Pastor Jay //

It is traditional at the Raines’ home to set up our Christmas decorations around Thanksgiving time so that we will have time to enjoy them through the holiday season. Everyone seems to have their own traditions about when to set up the tree. I have often heard people tell of their own family traditions regarding the “setting up” of Christmas. However, I don’t recall as many people telling about how they “pack up” Christmas. There is nothing really very exciting about packing it away. After the house is canvassed for all the Christmas paraphernalia, and all of the red, green and gold items are placed safely in their respective storage tubs and boxes, the house looks so bare. Inevitably, there will be that one item of Christmas decorations that was missed from being packed away. At our house it is usually the Christmas welcome mat or the door knob hanger at the back door - another reminder of how quickly Christmas comes and goes each year.

The difficulty for many after Christmas is that there is so little left after the holidays are over. We were in such a hurry to get there that we let it pass right by us like a train that left before we could board. Take your cues from the mother of Christmas. Mary, the mother of Christ, had a remedy for the “packing up blues.” Luke 2:19 says, “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.? (NKJV) What was it that she kept? She probably didn’t keep the gifts, since the wise men were two years away from coming (Matthew 2:16) and those gifts probably financed their Egypt tour anyway. So, what did she keep? The memories: the angel Gabriel, the story the shepherds told, Joseph’s dream, the unforgettable moment of first holding Creator God in her arms? The events that happened in those moments, have changed our lives forever. We cannot pack up Christmas. How could anyone fit it in a box? We can only pack up the wrappings and trappings of Christmas. The birth of Jesus effects us every day. So, go ahead and pack up the decorations with joy. Joy because while packing it away you can celebrate that Christmas cannot be packed away. Christmas for us simply means a beginning instead of an end. Christ entered the world and brought hope that can never be removed, stored away or hidden from us. Merry Christmas!

In honor of the upcoming release of Chronicles of Naria: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, I have updated the look and feel of the site. I would encourage you to look into the writings of C.S. Lewis. He was a tremedous Christian. Many have come to know Christ because of his writings and influence. I have enjoyed listening to the radio drama version of the Chronicles for the last couple of months anticipating the release of this movie.

While Lewis admits that these stories are not an allegory of the Christian life, you will notice many parallels with our world and our faith in Christ and this “other world” called Narnia. Even though there are many parallels, you will have to be careful not to make too many connections between Narnia and our world. Enjoy.

As I find information about Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), I will be putting it here. You need to be informed about this research procedure. Many are saying that it is nothing less than what they did to Dolly the sheep, only now they are using humans.

Missouri Baptist Form Letter
SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Statement
Baptist Press story about Blunt and Missouri Baptists

Re-entry from space is considered the most dangerous part of space exploration. The same can be true of re-entry from a mission trip. There are so many emotions that occur after you get home. I noticed an article this week about coming home from a sabbatical that helped me with re-entry. The article said that returning from a sabbatical (study leave) is like getting on a moving train - you do not make a standing leap! You have to run along side the train for a while and then make the jump. When it comes to returning home from a mission trip, I think the word picture would be more like jumping from one moving train to another with them going in opposite directions!

I have to admit. Coming home from Romania was more difficult than going. This is true for me in several ways:

American Christians don’t get it - Everything comes to us so easily. Food is fast if we need it. Travel. Language. School. Communication. etc. In the middle of all this ease and comfort, we have become extremely apathetic. Why do we really need God if we can take care of ourselves? Most Americans have an attitude that does not allow God to work. We are more concerned about our rights. In fact, we come to God with our rights, saying to Him, “God, I deserve….” We don’t deserve anything. We don’t deserve to have been born in a home with floors, running water, bathrooms. We don’t deserve to have good jobs. “Deserve” is definitely the wrong idea. We just don’t get it.

American Christians are oblivious - We are so far removed from suffering that we have created our own version of suffering. We are so far from real struggles that we believe our daily struggles are significant.

I am lacking spiritually - I have so much to learn about God and His word. I was humbled by our missionary’s ease of quoting scripture. It has challenged me to memorize more of God’s word.

The world is so lost - Even many in the world out there that may know about Jesus are missing a personal relationship with Him.

I am just one - There seems to be so little that I can do, I need to get more people involved. I am prayerfully seeking other churches to join us in our efforts with Galati.

So, getting off of the missions train and onto the pastor train was a little bumpy. One leap doesn’t do it. It has taken me a week to disembark from one, re-orient myself, start running for the other, and making the jump. Someday, maybe we can get this train turned around. The Romanians may actually have it better than we think.

The Reality: 7 Truths from Experiencing God Series is about to begin. This graphic illustrates the progression of all Seven of the Realities that we will be studying in September and October. It shows how God is at work and invites us into his plan.

Beginning September 11, you are invited to join in this study of Henry Blackaby’s teachings on how to know and do the will of God. We will look at each of the seven realities for 7 weeks. Here is how you can get involved:

Have you ever wondered how you can know God’s will for you life. You will learn some practical insights as we learn the ways of God and begin to recognize his fingerprints in our lives. Once you know God’s ways, it becomes easier to know and follow His will.

My life has been profoundly impacted by the truths that I learned from Henry Blackaby 15 years ago. My prayer is that this study would make a great impact on your life also.

We have just a few more weeks to plan for our Romania trip. Our Romania missionary, Troy Geddes, has laid out a great schedule that includes a tennis exposition, witnessing, several nights of crusades for David to preach, etc.

Packing: we all need to practice packing. I am hoping to have the team pack several days before we leave so that we can see what other things we might be able to take to the missionaries. I did an experiment coming to Virginia this week by packing only in my carry-on luggage. I am not sure if I will be able to get all of my Romania clothes in one carry-on, but if I did, it would leave 50+ pounds of room to bring stuff for Troy and family.

For my first post, I am sitting at the MLC (Mission Learning Center) computer lab in Richmond, VA. It is part of the IMB (International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention). This is the place where the missionaries are trained that go all over the world for us.

It is amazing to think of all the influence that those who pass through this place will have. I can’t wait to come home and share some of the experiences and stories that I have heard and experienced here.