We spent the weekend with my college roommate Gerry Andersen and his wife Julie.  Though we haven’t seen each other for almost twenty years, it’s like our relationship was on pause and we took up the conversation instantly.

Where Have They Been?

Gerry and Julie live in a small village in the mountains of Mexico with people who have never had their language in written form.

Think about that, if you are a native English speaker — Old English is one thousand years old and — Modern English has been in written form for almost five hundred years.

The dialect Gerry and Julie translate has only been in written form for the past decade.  Crazy!

What Do They Do?

The Andersens, and their native translation partner Juan, work tirelessly to craft a transition from the ancient New Testament text originally written in Greek into an equally noteworthy community language hidden on the Mexican jungle mountainsides.

Jesus Christ’s biographer Luke’s text is their current project.  The translation project is far along the road to completion, but as Julie explains, “the finish line is still ahead of us.  About 60% is publishable and the other 40% is in the last two stages of revision.”

One of the many challenges is trying to identify a local word which effectively expresses a two thousand year old biblical word.  The word “holy” is one a handful of the terms that is still being clarified.

In January Gerry started working on translating the New Testament book of Acts.  Juan has it already drafted, a huge head start that they didn’t have when they began translating Luke.

Why Do They Do It?

The Andersen’s work in Mexico means that they are far from family, far from friends in the U.S., far from the comforts they grew up with, learning a new language, a new culture, making new friends and (slowly) transforming lives.

Their work is distinct, compelling, tedious, and inspiring.  Gerry said that though the work is hard, and progress is slower than they would prefer, “I have the greatest job in the world.”

Q – Why do they do it?
A – They’re convinced that Jesus Christ is right:

“Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?” 1

Or, as the Andersen’s Mexican neighbors would say, “Pala ti laputun kilimakgelhtauakget, kalakgmakgalh na ixnakuj tu yakgxtunpuuan uan katayalh kakukalh ixcruz chaliyan uan kitakgokgelh.  Latsa ti makgputaxtiputun ixtatlauj yu nak kakilhtamakuj uatsa namakgasputkgo, chu pala ti makgasputli ixtatlauj yaka kilakachatun uatsa ixtatlauj namakgaputaxti.” 2

“What good would it do,” Jesus asked, “to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?“

Compelling words that the Andersen’s live by.
They’re two of my heroes, and I knew you’d want to know about them too.

1 – Luke 9:23-24, MSG
2 – Luke 9:23-24, TNT
3 – If you would like more information — or want to support their amazing work — email me at mysilentscreamforscott at gmail.com and I’ll gladly pass it onto them.

When we’re screaming nonsense, pounding on walls, swearing about our circumstances, and mumbling under our breath, we need hope; because , “A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.“  1

Worries tighten us up.

“If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over.” 2 Fortunately, there’s hope. 

And, now’s an ideal opportunity to introduce you to an uplifting, hope-filled song by India.Arie.

“There’s Hope“

Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was overrated,
but a lot was a little too complicated
You see, zero didn’t satisfy me
A million didn’t make me happy
That’s when I learned a lesson
That it’s all about your perception
Hey! Are you a pauper or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain’t about the size of your car
It’s about the size of the faith in your heart

[Chorus:]
There’s hope
It doesn’t cost a thing to smile
You don’t have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
[repeat]

There’s hope

Off in the back country of Brazil
A met a young brother that made me feel
That I could accomplish anything.
You see just like me he wanted to sing
He had no windows and no doors
He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eyesight,
but that didn’t keep him from seein’ the light
He said, what’s it like in the USA,
and all I did was complain
He said, Livin’ here is paradise
He taught me paradise is in your mind
You know that

[Chorus]

There’s Hope

Every time I turn on the T.V. (There’s Hope)
Somebody’s acting crazy (There’s Hope)
If you let it, it will drive you crazy (There’s Hope)
but I’m takin’ back my power today (There’s Hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (There’s Hope)
The government they keep on lying
but we gotta keep on surviving
Keep living our truth and do the best we can do

[Chorus]

Stand up for your rights [echo]
Keep shining your light [echo]
And show the world your smile [echo]

As my friend Dan Mutterer reminded me last night (using a poker illustration), it doesn’t matter nearly as much what hand your dealt, as how you play the hand you have.

