Every tongue and tribe and nation

     Vásárnap este is the Sunday night service at Calvary Chapel Budapest. From time to time, the service is quiet, unplugged, candlelit as young Hungarians--a new generation of believers--worship together.

     Click the link to hear a familiar song in a strange language that reminds us that one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

From the Midwest to Central Europe to the ends of the earth!

Man and Wife

Part Two.

Five years ago, I attended a wedding here in Hungary as a contented, single woman. I saw the value of a life in which marriage was given up "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven", in which--for me--my kids would be found in my classroom and my family would be of the eternal sort. I even made a joke about not coming to Hungary to get married.

 I still do brazenly tell my students to seek God's best instead of automatically asssuming and seeking a married life, but now I can add a bit more grace and understanding for those who hope for marriage. Now, I'm married, myself.

Shocking, but true! Eric and I are into month five of married life and see already how God uses not only the single people but also the married ones to live bold lives of faith "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven". My heart of hidden selfcenteredness shows up more clearly in marriage; my pride rears its head as I live in such close fellowship. But bringing such sin into the light is a relief and a challenge. There will be eternal ramifications and rewards for this life as well as results in the meantime.  I'm learning to love my classroom kids in wiser and deeper ways, and now I get to love my husband, too.

God is using marriage to change my heart.

This growth is a marvelous gift to me as I see more clearly that things "for the sake of the kingdom" are all for God's glory and also my good.  I get to benefit from God's goodness and his kingdom work.

These thoughts are still in formation as this life stage is quite new and frenzied, but I wanted to let you know that I am loving being "man and wife".

Bridal Shower

The ladies of ICSB and the surrounding community amaze me. Last night, the middle school principal and the school director's wife hosted an "Around the Clock" bridal shower for me, and 40 people came. On a school night. For two hours. They brought with them the encouragement and love of four years, as well as gifts, laughter, and prayer. It was quite a night!

Eric stopped by to load all the loot into the car and couldn't help but make lots of shower jokes. Even today at school, he's thanking everyone for all the soap. In spite of showers being oddities to men, he, too, is so grateful for the ladies' generosity and amazed at the strong turn out.

Thanks, dear Budapest friends! I'm certainly feeling more bridal.

With love and gratitude,

"You don't have to pay."

Simultaneous generosity from a new landlord and failure with a student taught me about grace that is costly and free.

First, as Eric moved into what will soon be our new home together, the landlords made the most unexpected and generous of statements. Regarding rent for the first month, "You don't have to pay." Instead, this school family wanted us to buy things that the apartment needed. "Go to IKEA. Maybe buy some curtains." Really?? A month's rent worth of curtains and fixtures and fixings? What generosity!

I was actually taken aback by the gracious offering. It seemed too good. I didn't want to misunderstand or offend our landlords, who happen to be from a culture different from my own. Surely they didn't mean a month in an apartment for free. But they did. This is the rich abundance of grace.

At the same time, back at school, I was not living in quite the same thankful euphoria. A student had asked me to help with an important task as she applied to a prestigious university. I was determined to get it right for her. Instead, my portion was drawn out and the deadline passed without it reaching completion. I failed, utterly. My reaction was disbelief, mortification, and regret. How could I let her down? This moment demonstrated the reality of my sin.

But God (don't you just love that phrase?) took care of the situation and taught me an important lesson. The student had other teachers also working on the application, and she forgave my hurtful blunder. It cost her something, though. My mistake had consequences. Her forgiving response wasn't easy. This is grace.

 God's favor is more abundant than I can really grasp, and he lavishes it on me in love through Jesus. When I actually notice grace, I'm amazed by the power of it to redeem, loose, and equip.  At the same time, such grace isn't without great cost. Christ himself  faced the utter rejection, the horrible punishment, the agony of my sin.

Grace is costly, but it is freely given to me.