Purpose Driven Life

"This is an incredible interview with Rick Warren , "Purpose DrivenLife " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California. His wifenow has cancer, and he now has "wealth" from the book sales. In theinterview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:People ask me, what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell,life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and Godwants us to be with Him in Heaven.One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body--but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I amgoing to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act- the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we willdo forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until youfigure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series ofproblems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, oryou're getting ready to go into another one.The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character thanyour comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than Heis in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here onearth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow incharacter, in Christ likeness.This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also thetoughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think thatlife was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you goto the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind oflike two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you havesomething good and something bad in your life. No matter how goodthings are in your life, there is always something bad that needs tobe worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there isalways something good you can thank God for.You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "whichis my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways toget rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God andothers.We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds ofthousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy forher. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthenedher character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given hera testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. Forinstance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought alot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don'tthink God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you tolive a life of ease.So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notorietyand influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decidewhat to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change ourlifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from thechurch.Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Planto plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, andeducate the next generation.Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since Istarted the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to beable to serve God for free.We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Oram I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, ifI don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love Youbetter. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He'smore interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're calledhuman beings, not human doings.Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments,WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD.=============================================================This is beautiful and food for the soul. A friend sent it to me, Ijust wanted to share it with you. God loves you and so do I, have ablessed Lord's day!

New M&M colors

Pass this on to all of your friends. There are many women out there who have breast cancer. Lets do all we can to support this cause.

New Pink & White M&M's

The maker of M&M candies has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to raise funds through the sale of their new "pink & white" M&M candies.

For each 8-ounce bag of the special candies sold, the makers of M&M (Masterfoods) will donate 50 cents to the foundation. The next time you want a treat, please pick up a bag (now sold in stores nationwide) - you will be donating to a great cause and satisfying your sweet tooth. Just think...If each of us buy one bag or two.... how much will be donated. Buy a bag for a friend...........

Please pass on to all your family and friends. -- Thank you.

 

God Bless You!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

Broken Laptop

I really couldn’t believe it. I tried pushing the power button several times extra just because of that very same disbelief. My constant and gradually growing belief in my wife’s expertly honed skills in pushing buttons had been shattered in one fell swoop.

I had just used my laptop about three hours earlier. There was nothing wrong with it at the time, (aside for the cracks in the case and scratches on the screen, of course.) My wife came home and went directly to my desk, where the computer sat connected and ready to turn on and use at the moment’s notice. She pushed the power button, probably hoping to read the more recent emails I go to download most days, and walked to the bathroom while she waited for it to boot. She quickly completed her evening routine of washing her face and brushing her teeth and then returned to the computer.

Seeing that it hadn’t started up she pushed the button again. After several tries she went to hide sit on the porch and listen to the water splash on the pilings under the house.

When I found her I still knew nothing of this series of events. She hesitated and tried to make small talk, but finally, quietly, she said, “I need to tell you something, but I’m afraid you’re going to be angry.”

Now, for those of you who aren’t married or are still too fresh at it to recognize, that was a warning that I would not only not like the news, but that the rest of the evening depended on how I treated her after she reported it to me. I’m getting pretty good at receiving the actual intention of that warning and I handled the information pretty well.

I worked on the problem most of the night and well into the next day, unable to sleep very well for worrying about it. Finally I realized that the power button cover for the laptop is not actually the power button itself. It merely links to and, when functioning properly, pushes down the actual power switch button, which is a much less attractive little component soldered to a green circuit wafer inside the computer’s encasement chassis.

Anyway, last night I pried the button cover out of it’s hole and reached in to the hole with a thin screwdriver to manually push the unattractive little power button on the inside of the machine. Once I saw that my little laptop friend was not permanently out of commission I began the long and arduous task of replacing all those little warranty canceling screws that only a technician is supposed to remove. (Why is it that you always seem to have a different number of holes than screws? Is that the same principal that causes you to have more dirt to put back in the hole than what you took out of it?)

So now that you know the rest of the story, aren’t you sorry for being miffed that I haven’t answered your emails or posted a blog posting in the past few days? Well, I feel better for having told you anyway.

P.S. Completely aside from my laptop conundrum, (Isn’t that a super word?), I’m reading a fictional novel based on the life of the Apostle Paul. It’s entitled PAUL: A Novel and it’s written by Walter Wangerin, who was recently interviewed by Christianity Today Magazine. He's got quite a few books out there and some of them look really good. I really recommend Paul: A Novel, though. It’ll help you understand a lot of the statements he made in the Epistles.

God Bless You!!!

