Posts Tagged ‘friends’

12 Dollars of Christmas: The Malouf Family

December 25th, 2008

This post is part of the 12 Dollars of Christmas series I’m doing, sharing with you about different charities and people who are making a difference for God’s kingdom and asking you to join me in praying for them and in giving $1 dollar (or more) to each of them.

I think I’ve known David and Tara Malouf for over 10 years now. There’s a lot I could say about David and Tara and their beautiful children, Mikaela and Luc. There is no other family (besides my own) that has had as much of an influence on me over the years as the Malouf’s – they even welcomed me into their home for a time when I was in college and allowed me to literally be a part of their family. If you’ll let me, I’d love to tell you a little bit about each of them and what God is doing in them and through them now:

David was my youth pastor when I was in High School, but even though I at first wrote him off as weird, goofy and a “typical youth pastor” I know now that David was never really a typical youth pastor (although he can be a bit “weird and goofy” at times, but I’ve grown to love that now) J David didn’t really fit the mold of what churches look for in a “pastor”, but I would argue that a pastor is EXACTLY was David is – he’s a pastor in the real, biblical sense of the word. David pastors people, he shepherds people, he comes along side people and mentors people. David has been a spiritual father to me and many others throughout the years and I know few people as wise and insightful as he is.

Where David has been a spiritual father to me and it has been his instruction, teaching, and guidance that I have sought when I want answers, Tara has been a spiritual mother to me and it has been her encouragement, strength and ability to speak truth into my life that I have sought out during every period of emotional turmoil over the past few years. Like David, Tara is also a born mentor and is gifted at coming along side of people and walking with them. Tara has a way of drawing people’s deep heart’s out into the open and giving healing space and love. She has a heart for people. Tara is also the first person who taught me by example what it looks like to really wrestle WITH God, not against him. She’s always been honest about her struggles and questions and it has drawn me and others around her to be honest with her as well. I love Tara and if there’s one person I would like to be more like, it’s her. If you want to know more about Tara, I wrote about her HERE a while back.

Mikaela and Luc are two of my favorite kids in the world. Mikaela and Luc are each so different and so unique, but they each love Jesus so much. And they “get Him” and what he calls them to be and do. There have even been more than a few times when one of them has said something that convicted me by their own eager wiliness to follow God and do what He wants. They may be young, but I have already seen God working in them and through them in such honest and true ways. I look forward to seeing where God takes them in the future.

There really is so much more that I could say about the Malouf family, but I’ll stop here to tell you a little bit about the work that God has called them to right now.

For the past few years the Malouf Family have been missionaries with OC International. “OC International is an agency that is dedicated to helping local churches and local Christians grow so that they in turn become those who are reaching others.” David and Tara are part of OC International’s team in the United States. I remember being so excited when I heard about what they are doing, because for as long as I have known David and Tara they have had a heart for the body of Christ in America and a desire for US churches to become healthy. David and Tara now get to be “able to challenge, coach and dream with churches about being healthy both now and in the future.” This is an incredible calling and it fits so perfectly with the unique gifts and passions that God has given this beautiful family.

I encourage you to check out their web site, HERE, and learn more about what God is doing through them and the rest of the OC International US team.for directions. All contributions are tax deductible.

And as part of my $12 dollars of Christmas series I encourage you to join me in praying for the Malouf’s over the Christmas season and I also encourage you to join me in sending $1 (or more) to the Malouf’s this Christmas to help support them and further the work God is doing through them. You can do this by credit card, automatic transfer, or by sending a check, cash or spare change. Just go to OC Internationals on-line giving page

Lord, thank you for the Malouf’s and for the ways that they have brought me to you and turned me towards you. Thank you for their honesty and how authentically they live life before you and others. I pray, Lord, for the work that you have called them to – I ask that you would bless it and them through it. I pray that you would continue to draw people to you through David and Tara. Use their passion and unique gifts to further your kingdom and bring your love and justice to those who are hurting and hurtful. Use them also to bring healing, love and peace to the body of Christ in America. In Jesus name. Amen.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

Photograph by Crissy Malouf

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12 Days of 12 Dollars of Christmas

December 24th, 2008

This year I wanted to celebrate and remember Christ’s incarnation for more than just one day on the 25th of December. I wanted a way to participate in and enter into Christmas for all 12 days of the Christmas season (December 25th until Epiphany on January 6th). So, I’ve been thinking about different things Bryan and I could do for the 12 days of Christmas, I had a lot of ideas that went through my head, but here are the things we stuck with:

-          We are going to read the Christmas story each of the twelve days of Christmas.

-          We are going to together read the book “The Story of the Other Wise Man” by Henry Van Dyke over the Christmas season. We’ll read seven pages a day to finish it in exactly 12 days. I’m really looking forward to this – I’ve read this book before and really liked it and I’m excited to share it with Bryan.

