because He always loves.” He never recoils, sets conditions, or moves on. We are the ones who do that to Him.

Why did I move from our kids rejecting our love to how God loves us? Because this is the answer. If we get a grasp on God’s perfect love for us…and our struggle to accept it, freely without us having to earn it…then we will begin to love our kids and understand them better even when they reject our love.

So…if you find yourself offended or just perplexed or even angry about your child resisting your efforts to love them (I find myself here way too often), may I suggest we take a step back and examine how well we accept God’s love for us. The better we learn how to receive God’s unconditional love for us, the better we will be at loving our kids the same way. We will learn how to keep moving in to their lives even when they try to push us out, because that how God responds to us. We won’t give up them because we have seen how God hasn’t given up on us.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.1 John 4:18-19 ESV

Mike McComb Interview: Missionary from Guatemala [Podcast 024]

Mike and Terri live in the mountains of Guatemala where they have raised all their children. As Mike says in the interview, he has lived longer in Guatemala than he lived in the U.S. I enjoy hearing stories like their’s. I am sure you will too.

[image error]

Mike (far right) and his family

See below for some of the nuggets from the interview.

Show Notes

I love the different ways God called Mike and Terri to Guatemala…I think you will too.
As you can imagine that over 27 years, Mike and Terri have done many different things in Guatemala. Mike shares the progression of their work.
Mike gives a small glimpse into how the civil war in Guatemala impacted God’s work there. Did you even know that Guatemala had a long civil war?
What do you think opened the door for Mike and Terri to really begin ministering to those they lived with? How long do you think it took?
Hear how the biblical training and mentoring has grown far beyond Guatemala.
Find out what Mike sees God doing all throughout Latin America.
I asked Mike if he had a word for the American church. Want to hear his answer?


Contact Information and Links

Email – nebajfamily@yahoo.com

Mike’s Facebook

Terri’s Facebook

To support the McCombs financially:

Commission to Every Nation
PO Box 291307
Kerrville, TX 78029-1307
(If sending a check please include a note stating “For McComb support”)
Tel. 830-896-8326
Or donate online at www.cten.org
 
ASELSI Ministries – http://www.aselsi.org
 

For donations to our new camp for kids in nebaj, Guatemala, make a check to:

Living Word Community Church and put “Mountain Springs Camp” in the memo line.

Then mail it to:

Mountain Springs Camp
c/o Living Word Community Church
2530 Cape Horn Road
Red Lion, PA 17356

Matt & Julie Kouri — Lessons Learned from Their Adoption Journey [Podcast 023]

In today’s episode, I interview Matt and Julie Kouri about their adoption journey. They have three children that came to their family through adoption. Below you can see in the show notes some of what we discuss.

[image error]

Kouri Family

 

 

Show Notes

Here is a an idea of what you will hear on the podcast interview:

We learn about the make up of the Kouri family…two sons from Russia, and a daughter from Ethiopia.
Julie and Matt share what is like to not only have children from adoption but also different cultures.
All families considering adoption have expectations and motivations. We talk about what kind the Kouris had when they began their journey, and we talk about how these need to change over time.
Both Matt and Julie do much in their community mentoring, supporting, and training other families and advocating for children. We talk about their passion and what compels them.
I ask Matt and Julie what they want to share with families who are in the trenches…you don’t want to miss their answer.

I mention that Matt and Julie head up two non-profits in the Austin area. Here are the links to both:

Matt Kouri, Executive Director at Mission Capital — www.missioncapital.org

Julie Kouri, Executive Director at Fostering Hope Austin — www.fosteringhopeaustin.org

Enjoy the interview!

Do We Get to Choose Our Neighbors? Interview with Dave Runyon [Podcast 022]

Co-author of The Art of Neighboring

Are you like me and most other people? You kind of know your neighbors, well, at least you wave at them as you come and go. I might know their first names, but don’t ask me the names of their kids.

[image error]

If we aren’t intentional about not just meeting our neighbors, but getting to know them, it probably won’t ever happen.

In today’s podcast episode, I interview Dave Runyon, co-author of The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door.

I appreciate Dave’s authentic way of sharing his journey to embracing one of Jesus’ basic commands, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Below you can get a glimpse of what you will hear in our interview.