Roger Engle

from Katrina

I am still working with the deaf, and becoming a little more fluent in signs. I have one boy right now thirteen years old. He is very smart, and his vocabulary is increasing everyday. I have a girl, and a friend of hers who wants to come for the summer to teach us both, as I do not have the time right now to completely immerse my self, and that is holding him back. Any material I can get on it will be greatly appreciated. Right now we have thirty four children (including mine). Yesterday I was awarded custody of four children who were orphaned by a friend of mine who died of aids some months ago. She wanted me to have them, but the aunt took them hoping to get the two houses they own. One is severely retarded, then a five year old girl, and six year old boy, a fourteen year old girl, and possibly a twelve year old who we have to go back to court for as she is with another family member. They were being abused and neglected very sad, sad situation for their sakes I am glad it is over. I only hope that we will be here for the next thirteen years to raise them. The judge of the state, with the captain of the Special Forces, and the captain of the police department, and the chief of human rights came to drop them off. The retarded girl scooted in (she cannot walk,) and looked at me and said mommy give me a kiss in Miskito everyone laughed. God has truly given us favor with the govt. officials here. We have had five malnourished babies this past month, and we have one more coming this week nine months old seven pounds. It is incredible that they can survive so long. We started home schooling this year we have twenty students. God has touched the founder's heart to build us a separate building for a class room. We are happy with this new project. We have a group in, and I got new shelves in my office, and storage room, and bunk beds, a new clothes line etc. etc. blessings all of them blessings to make it easier having a house full of kids. We are very happy working, and feel we are making a difference. One little retarded boy twenty pounds and five years of age came, and his body was so atrophied he could not even lift his own head, he has been with us since we got home, and he is holding his own head up, and trying to crawl, and holds a cup now, the child hardly ever cries a very happy little boy. He is also gaining weight slowly, but surely. He gets therapy twice a day. I don’t have the time to write about all of them its past midnight, but I have been wanting to get a letter out to you. When the orphans came yesterday I went to my office, and looked for something special to welcome them home. I found twin baby dolls for the two little girls. They were very happy. So I thought of you of course. Most of what I brought was given away as Christmas presents which all the children enjoyed, but I brought enough for some extra as well. We are waiting for the container with the rest of what you sent eagerly, esp. now that I have shelves to put them all on. Anyway I think that is all hope you are all fine. Thanks for everything we miss you. Blessings Katrina

God Bless You!!!

Roger Engle

Lindsey on hosting children.

Hey Everybody,

 

Recently, I’ve posted some shorts from, Lindsey, a teen friend of ours whose family hosts some of the children who have to go to the US for orthopedic surgery or what not.

 

About a week ago I asked her if she would write an article to give others an idea of what it’s like having these kids in their home.

 

This is her response.

 

Well, Roger, you asked: ‘What is it like hosting kids from the House of Hope when they come to the USA?’ 

 

Keeping kids from Honduras is the greatest experience that I think our family has ever had!  We have had the opportunity to keep three wonderful children!  Our first was a little girl, by the name of Chelma.  She was a 3 year old with club-feet and she was in the U.S. for about 6 or 7 months.  She learned a lot of English while she was here.  We fell in love with her! 

 

Our second little guest was Glaci.  She was five.  Her leg was broken when she was a baby and it had never been set.  We fell in love with her, too.  She also picked up English fairly well. 

 

There is not a day that goes by that we don't think about them, and wonder what and how they’re doing.  They are now a part of our family. 

 

In fact, we got to see them when went down to Honduras last summer, and it was so good to see them.  We were able to communicate with them easily because they had picked up English so well when they was with us. 

 

Right know we’re keeping 14 year old Artenisia.  She just had both legs amputated because of very serious club feet. We have already fallen in love with her, too.  It is a lot different though, because she doesn’t speak any English, and my sister, Meagan, and I only speak a little Spanish.  It’s really cool because we met her when we were down there in Honduras last summer, so it’s nice getting to see her again. 

 

If you ever get the chance to keep a kid that needs a home, don't let it slip away.  It is the best thing you could ever do! You will have so many good memories.  Trust me.  Even better would be if you get the chance to go down to Honduras and visit the House of Hope.  If you do get that chance, then go!  It was the best trip I’ve ever taken, and I can't wait to go back.  They are the coolest people and the sweetest kids you’ll ever meet. 

 

Lindsey

14 years old

 

Thanks again, Lindsey!

 

 

God Bless You!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

This from Lindsey:

 

hey

how are you?

Well I just wanted to let you know that Artinesha had another surgery on Tuesday, and is doing fine.  When she had her first surgery the doctor did it two different ways, and one was not  healing right, so he went in and fixed it.  We are hoping she will be home in about 10 days.

Please tell all the kids I said hey and that I love them.

love ya

lindsey

 

 

God Bless You All!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

Jail Time!

This from Marc:

 

An 80 year old woman was arrested for shop lifting.  When she went before the judge he asked her, "What did you steal?"  

She replied: a can of peaches.

  

The judge asked her why she had stolen them and she replied that she was  hungry.  

 

The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can.  She replied 6.
  

The judge then said, "I will give you 6 days in jail."
 
Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment the woman's  husband spoke up and asked the judge if he could say something.  

