Noah, Noah, Noah.

While my legal employment status is still "volunteer non profit" most people venturing far enough into my reality to land here would know me as most do, as a Christian missionary living in New Zealand. As such, similar to most people in full time ministry my life often feels like a fish bowl. I'm the orange little goldfish with massive eyes swimming around eating rocks while the rest of the world stand as spectators outside the glass, with a view a very unique view into my life. Thanks to social media, not only do I live in a fish bowl to the other staff and students around me but also to countless friends, family, supporters, church leaders, former employers and ministry contacts in numerous countries, time zones and places around the world. With this understanding I try (with a fair amount of self control) to not post statements on politics, global crisis, cultural discussions, etc. Nor do I usually post on other people's sometimes bold statements. This does not mean that I refrain from these discussions completely I just choose to have them privately and in person with the full acceptance that; sometimes I just don't know that much. (James 3:1).

Within the next few days my Facebook will read something along the lines of "Night in the city. Movie time!" So today I want to try and write a quick bit about why I will be going to see the movie "Noah."

The past many days I've seen a lot of friends post things on Facebook and Twitter about "boycotting" the movie "Noah" that will hit New Zealand theaters tomorrow. Something about it just didn't sit well in my spirit about it so I spent some time in prayer and reflection as I ran along the beach yesterday. (Get the irony there with that water????) So here's what I've come up with;

1. Frozen (x2), Catching Fire (x3) Justin Beiber, 12 Years a Slave, Give me Shelter, Madea's Christmas, Walter Mitty, The Book Thief. That's a list of the movies coming to mind that I've seen in theaters in the last many months.  A lot of Christians I know have seen those movies, most people I know saw "Frozen" and didn't think twice about boycotting it. It's sweet and innocent. Whether every lesson in Frozen is something we want our little girls picking up and acting out. (Clearly I don't want Isabelle or Faith coming home with a fiancé a day after meeting him, or consulting rock trolls after a major injury!) but the over all message of the movie was sweet. I've had multiple discussions with my 8 year old niece about the topics of fear, love and redemption because of the movie Frozen. If an eight year old can find glimpses of Jesus in Disney, I am convinced an adult can in Noah. At the end of the day I believe all things belong to my God and all things point to Him. And if it's not obvious, as a Christian it's my job to find him, to point to him in all things.

2. "It's not theologically sound." This is the argument I hear the most. I have a hard time thinking of a movie that's been made in my life time (or that ones I've seen made before that) that have been incredibly theologically sound. In all honesty I just think there are very few people on the planet today who can make that claim. Most of us can say the words correctly and sound good but your average person has a very, very loose grasp on theology. At the end of the day, I believe scripture is living and breathing. John 1:1 says God IS the word. That means scripture is alive! It's living and breathing, it's moving! If this were just a book maybe we could know it completely and fully grasp it's entirety but it's not. This is a person. I cannot and will not make an absolute statement on a real person. Until heaven as much as I want to, I cannot know the depths of His heart, I will spend my life searching for them but I just can't know it all and retain my humanity.

3. This is the part that prickled my spirit the most, Christians? We're just notorious for this nit picky judgmental behavior.  Do we have to take a moral and ethical stand on things, YES! For me personally this has meant major decisions about what I put in and on my body this year.
(And I am writing this still never having seen the movie, there is a point when I am very comfortable walking out of a movie theater even after having paid for a ticket. But I also am walking into this knowing that during Noah's day even God himself was horrified by the state of the world. I expect it to be artfully shown that the earth was disgusting!) Is this a Hollywood movie? Yes. There's a lot of people who stand to make a lot of money from us going to see this. Will there be parts that I wish they'd left out or added? I'm sure. But will God be mentioned? I bet He will! And unlike most movies I've seen this year I'm betting he's going to be an active part. I bet He's going to hold power. I bet he will demand something of Noah's life. And that's a heck of a lot more credit that He got in Frozen. I've just seen in my own life in the last many years a lot of times where I argued, I "took a stand" and was right and correct and moral and ethical and I hurt a lot of people. (My own family included). I tarnished my ministry. I turned people away from the truth. And I made Jesus look like a judgmental jerk! I've learned that a lot of times my best ministry is to just keep my mouth shut and love someone.

4. At the end of the day my God is creative. A few weeks ago I spent a week doing a "Noah and the Ark" unit in the daycare I run. I spent a week teaching really little ones that our God is a redemptive artist both in history and in them. We spent days finding things in creation, things that God created that we could create with. (Similar to my grasp of the flood and the earth post flood). I'm one of those things. I'm one of those things created in the hand of God that's been made dirty and gross by this earth but through great pain, violence and sacrifice I've been made new. Whether they get all the details right or not, I'm going to celebrate that. I'm going to celebrate a God whose in and through out art, music and film. I believe this could be a tool; a tool for conversation, for social interaction, for bridge building and at the end of the day a time to love. It's Hollywood guys, whether we like it or not people are going to see this movie. It's not the "unsaved' who are going to boycott this movie but Christians. Their going anyways, why not find a friend and take em to dinner and a movie and get the conversation going? Get them talking, save a few things and than shut your mouth and love em.

