Posted in Special Events on September 20, 2012| 1 Comment »
Greg Lucas will close our conference on November 8, The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability.
If you’ve not read Wrestling with an Angel and are not sure who Greg Lucas is and what he might have to offer, here’s a five minute introduction:
I hope to see you on November 8.
Posted in Special Events on September 19, 2012| 3 Comments »
The most obvious way – come to the conference! We would love to see you on November 8 at Bethlehem’s North Campus for The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability. God has done some interesting things in my life at conferences I have attended. Some of the people I have ‘run into’ at conferences have become much-loved and valued friends.
But we know some of you can’t travel for any number of reasons. You’ll be able to watch it live at http://www.desiringGod.org/live. I have heard of three churches that are considering gathering people together that day so they can learn and discuss together! If you are part of a church or organization that would like to do so, we ask only that you not charge for the event and let us know how it went afterward.
And for those of you who can’t travel and can’t watch, it will be posted at desiringGod.org at some point following the conference. Lord willing, the conference messages will be available to encourage, challenge, and convict people about God’s good design in disability until Jesus returns. I’m grateful for Desiring God and for the people who support Desiring God for making these resources freely and easily accessible.
So, you have options! But I still hope you come if you can to experience it with me in person.
Posted in Scripture on September 18, 2012| 1 Comment »
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
(Isaiah 40:28 ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:3-7 ESV)
Posted in Quotes, Special Events on September 17, 2012| 1 Comment »
Why come to or watch The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability on November 8?
To hear from a man who lives with chronic pain and talks about God like this:
(If) we are Christians, then we can be sure beyond all doubt that God is causing all things—including all of our suffering at the hands of evil persons—to work together for good because he has called us according to his purpose (see Rom. 8:28). We can be sure that even the worst of our suffering will someday be revealed to be an integral part of “all the good that is ours in Christ” (Philem. 6, RSV). For God has promised this. And God’s promises are as deeds already done.
Mark Talbot, “’All the Good That Is Ours in Christ’: Seeing God’s Gracious Hand in the Hurts Others Do to Us,” in Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. Edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor, p. 72.
Posted in Special Events on September 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Why come to or watch The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability on November 8?
To hear from a woman who has lived with significant suffering and who has learned something about Jesus:
It’s in our suffering that we can truly begin to identify with (Jesus). We can finally get a tiny taste of what he was willing to endure out of his love for us. This is the deep knowing most of us have at least said we wanted, though we never thought it would cost us this much.
Guthrie, Nancy (2009-06-29). Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow (p. 6). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Posted in Special Events on September 15, 2012| 1 Comment »
Why come to or watch The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability on November 8?
To hear from a man who has lived with significant suffering because of disability, and who loves his son and the God who gave him that boy.
Every specialist we saw would add something new to the spectrum of possible disorders. Simple Seizure Disorder was followed by Cerebral Palsy, followed by Sensory Integration Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Non-Otherwise Specified (whatever that means), and finally Autism.
To this day, no one is quite sure what’s wrong with Jake. But I know what is right with him. He is my son. And not only did God see fit to bring this exceptional child into our family, but He used Jake as a miraculous messenger of saving grace.
When people ask me how I became a follower of Jesus, I always tell them that a two-year-old, non-verbal, mentally disabled, autistic boy led me straight to the cross and since then has been used to display God’s grace in the most amazing ways.
Lucas, Greg (2010-09-07). Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disability and the Lessons of Grace (Kindle Locations 711-717). Cruciform Press. Kindle Edition.
Posted in Special Events on September 14, 2012| 1 Comment »
In addition to Desiring God’s November 8 Conference, The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability, Nancy Guthrie will be speaking at A Special Moms Day Away on November 10 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.
This is a wonderful event for moms, and a good way to introduce young moms who are new to disability to solid teaching and to women with wisdom and experience from living this life for many years. Many moms of children with disabilities from Bethlehem have attended in the past and been encouraged, including my Dianne.
They’ve built a nice program for the day in addition to Nancy. Bob and Mary Horning (parents of Krista) and Lisa and Larry Jamieson of Walk Right In Ministries are also speaking. Any one of the sessions is worth more than the $10 registration fee, and they throw in lunch.
I’m grateful to link arms with Grace Church in making much of God through his creation with disabilities. They have been a real friends to Bethlehem over the years. Their Barnabas Disability Ministry is older, larger, and more comprehensive than Bethlehem’s Disability Ministry – they have kindly helped us many times!
Posted in News on September 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Mike Farris of Home School Heartbeat Radio recently interviewed Krista Horning about her disabilities, God, and hope.
All five 2-minute programs and their transcripts can be found here, along with Krista’s entire interview. You really should listen to the entire interview to hear Krista’s impact on Mike Farris – she blew him away and it isn’t as apparent in the five two-minute interviews.
I’ve known Krista for more than a decade and heard her speak several times. God helped her take his story of his goodness in her life to a whole new level in these interviews. This is a clear articulation of experiencing the goodness of God in the midst of a hard circumstance. And it is full of references to God’s word!
I was also pleased to see that her book, Just the Way I Am: God’s Good Design in Disability was prominently mentioned as a resource for families like ours!
Mr. Farris ended the fifth interview this way:
Krista, my calculations say that this is my 565th program of Home School Heartbeat. Nothing has touched me like this one. This is an amazing story.
Amen.
Reminder: Krista will be speaking immediately following Pastor John’s presentation at our conference, The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability. She will also be attending the conference all day.
Posted in commentary on September 11, 2012| 1 Comment »
We knew we would have a significant need for volunteers (again) for the disability ministry, and it was particularly true at the North Campus. Many prayers were being offered up to God.
God brought a godly man, a long-time member at Bethlehem, with skill in videography and a heart for the ministry to Brenda Fischer, our disability ministry coordinator, with an offer to make a free video.
That video showed this past weekend, just two weeks before everything kicks off and with a large need for volunteers remaining.
God moved – addressing the entire need for volunteers at the North Campus in one day and giving the North Campus two available substitutes! Brenda summed it up really well when she told me, “isn’t this awesome!”
Yes, it is, because God did it all, and we’re happy to give him all the glory and to freely enjoy the benefits of his kindness toward us.
Rick Busch is the man who did the video below. I’m grateful God put us on his heart, and also grateful God provided some immediate encouragement to Rick’s work.
We haven’t stopped praying – our needs continue to be significant. And we would be pleased to have even more families join us, though it will once again strain Brenda and her team’s ability to respond. God will help.
The Works of God 
Pray for the families ‘over there’
Posted in commentary on September 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I have a friend in one of the current violent hot spots of the world. He is bringing the good news to a very dark place spiritually.
And he is the parent of a child with a disability along with some other serious health issues in other members of the family.
I don’t know how many missionary families there are in the world who are also experiencing disability, but I know it is more than one! And, realistically, every missionary family will be confronted by disability because disability is everywhere.
I am feeling Paul’s call to the church in fresh ways:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)
I emailed my friend because I was concerned about him and wanted him to know I was praying for him. Here was his response:
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but that hit me right between the eyes with its truth! The reality of sin is so dark and so twisted, yet we seek to hide it in pretty packages of intelligence or wealth or power. Those violent images on my screen don’t even begin to show how truly evil we are without God giving us beating hearts for him and spiritual eyes to see.
Our primary problem is not disability. Sin is far worse.
Please pray for those in dangerous places who God is using to bring his glorious light into darkness.
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