He said, " What is it? "
 
The husband said  "She also stole a can of peas."

J

Thanks Marc!

 

 

God Bless You All!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

No one believes seniors . . . everyone thinks they are senile.

No one believes seniors . . . everyone thinks they are senile.

 

An Elderly couple were celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.

 

Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they'd shared, where Andy had carved "I love you, Sally."

 

On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up, but not sure what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money--fifty-thousand dollars.

 

Andy said, "We've got to give it back."

 

Sally said, "Finders keepers." She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.

 

The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knock on the door. "Pardon me, but did either of you find a money bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?"

 

Sally said, "No."

 

Andy said, "She's lying. She hid it up in the attic."

 

Sally said, "Don't believe him, he's getting senile."

 

The agents turn to Andy and began to question him. One says: "Tell us the story from the beginning."

 

Andy said, "Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday . . "

 

The first FBI guy turns to his partner and says, "We're outta here.

 

God Bless You All!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

Simply Put

>
> *_"Simply Put"_
>
> Cindy Sheehan asked President Bush,
> "Why did my son have to die in Iraq?"
>
> Another mother asked President Kennedy,
> "Why did my son have to die in VietNam?"*
> **
> **
>
> *Another mother asked President Truman,
> "Why did my son have to die in Korea**?
> *
> *Another mother asked President F.D. Roosevelt,
> "Why did my son have to die at **Iwo Jima**?"
>
> Another mother asked President W. Wilson,
> "Why did my son have to die on the battlefield of France**?"
>
> Yet another mother asked President Lincoln,
> "Why did my son have to die at Gettysburg**?"
>
> And yet another mother asked President G. Washington,
> "Why did my son have to die near Valley Forge**?"
>
> Then long, long ago, a mother asked,
> "Heavenly Father, why did my Son have to die on a cross outside of
> Jerusalem**?"
>
> The answers to all these are similar--
> that others may have life and dwell in peace, happiness and freedom.
>
> *
>
> **
>
> *No I didn't write this one...it was e-mailed to me with no author;
> and I thought the magnitude and the simplicity were awesome.*
>
>

God Bless You All!!!

Roger Engle

FW: Surf N' Turf!

From: Tom Brian [mailto:atbdds@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 11:26 AM
To: Roger Engle
Subject: Re: Surf N' Turf!

Head'em up

Mov'em out

Rowing, Rowing, Rowing

Rawhide.

Roger Engle <rogerkatrina@gmail.com> wrote:

How’s this for a hamburger to go! This morning my wife and I were lounging in the bed at about 7:00 AM, (Church doesn’t start ‘til 10:00), when there arose quite the cacophony outside our bedroom window.

“Pull it! Pull harder! Grab it! Careful!”

So, of course, I got up and grabbed my camera.

Well, it seems my neighbor had just purchased a new young bull and was preparing to transfer him to the farm. I’m no beef farmer, but this just doesn’t seem like a very efficient way to transfer a cow. ‘Maybe he’s not just transferring a cow.’ I thought, as I snapped some pictures.

He’s my neighbor and He doesn’t seem like the type that would traffic drugs. But then, what do I know?

I’ve got no beef with him. (‘No pun intended’ would not be an accurate statement. Now, would it? J) So I’ll just enjoy the humor of seeing a cow in a boat. (And share that humor with you!)

God Bless You All!!!

Roger Engle

Surf N' Turf!

 

100_2398

How’s this for a hamburger to go!  This morning my wife and I were lounging in the bed at about 7:00 AM, (Church doesn’t start ‘til 10:00), when there arose quite the cacophony outside our bedroom window. 

“Pull it!  Pull harder!  Grab it!  Careful!”

So, of course, I got up and grabbed my camera. 

Well, it seems my neighbor had just purchased a new young bull and was preparing to transfer him to the farm.  I’m no beef farmer, but this just doesn’t seem like a very efficient way to transfer a cow.  ‘Maybe he’s not just transferring a cow.’ I thought, as I snapped some pictures.  

He’s my neighbor and He doesn’t seem like the type that would traffic drugs.  But then, what do I know? 

I’ve got no beef with him.  (‘No pun intended’ would not be an accurate statement.  Now, would it? J)  So I’ll just enjoy the humor of seeing a cow in a boat.  (And share that humor with you!)

God Bless You All!!!

 

Roger Engle

 

Artenisia & Dream House

I just posted two new postings on the gather page. One of which is included above. Follow the link and you can see them both. They have pictures!

ryan in honduras

ryan in hondurasRyan Miller is our very first full fledged volunteer and he is a really neat guy, to boot. Read his blog!

I also have a gather page

You can also check out the gather page 'free of charge'

Juicy Fruiter

Juicy FruiterJust read a really interesting Blog on the life of a park ranger. You should check this guy out. He seems like he'd be fun to be friends with. 'JF' Thanks for the email. I looked for a comment button on yours but didn't see it. TTFN