As India.Arie would say, “That it’s all about your perception.”

Let’s not settle for pity. That’s mysilentscream!

1 – Proverbs 15:13, MSG
2 – Proverbs 17:22, CEV

… sometimes our hopes are dashed.

Our girlfriend is too manic.
Our boyfriend is too needy.
Our wife is too wounded.
Our husband is too self-centered.

And, it all comes crumbling down.

You can’t make her happy!
You can’t make him happy!
You feel so alone.

Left unchecked angry and loneliness are the ingredients for rage.

I hate this! Nothing makes sense.
I know I’m not good enough! And…
I know I will never be!

You, I assume are like me, and you “hear the roar of condemnation for past sins, feel gored by remorse, and sense hope itself slip away because of the terrible fierce ragings within?” 1

When that happens, shame builds and distorts.

I hate myself.
I hate everything that was me and still is.
I hate everything around me!
I hate me, you, and everything else.

Lies twist and contort, and drag us down, “I wish I WAS #^(<|~* DEAD!!!“

What can I do? Or, maybe, “That sounds like my friend, co-worker, brother, sister, etc. What can I do?”

“What can I recommend to someone who’s a lonely lover?”

Pray.  It might sound like an empty religious answer, but it’s not. “Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted.” 2

That help is life transforming for me.

“Now that we know what we have…Jesus…let’s not let it slip through our fingers. (He not) out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” 3

I Don’t Know How To Pray

We don’t always know why we should pray, how we should pray, what we should pray or whether it will “work.”

John Calvin, a man of great faith and faithfulness, struggled with that too. He wrote, that when we’re struggling, and we know we should have our eyes on God, and we should have our heart on good things, but “they faint and fail, and are carried in a contrary direction.” 4

When we’re screaming nonsense, pounding on walls, swearing about our circumstances, and mumbling under our breath, God understands us.

It’s then that God “does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” 5

My favorite prayer are:
I’m sorry…
Thank you…
Please…

If I Pray, What Happens When I Pray?

Sometimes nothing obvious
BUT if you’re like me, this is what you might get:

Sometimes he hugs us because of our sadness.
Sometimes he cries with us because of our hurts.
Sometimes he warns us because of our ignorance.
Sometimes he laughs at our silliness.
Sometimes he scolds our foolishness.
Sometimes he smacks us for our stupidity.

That’s why I fell in love with God.

1 – Mark Galli’s book Jesus Mean and Wild, pp. 25
2 – Hebrews 2:18, CEV
3 – Hebrews 4:14-16, MSG
4 – John Calvin’s Of Prayer — A Perpetual Exercise of Faith
5 – Romans 8:22-28, MSG

You tried, and tried, and tried, and failed.

And Now…

You feel frustrated because life sucks, and your daydream begins to feel like a nightmare.  “My days are over. My hopes have disappeared. My heart’s desires are broken.” 1 

And people find out what happened.  They start talking about what they think happened.  They start guessing what you did, or what you could have or should have done.  Then they start gossiping, “Their insults have broken my heart…If only one person would show some pity; if only one would turn and comfort me.” 2

Of course it get back to you, and now you feel worse.  “My grief is beyond healing; my heart is broken.” 3

It feels like no one will understand, no one can be trusted, and you’re stuck … alone.  “I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken. My spirit is poured out in agony…” 4

But…

As Robyn commented after yesterday’s post, “We can go to God when we have a broken heart =)”

Yes, we can.  One person prayed, ‘LORD, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs…” 5

God does see.
God does hear.
God does know.
God does care.
God does listen.
God does heal.
God does act.
God does love.

As much as I wish God did things my way — when I want it, the way I want it — God doesn’t 

God doesn’t see with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t hear with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t know with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t care with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t listen with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t heal with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t act with our limited perspective.
God doesn’t love with our limited perspective.