Last post from the old side of a new year.

Didn't realize we're already at the half way point of the first quarter schools. It's been over a month since I've been back in New Zealand. I've been busier than ever running our child care program and Friday night Outreaches. Quicker than ever I'm walking through my last day as a 28 year old.

It's an odd anxiousness this year. 29 is big to me because it ushers in the next year..... The years go by faster and faster the older I am. This has been a year of high highs and sometimes life altering lows. I wrote in my journal today, "as anxious as I am to turn another year old, I will be glad to turn the page on what has felt like a "Job" year.  But in the spirit of perspective and in honor of the ones fighting for me I'm choosing to recount the top ten moments of my 28th year before an update on the last month.

In no particular order the "highest highs" of the last year:
1. Surprising my family by flying back to Minnesota for 2 weeks in May. Keeping that secret for as long as I did and pulling off that surprise was a once in a lifetime opportunity.
2. Finally finding a medical reason behind my health crisis in April-May of 2013 and seeing really quick reversal of damage.
3. Onething 2013 in Kansas City, Missouri.
4. God through generous supporters providing the finances to get back to Minnesota and family for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years' 2013.
5. Meeting Judy and Natalie Lomax and Steph Carmack (3 of the 4 most amazing roommates), getting to spend the bulk of this last year living with them and my best friend.
6. Along with my Mom taking BOTH nieces to Disney On Ice. (A fourth trip for Izze and I and a first for Mom and Faith).
7. "Angels and Mortals" during the 2013 Snowboarder Discipleship Training School.
8. 40 Day Daniel Fast through the month of August and September. The lessons I learned through that journey with God changed the course of my year.
9.  Watching my amazing little sister decide to live a sober life.
10. Being in Minnesota during the Polar Vortex and 5 SNOW DAYS! (Which means lots of sleepovers with my niece and LATE night t.v. binging with Mom).


Photo's of some of the things I've been doing for the last month.

3 yr old Miss Mira (my only full time girl) and her "Mandi Hair Do" Apparently I can rock a messy bun. 

How you can find me most days: crayons, stickers and glue in hand.

Our converted garage classroom. We love having our own special space. 

Reading animated stories on the iPad. (Our favorite apps? Endless Alphabet, Duplo Trains and Circus, Reading Rainbow, Max and Ruby Science and Wheels on the Bus piano player)

During "Color Week." We had a "color of the day" that we would wear and look for. Each day the kids would cut, paste and color in books I made them that said "God's Colorful World." Here is almost two year old Sparrow using glue and scissors for the first time on "yellow day." 

We've had a rainy few weeks so here's the kids with our "indoor sidewalk." I collapsed our snack table and covered it with butcher paper. The rain can't keep us from having fun with chalk.

Jonathan's portion of the sidewalk. (He is so proud of the rock he broke while we were working on David and Goliath).

One year old Benejah's first time with Play-doh. (Mostly successful in keeping it out of his mouth).

A last minute DIY painting smock for Sparrow. (I cut a scrap of fabric into a baby sized poncho to use over her diaper)

Finger paints. One of the lessons I've learned is that although the prep takes a long time and the messes seem endless, these are special memories that kids will have forever and little moments to help them remember big lessons are always worth it.

Finger painting during Color Week.

Three in my lap, sharing my snack and reading Toy Story.

What a typical "To-Do" list looks like for me. (Reminding myself to shower and  eat. With some last minute add-on's by my best friend who found it. Reminding me to spend time with God and her ;) 

Ice cubes dyed with food coloring for non-toxic messy fun.

Getting a 6, 3, and 1 year old on a schedule that's successful for all of us has been a challenge but we've finally found our niche. One of my little world changers during his morning nap. 

Messy fun with ice cube paints. 

A messy art activity even the youngest can enjoy.

Benejah is an outside boy. There is nothing wrong in the world if he is in his pouch and we're headed out. I spend a lot of my mornings with him strapped to my chest or back. (And you won't catch me complaining). 

Our treasures during "Creation' week. We were finding new art supplies that God created that we could use to create something new. The sticks became mobiles along with the leaves and pine cones were painted.

"My Little Book of God's Big Creation" A new page for each day of creation, a week long project.

Reading time, cuddled around the heater.

My blue eyed boy. Not so impressed with my chicken noises.

Mira's creation mobile.

Our signs to help cheer on Xavier's basketball game. (There is a family here with three school aged boys I watch occasionally).

Our classroom rules.

Zack and I cheering on his younger brother Xavier at last Friday's basketball game.