 

Show Notes

Defining “the art of neighboring”
Two comments from civic leaders that altered the focus of Dave and other area pastors
We talk about why this should matter and some benefits of neighboring well
We all struggle with one big barrier
Here are a few nuggets from the interview:

We are bad at living with intention. We are bound by the tyranny of the urgent.
live life in a way that is interruptible
lean into some mildly awkward moments

 

Where to get the book, extra resources, and watch videos—TheArtofNeighboring.com

 

At the conclusion of the podcast episode, I ask for your story of neighboring. Will you share a story below in the comment section? Or, if you want, you can email me at Kenneth@KennethACamp.com

 

Are You Willing to Ask Hard Questions About Your Life? [Podcast 021]

Interview with Joel Whose Family Serves in South Asia

In today’s episode I interview my friend Joel who along with his wife, Leah, and young family serve in a country in South Asia. In the interview I ask Joel to take us through the process of how his they mad the decision to serve as foreign missionaries.

[image error]

Joel shares many nuggets about the process, but what stood out to me was when he says that they began asking themselves hard questions about how they lived life, spent their money, and so on. Joel calls this a “holy discontent”.

I think this is a good exercise for everyone to do…ask yourself hard questions about how you live life…even though it often can cause a “holy discontent”.

Listen to find out what this really looks like:

Here is what else you will hear in the episode:

…a little about Joel’s family.

The process he and Leah went through that led to the decision to go, where to go, and how…

“Ask any question except ‘How'”
Your heart quickly follows your money
God often uses the practical to help us discern His calling

…what a typical day looks like in the life of a young family serving on the field including:

Language acquisition
Hear about language routes
Schooling decisions

Stories of God is doing…

Among refugees
Through prayer movement

…Challenges

Geo-political instability
Isolation/loneliness

How to support…

Joel takes this question deeper than the simple “pray for us and consider financially supporting us

Links and Contact Info

Perspectives – Joel mentions the Perspectives class as instrumental in helping him and Leah’s preparation.

Joel also shares how they felt called to a location where unreached people lived. To learn more about unreached people groups (UPG), read my recent blog post—What Is an UPG?

Praying for Old Castle – Go here to learn more of the city and culture where Joel and Leah serve. You can also join to get updated information and be a part of the prayer movement.

If you want to get in contact with Joel to connect directly with him please fill out the contact form below. This will begin an email dialogue with me (yes I am the gatekeeper

When You Feel Like Tapping Out

3 Ways to Stay in the Game

I am one of the many who watches a LOT of basketball this time of year. I enjoy seeing teams play well together, the cinderella stories, and buzzer beaters.

[image error]

If you watch team sports, especially basketball or football, you probably have seen a player tap the top of his head or look over to the sideline and raise his hand. He is signaling to his coach that he wants out of the game.

In today’s up-tempo style of playing, this is common. It’s definitely a different approach to the game from a generation or two ago when players stayed in the game for longer stints. In football, some even played both defense and offense.

It isn’t that the players are giving up or don’t want to play anymore. They just need a breather or a short rest. But some do “tap out” because they feel defeated or want out of the game.

An athlete though has put in hours of preparation to play in the game. If they were to give up, it would mean that they were not fulfilling their purpose.

But what about life? Do we ever want to tap out? I don’t mean for good. I mean, do we tap out of what God’s purpose or mission is for our life because we are tired, discouraged, or feel defeated?

Can I let you in on something?

I have looked over to the bench a few times over the past 18 months or so.

My ankle surgery, our move, Danielle’s surgery and slow recovery, writing and publishing a book, our son beginning Kindergarten and his struggle with school and our decision to remove him for the remainder of the year, and so on and so on, all have contributed to how I feel.

And those are just the big rocks.

I have felt tired, discouraged at times, and even thought about giving up on some things that I know God has called me to.

Anyone who is “in the game” knows what I am talking about. The temptation is to tap our head asking “coach” to take us out of the game or at least give us a break.

The reality is that none of us are made to go at it full-steam forever. We are made to have rest. God calls it “Sabbath Rest”. As for many things about God, how to stay in the game is counter-intuitive. We need to have breathers, rest, and do things that rejuvenate us so that we can stay in the game for the long haul.

Here are 3 ways you can do just that along with some resources to help develop these strategies.

Prioritize sabbath rest. Even God took time to rest. Why is it so hard for us to implement this spiritual practice of renewal. I argue that we really don’t know how to do it. I recommend two books that will help to understand and practice sabbath rest.

Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation – I read this book when I was on staff back in 2008. Our interim pastor, Rick Spencer had the entire staff read it. I think he recognized a need we all had.
Sacred Space: The Art of Sacred Silence, Sacred Speech, and The Sacred Ear in the Echo of the Still Small Voice of God – This book is written by my good friend John Duncan. This book is a part of his “Sacred” series. You will enjoy John’s deep understanding of the original language and history as he teaches you the art of sacred space for God.


Maintain a support team around you. Not only do we need people who support us, they need to be the right kind of people. This includes like-minded people. These are people who “get you”. They understand why you do what you do. The other kind is intercessors. These are people who stand before the throne of God and ask Him to act on your behalf. Powerful.
Take care of yourself. Those in the foster/adoptive world hear this a lot. You need to make time to take care of yourself. Here is a link to a podcast interview I did several months ago with Robyn Gobbel on this subject. Check it out.

I hope you will, as I am doing, do what we need to do in order to stay in the game for the long haul. The good thing is that He who calls us to our mission is the One who knows us best.

In the Fullness of Time: How Adoption Reflects the Gospel [Podcast 20]

In this episode I expound on a blog post—3 Takeaways from the Future and A Hope Conference. I focus on the first takeaway…God sees brokenness and leans into it.

[image error]

Here are a few things that you will hear…

Two insights:

Adoption reflects God’s redemption story.
God ordains adoption at just the exact time He intends it to happen.

Two conclusions:

Adoption is a covenant relationship.
It is important to be sensitive to God’s timing.

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please click the subscribe link for iTunes located directly under the player above. That will take you to the iTunes page for His Hands His Feet. Then go to Ratings and Reviews to leave an honest review of the podcast.

If the link doesn’t take you to the page for His Hands His Feet, please search for the podcast. Thank you!

 

5 Ways Having A Purpose Gives You Confidence

Do you ever feel like you are aimlessly wandering through life? Do you struggle making decisions, both big and small? Odds are you do. A lot of people do.

[image error]

I introduce my podcast episodes stating that everyone has a God-given mission or purpose. I really do believe that. Every single person created, whether they believe in God or not, has a purpose for being on this planet. It is a lie from the enemy of God that some people don’t have a reason for being alive.

So why is it so hard for us to know what that purpose or mission is?

The thing I learned about God is that He rarely forces His plan on us. Unless your name is Jonah getting swallowed by a giant fish, or Saul/Paul falling down blind on the road to Damascus, God patiently works with us, nudging us, sometimes waiting for us to be ready for His plan for our lives.

In a way it would be nice if He did strike us blind or have a giant fish swallow us. It’s not that He doesn’t make His mission for us clear. We just don’t always pay attention what He is telling or showing us. We are too busy doing our own thing.

[I have a free ebook for you if you want some ideas about how to discover your mission—21 Ways to Discover Your Mission. You can grab your free copy at the end of this blog post.]

I have noticed something about people who know what their mission and purpose is. They have a confidence about them. Here are 5 reasons why I think they have this confidence:

They keep on even when it’s hard. By “keep on” I mean that when a person knows what their purpose in is they don’t let failure or obstacles shut them down. They confidently keep going on, not really expecting things to get easier necessarily, but because they know that it was they are supposed to do. They don’t second guess their purpose just because life got tough.
They remain humble. I find this interesting. When someone knows their mission, they become very good at it. It can give them reason to pridefully boast. However, usually they are the opposite. Knowing their purpose breeds a humble confidence.
They resist distractions. Distractions come in many forms—busyness, lies, doubters. I think the biggest distraction for us today is busyness. When you know your purpose, you know what to say no to. You actually can live a simpler life knowing that you aren’t missing out on something that you should be doing.
They gain their strength from the source of the mission. When a person knows that their mission is God-given, they look to Him for their strength to accomplish that mission. Confidence comes from knowing that God will give them everything they need to fulfill their purpose, including strength, wisdom, and resources.
They know their identity. When you know who you are, who is in control of your life, and what your purpose is, confidence naturally flows from you.

Here is a simple question. Do you want to live life with the confidence that you are doing what God planned for you? You can.

In my podcast intro I also say that our mission or purpose might change from season to season. It has for me. That implores us to continue seeking God about His plan for us.

I really do think the free ebook, 21 Ways to Discover Your Mission, can help you explore what God’s mission is for you. You can get your free copy below.

Have you found that knowing your mission gives you confidence? I want to hear from you! Please leave a comment below about your experience.