And, yet  keep praying, because we need…

God’s comfort more than we need our way.

God companionship more than we need our way.

Ever feel alone?  God’s waiting for you to start talking.

1 – Job 17:11
2 – Psalm 69:20
3 – Jeremiah 18:8
4 – Lamentations 2:11;1:20
5 – Lamentations 1:20

Don’t be Egotistical or a Know-It-All

Have you ever blurted something out without thinking it through?
Have you ever mumbled something incoherent to a crush?
Have you ever left a voicemail that sounded stupid, but you can’t take it back.
Have you ever regretted saying something before you even finished saying it?
Me too!

Last week we hosted our TreeHouse Live Out Love Gala. Country star Martina McBride was our featured guest. As her Q & A with our teens was ending I thought, “I should let her know that TreeHouse is even more special than she realizes.”

My intentions were innocent. I was thrilled with how engaging and enthusiastic our teens were at the Q & A, but I really wanted her to believe that TreeHouse wasn’t just special it was extraordinary.

Was I being a know-it-all?

Was I being condescending? Not intentionally so.

I was nervous. I’m passionate about TreeHouse and wanted to give Martina a greater sense of anticipation that there was even more to know about the TreeHouse teens, our mission and the methods we employ.

“Hi, my name is Scott. Thanks for being here to make our Gala even more special…(I don’t remember exactly what phrase I said here)…TreeHouse is even more special than you realize.”

She looked a little hurt. My boss, standing right there, looked annoyed. I felt dumb.

Was I being a know-it-all? Was I being condescending? Not intentionally so, but yes, I probably was. I was nervous talking to a celebrity. I was passionate about TreeHouse, but rude in my presentation.

I had not considered that I might talk to Martina McBride, so “thinking it through” never crossed my mind.

What could I have done differently? What should I do next time I might meet a celebrity?

I wish that I had done three things:

1. Prayed: When I pray to our Creator, “Please God help me to know what to say.”, I’m less nervous around people.

2. Paused. I was nervous. Then I felt rushed to capture the moment. I should not have rushed in.

3. Prepped. “When in doubt, check it out.” It’s a good rule to follow in a workplace. I should have asked my boss. He would have said, as he said later, “You don’t know how ‘special’ she thinks TreeHouse is.” And, he would have been right.

As dumb as I felt, a couple minutes later, my boss, Tom Richards, saw me beating myself up, leaned over and said, “Don’t worry about it.” The kindest words he ever said to me. It changed my whole evening for the better.

FYI – Tom told me “Don’t worry about it” at the time, but he’ll followup with coaching for me in our next meeting.

I’m still socially awkward at times, but as Norman Vincent Peale wrote, “Eliminate the ‘scratchy’ elements in your personality, traits that can irritate others.” I am.

I’m a work on progress, and so are you.

“Let’s keep growing together”, that’s mysilentscream.

The people are all people I know and respect, but I don’t know them well, nor do I know how they work together as a team.

Since I know that I can be socially awkward, especially when I am a little nervous I’m looking for suggestions to help make the transition smooth. The Bible gives some wise advice that I am embracing:

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 1

Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. 2

That got mind mind stirring; it got me thinking, how can I apply those in my life?

Years ago I found this list by Norman Vincent Peale that will help me, and may help you too.

10 Rules For Getting Along With People

Remember their names
Be comfortable to be with. Don’t cause strain in others.
Try not to let things bother you. Be easygoing.
Don’t be egotistical or know-it-all.
Learn to be interesting so that people will get something stimulating from being with you.
Eliminate the “scratchy” elements in your personality, traits that can irritate others.
Never miss a chance to offer support or say “Congratulations”.
Work at liking people. Eventually you’ll like them naturally.
Honestly try to heal any misunderstandings and drain off grievances.
Develop spiritual depth in yourself and share this strength with others. 3

1 – Romans 12:18, NIV
2 – Hebrews 12:14, CEV
3 – Norman Vincent Peale, source unknown

I feel most grateful to those readers – you know who you are – who subscribe to mysilentscream.com.