There’s one more thing we decide to do, but it takes a bit more explanation and it involves YOU and this blog.

-          Each of the twelve days of Christmas I will write about a different charity, non-profit, or missionary family here on the blog. Most of them will be organizations and people who Bryan and I have some kind of relational connection with. This will be a way for you all to find out about some great organizations and people and a way for me to advocate on behalf of others about the wonderful work that God is doing around the world. But, there’s more… Bryan and I will also be giving at least $1 dollar to each of these charities/people. I know $1 dollar isn’t much, just $12 dollars for the whole Christmas season. But, here’s where YOU come in. Each day as I talk about these people and companies I’m going to ask YOU (my readers) to also give just $1 dollar (or more if you’re able). I figure $1 dollar isn’t much for any one person to give, but if we each give $1 then it could definitely add up. So, I look forward to telling you all about some great organizations and people over the next few days and I hope you will join me in supporting the work God is doing through them and praying for each of them over the Christmas season.

So, what are you doing over the 12 days of Christmas? I’d love to hear your ideas for this special holiday season and how you are remembering the incarnation of God and stepping into incarnational living yourself.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Yoga and Prayer: Psalm 107

October 23rd, 2008

Tonight I had a few lady friends over to do yoga with me. We lit some candles and prayed and moved together. It was very relaxing and I felt so grateful to be able to do it. Afterwards we spontaneously decided to do dinner. The husbands joined us and we had a great time talking casually about a vast variety of topics (just for an idea of what we covered: we went from talking about the Lord’s Supper, to the resurrection, to politics, to abortion, to blogging and much more). It was a wonderfully relaxed and comfortable time with friends, filled with good conversation and plenty of laughter. Thank you, Jesus, for friends like these.

So, here’s what we did for yoga and prayer this week:

I began by reading part of Psalm 107 from The Message:

“Oh, thank God – he’s so good!
His love never runs out.
All of you set free by God, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.”

Grab ankle’s and on your inhale push your chest and stomach forward arching your back, and on your exhale round your back and push all the air out of your chest and stomach – do at least 10 of these

Grab knees and make large circles with your chest – inhaling as you push your chest forward and to the left and exhaling as your chest rounds back and to the right – do at least 10 and then go the other direction doing at least 10 circles the other way

Gentle neck rolls

Then I read some more from Psalm 107:

“Some of you wandered for years in the desert,
looking but not finding a good place to live,
Half-starved and parched with thirst,
staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God.
He got you out in the nick of time;
He put your feet on a wonderful road
that took you straight to a good place to live.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
He poured great draughts of water down parched throats;
the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.”

Cat cow pose

Downward facing dog

Child’s pose

Downward facing dog

Low lung both sides

Downward facing dog

Plank

Sphinx

Downward facing dog

Child’s pose

Hero’s pose

Psalms 107:

“Some of you set sail in big ships;
you put to sea to do business in faraway ports.
Out at sea you saw God in action,
saw his breathtaking ways with the ocean:
With a word he called up the wind -
an ocean storm, towering waves!
You shot high in the sky, then the bottom dropped out;
your hearts were stuck in your throats.
You were spun like a top, you reeled like a drunk,
you didn’t know which end was up.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He quieted the wind down to a whisper,
put a muzzle on all the big waves.
And you were so glad when the storm died down,
and he led you safely back to harbor.
So thank God for his marvelous love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
Lift high your praises when the people assemble,
shout Hallelujah when the elders meet!”

Twists

Forward bend

Tailor pose

Wide legged forward bend

Bridge pose

Knees to chest and twists

Savasana

Psalms 107:

“Then he changed wasteland into fresh pools of water,
arid earth into springs of water,
Brought in the hungry and settled them there;
they moved in – what a great place to live!
They sowed the fields, they planted vineyards,
they reaped a bountiful harvest.
He blessed them and they prospered greatly;
their herds of cattle never decreased.
But abuse and evil and trouble declined
as he heaped scorn on princes and sent them away.
He gave the poor a safe place to live,
treated their clans like well-cared-for sheep.”

Pranayama – Alternate nostril breathing

Peace be with you.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany

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“I get by with a little help from my friends”

October 1st, 2008

Ok, so the last 2 weeks have been really hard for me and I think that they have been especially hard because I’ve felt really alone in the things that I have been going through. I think that is largely my fault. I think I have in many ways, conscious and unconscious, pulled away from people lately or only let them see little glimpses of what’s been going on in my heart. I’ve tried to focus on the good stuff and paint nice pictures for people and when things got deeper I quickly changed the subject or laughed it off. Even with Bryan. I mean, Bryan and I are definitely going through a lot together right now and we are together in it and walking through it together, but in many ways we have been dealing with it in our own ways on our own and that has added to my feeling of being alone in it.