I often see errors – or my dear wife Amy points them out to me – that are caught after I “publish”.  You subscribers overlook my errors that are silently corrected in a subsequent edit so no one else has to tolerate them.

FYI – Before I hit “Publish” I realized that I misspelled “misspelled.” =D

My humble thanks to all of you readers!

Note – With all due respect to Gus Dallas and WestBow Press A Division of Thomas Nelson, if I am ever published, I hope no one writes a review of my work like I have written this one.

As I read through Gus Dallas’ book Proverbs: “Reconstructed” more than a few times I wondered why Dallas made some of the decisions he made, or why an editor let it go to print.

The chapters/sections are organized by 370 categories. Many of the categories are duplicated using a “Good” heading and a “Bad” heading. No explanation is given in the brief two-page preface for these distinctions. Nor does the preface explain whether or not all of the Proverbs have been categorized.

Ah, yes, the categories. I have a copy of Proverbs: “Reconstructed” in epub format. I was looking forward to using the links to study the categories and topics listed in the “Contents” section of Proverbs: “Reconstructed” that are particularly relevant to me.

Unfortunately – though there are many proverbs relevant to marriage – marriage and divorce are not listed, but Bear, Meddles, Shepard (sic) and Thorns are.

Jesus and Christian are listed, though the Proverbs were written before the birth of Christ or the church.

Conclusion:

Proverbs is a relevant and practical guide to life, but this book does not offer enough help to understand and apply the proverbs in order to recommend it.

I am an expert on the subject of typos having made many. Just in case someone at WestBow Press reads my review here are the other errors I noticed.

Words are simply misspelled:

Knowledge
Good
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from fis mouth come knowledge and understanding”
“fis” replaced his

Keys are hit twice thus misspelling words:

Mouth
Bad
“A fool’s lips enter into contention, Aand his mouth calls for blows.”
“Aand” replaced and

Wife
Good
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, Bbut she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
“Bbut” replaced but

Words are misspelled because an adjacent key was struck:

Pride
Bad
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but hw who trusts in the lord”
“hw” replaced he

Words are misspelled because a letter is missing:

Righteous
Good
“The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, ut the mouth…”
“ut” replaced but

Trouble
Good
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue eeps his soul from trouble.
“eeps” replaced keeps

Ways (Darkness-Paths)
Bad
“When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, iscretion will preserve you.”
“iscreation” replaced discretion

Words are misspelled because a letter was struck on the way to the space bar:

Witness
Bad
Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to thebman according to his work.”
“thebman” replaced “the man”

Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Shot Of Faith is not a light afternoon read, a relaxing bedside read before lights out at the end of a long day, this book is thought provoking and challenging.

Challenging intellectually stimulating atheists is not for the light at heart. Stokes takes us through three eddies of philosophical influence as he wades into their water.

Stokes argues that “there are three concepts — rationality, design, and absolute standards — connected through the notion of proper function.”

A rational belief is one that is formed by a cognitive faculty that is functioning properly (in the appropriate environment).

The proper function of something depends on how it was intended to function, on what it was designed to do.

The design is the standard by which we measure whether something is functioning properly.

Stokes argues that “either there’s no such thing as rationality (or irrationality) or else atheism is irrational. But atheists will heartily agree that there is such a thing as irrationality; they point to us as examples of it.”

Whether Stokes arguments are an intellectually satisfying “shot of faith” or an unsatisfying circular reasoning depends largely on how the reader responds to one of Stokes statements: “Rationality and irrationality require a divine designer.”

If you accept his statement as valid then you’ll agree, “if the atheist is right, and there’s no divine designer, then there’s no such thing as rationality (or irrationality, and so belief in God isn’t irrational). If the atheist is wrong, on the other hand, and there is a divine designer, then the atheist is irrational…”

While I enjoyed much of Stokes book I wasn’t always convinced by his reasoning.

What I did agree with is that the “atheists are damaged goods. Of course, all of us are damaged goods. Sin has caused some degree of irrationality in us all. And given the extent of the damage, it’s no wonder atheists don’t believe. The real wonder is why anyone believes. The explanation, of course, is that God has begun to repair humanity, at an unimaginable cost to himself. And this is really good news.”