This evening though, I had the humbling experience of twice listening to other people pray for me and my husband… it was humbling and uplifting. I deeply felt the tangible support of friends holding me and my husband and the situations we find ourselves in up to God. I remember thinking at one point tonight, “Lord, there is so much that I want to lift up to you, so many concerns and worries weighing on my heart, but they feel so heavy that I don’t think I even can lift them up to you.” And just after that someone else prayed and lifted me and the concerns of my life up to God. Twice tonight I was reminded of the story of when Aaron and Caleb (was it Caleb or someone else?) held up Moses hands because he couldn’t hold them up himself. I felt a little like that tonight. I felt bolstered, supported and held up tonight. I was reminded that I am not alone. God is with me, and he has also given me wonderful friends to walk through the journey with me. Thank you, Jesus.

I feel like this picture really sums up this post well. It’s a picture of my husband, Bryan, and our friend Mathias helping our friend’s baby, Isaiah up the slide. Isaiah loves to climb up the slide, but he’s too little to do it on his own. He needs other people to help him and push him up the slide. That’s what I felt like tonight, I felt like I needed other people to help me and push me up the slide to the throne of my King, and that is exactly what I got tonight.

And to each of my friends, here in Prague and other places around the world, thank you for supporting me. Thank you for pushing me up the slide. Forgive me for the times when I pull away from you and don’t let you into my life. Forgive me for the times when I don’t give you a chance to support me. And thank you for the ways in which you continue to pursue me and love me and lift me up.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

Photograph by Beth Stedman

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Fall and “Magic Beans”

September 30th, 2008

Today Bryan and I took a walk to the book store. The leaves crunched under our feet. I pulled my scarf a little tighter to keep out the slight chill. We walked arm in arm. Today really felt like fall. I love the fall. It makes me happy.

On another note, here’s a little scene from the show Friends that’s been running through my head a lot lately:

Rachel: They want to know if I’m ok, ok, let’s see. Well, the FICA guys took all my money, everyone I know is either getting married, or getting pregnant or getting promoted and I’m getting coffee and it’s not even for me! So, if that sounds like I’m ok, then you can tell them that I’m ok, ok!

Monica: …hum, Rachel, has left the building, can you call back?

…

Monica: You should feel great about yourself you’re doing this amazing independent thing

Rachel: Monica, what is so amazing? I gave up, like, everything. And for what?

Phoebe: You’re just like Jack?

Rachel: Jack from down stairs?

Phoebe: No, Jack and the bean stalk.

Monica: Ah, the other Jack.

Phoebe: Yeah right, see he gave up something, but then he got those magic beans and then he woke up and there was this, this big plant outside his window full with possibilities and stuff, and he lived in a village and you live in The Village.

Rachel: Ok, Phoebes, Phoebes, Jack, gave up a cow, I gave up an orthodontist, I know I didn’t love him…

Phoebe: See, Jack did love the cow.

Rachel: But see it was a plan, it was clear, everything was figured out and now everything’s just kind of like…

Phoebe: Floopy.

Rachel: Yeah.

Monica: Well, you’re not the only one, I mean half the time we don’t know where we’re going. You just got to figure that at some point it’s all gonna come together and it’s just gonna be un-floopy.

Phoebe: Yeah, like that’s a word.

Rachel: Ok, but, Monica, what if it doesn’t come together.

Monica: …Phoebes?

Phoebe: Well, cause you just… I don’t like this question.

Rachel: Ok, see you guys, what if we don’t get magic beans? What if all we got are beans?

…

Rachel: I’m so sorry you guys, I didn’t mean to bring you down.

Monica: No, you were right… I don’t have a plan! Phoebe, do you have a plan?

Phoebe: I don’t even have a pla?

I keep thinking of that scene lately. I think it’s one of my favorite episodes in general, but lately I have really felt like I don’t even have a “pla”. I know that I don’t have to have everything figured out, but sometimes it would be nice to have a plan. This episode ends with the girls having lots of good conversations out on the balcony and then the whole gang playing twister. When Rachel’s credit card company calls again at the end she tells the guy on the other end, “I have magic beans!” And I always thought that was so powerful in a strange way – I mean she still didn’t have a plan, none of them did, they still didn’t have life figured out or necessarily know what they were going to do with their lives, but they had each other and after talking and sharing life together they figured they didn’t need a plan, they could make it, they had “magic beans” in that they had each other. I like that.

Today I’m grateful for the beauty of fall and the joy of good friends – I don’t need a plan, just some friends to walk through the floopiness with me.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany

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