This book is well-referenced and well-researched, but as an added value it needed a study guide to continue the dialogue with Christians, Atheists and anyone else.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I was in Budapest Hungary alone suffering through an unplanned layover awaiting my next flight.  I was tired, lonely and uncomfortable.  I hadn’t slept in more than twenty four hours and all the strange people speaking strange languages had gotten to me.

I had already walked everywhere I could through the airport.  I had already “shopped” the one small Duty-Free shop that was open.

With nowhere to go that hadn’t been to already I went to the men’s room and hid in a stall.

While I sat regaining my sense of composure I found myself learning about human nature.

I had no idea what words men said to one another when they walked into the bathroom, but it was clear that they used the same awkward laughs, hushed tones and followed their shared unwritten public bathroom rules.

I wonder, where did all those rules come from?

Another Question No One Asked

Recently my friend Ellie asked a question no one had even asked me before.  Ellie asked looking for an answer, “Is God ever at a loss for words too?” Read that again, “Is God ever at a loss for words too?”

Ellie’s question is a humble sincere hope-filled quest to find out if God can relate to our pain and our frustration.

I’d written a poem which describes some of the wonderings I’ve had in the middle of pain and frustration:

Does God get me?
Does God care?
Does God see me?
Is no one there?

It’s hard to know what to do when we’re frustrated. It’s hard to be patient through the pain. Life has it’s ups and downs. Trials come and go, but we don’t know when and if we’ll “make it.”  It’s then that God can be maddeningly silent.

God’s Silence

One of the profound messages of TreeHouse is “you’re not alone.”  I, and thousands of others, have found comfort and assurance knowing that others have felt our feelings, had similar experiences, and can relate to us.

I believe that God is also present, able and willing to listen, and wants us to talk about our needs and wants, thoughts and feelings.

But, sadly, God is often more silent than we would prefer.

Our Silence

Sometimes our silence must (almost) drive God crazy too.

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter.“

When we’re screaming nonsense, God understands us.
When we’re pounding on walls, God understands us.
When we’re swearing about our circumstances, God understands us.
When we’re mumbling under our breath, God understands us.

It’s then that God “does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves…That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

1 – Romans 8:22-28, MSG

Prayer Is A Mystery

God tells us to do it though…
God knows what we’ll say.
God isn’t visible.
God doesn’t guarantee we’ll get what we want.
God says it will benefit us, but the benefits aren’t always evident.

Prayer is a mystery.

Life Is A Mystery

I wondered yesterday:

Why are some of the strongest men I know also the laziest?
Why are some of the most caring women I know also the most emotionally unstable?
Why are some of the smartest guys I know also the most foolishly impulsive?
Why are some of the most street-smart girls I know still duped by smooth talkers?

Life Is A Mystery

It’s hard to know what to do when we’re frustrated. It’s hard to be patient through the pain. Life has it’s ups and downs. Trials come and go, but we don’t know when and if we’ll “make it.”

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” (Romans 8:22-28, MSG)

While we don’t always know why we should pray, how we should pray, what we should pray or whether it will “work”, here are some clues to help you know if you should be praying.

Eighteen Clues You Should Be Praying:

01. You’re worrying about it.
02. You’re churning over it.
03. Your body feels tense.
04. You’re scheming.
05. You’re not enjoying the good you have.
06. You’re always thinking about what could be.
07. You’re stuck; you can’t let it go.
08. Nothing will change if you do nothing.
09. You feel jealous of someone else’s accomplishments.
10. People you trust believe you should make a change.
11. Your friends warn you and you ignore them.
12. You angrily deny that there’s any problem.
13. You feel powerless.
14. You feel confused because you don’t know what to do.
15. You don’t want to do what you think you should do.
16. You feel afraid.
17. You feel lonely.
18. You feel hopeless.

Good things are coming, but sometimes it’s hard to see when we’re stuck in the muck and frustrations.

If that’s you, it’s time to pray.