Haha!  Don't think that's gonna work...I got a raise at work since then, and my highest paycheck since working there (because of all that OT), and that all didn't make it go away either!  But be praying about it, read some Word, and let me know what the Lord impresses upon you about it, will ya?

Thanks so much Sue! 

Yes, Eritrea is a sovereign state that used to be a "province" of Ethiopia.  You can click the two links at the bottom of the original post to view pretty in-depth information about the place, but of course more information is always welcome.  There's a book we have at school -- I think it's called the "World Missions Book" or something equally simple like that -- but I don't have access to it right now (the school's a 45 min-1 hour drive away, and I'm not going to be able to get there until maybe the weekend).

I've intentionaly NOT tried to process or interpret the information yet, simply because I want it to be totally bathed in prayer and ultra-confirmed before I let my mind run wild with it.  As a married man with a house payment and pets (including our relatively-new puppy, little Golden Retriever "Selah") and my coming-up-on-retirement-age parents across the street (whom we help out however we can), I also have to consider what's best for them.

I know, where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and whatever He calls upon me to do, He'll take care of the details.  I just wanna make sure I know what He's calling me to first -- at least the first step of it -- or if I'm getting all huffy-and-puffy over something random that crossed my mind.

And this is why I don't want to try and interpret things yet...it could be a several-hour-long tangential monologue going who-knows-where.  :)

The new name was so that people who don't want to take the two seconds to look at my profile will be able to call me by name :) 

I don't want to look at profiles because there's occasionally music there. :)

But I still look anyways. That said you're assuming that the person's actual name will be there somewhere.

My first prayer was "How the heck do you pronounce that!".  Ok maybe that wasn't a prayer.

Knowing what we're supposed to be praying for helps a lot though.   And you've covered it. 

Mike, Mike, Mike...

sorry Norm, did I misspeak?

dude, I can soooo identify with the phone calling thing. I just don't know what it is! once I'm on the line with em, it's fine, it's just getting the nerve to call!

Thinking that having music on a page is somewhat rude (I'm the visitor) or wishing I had sunglasses for those profiles with really gawdy backgrounds does not mean I don't visit profiles.  

But when it comes to someone like Jason, I have to be honest, I never get to the profile.  He has enough interesting stuff to say that I don't get there. ;)

lol....it's ok Norm.  Your slick little around-the-back compliment covered the negativity of the hijack.  And besides, you two continuing the conversation has meant that I haven't really had to *bump* the thread back to the top artificially -- so thanks!!!

Mike, after going from top-of-the-game with lots of "stuff" (my life before knowing Christ) to having to eat canned chili everyday (sometimes hot even if the electricity wasn't turned off) because of lack of cashola (my life when the Lord was letting my flesh get what it deserved so as to draw me to Him), I've learned my lesson (though I don't always show it) that My Abba knows what's best for me, and if He wants me to do something He has to provide for it.  Ah, the joys of being a sheep in His flock.....nothing in this world can even come close.  :)

All that stuff aside though, please do continue to pray and ask the Lord for discernment regarding this.  Sometimes I can be thickheaded and stiff-necked...and sometimes I just totally miss things altogether lol...so having loving brothers and sisters praying and being open to the Lord's words on my behalf is really uber-nice.  :)  I'm glad at least a couple of you so far have been at least contemplating and praying about it...I'm praying that the rest of the people on my "friends list" join in, and even more beyond that!  It's probably one of the few times anyone on here will ever hear me ask for anything.

Thanks again guys!

Yup I think it's missions...all I can say is Heidi Baker

Bonita, did you come to that conclusion after prayer and seeking the Lord specifically for this issue, or are you just throwing your first impression out there?  I don't know a whole lot about Heidi Baker, but from what I've heard and read, my specific situation isn't really about hanging on to a "comfort zone" (which supposedly she is so fond of preaching against, and to an extent rightfully so).  In fact, yesterday's (or the day before's) Proverbs entry in my "One Year Bible" (which I read when I'm at work each day) included this passage:

I have been working a lot of overtime lately at work (most of it mandatory, the rest to help out because we've been so overwhelmed), and when I read the verse it struck me as an "of course", because I'm not putting in the time so I can get rich, I'm doing it to reflect the work ethic of Christ and contribute as much as I can both at work and with the family finances.

I'm willing to go if the Lord tells me to go, but I don't think it would be wise (or Scriptural for that matter) to change the course of my life and that of my family based simply on one word thought about without any context given at all.  Our enemy is the author of confusion, and he'd love nothing more I'm sure than to uproot ministry that's already planted by "guilting" me into the whole "you don't want to go because you don't have enough blind faith" trip.

Mike, your words brought another very valuable point into the thought process here.  Do I believe that the Lord has brought me right to where I am presently, planted me in the places in which I am planted, etc?  Or am I simply in the place I am now by my own volition and desires?  Since the time of receiving "the word", I haven't really received a whole lot more communication about the subject...perhaps the Lord simply desires me to be praying for the people of Eritrea right now?  The Lord could be using me as a prayer warrior for them presently, while at the same time preparing my heart for them for a time later when He actually wants me to go?

In other words, this could be a "pray now and wait for further instruction" situation.  Interesting to think about.  And with the message of the "giggling prophet" not really being revalent to this situation, I think "pray now and wait for further instruction" makes a whole lot of Biblical sense.

Let's keep praying though!!  I think at no time is our Father more pleased than when His children come seeking His face for His will in their lives.  And as I was just typing that, a verse came to mind:

Thank you Jesus for that verse!  It is instruction to us all right now, TODAY, to present our bodies as living sacrifices, actively living for His purposes in our daily lives.  By doing so, He says "that you may prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God" -- which is exactly what we're praying for!

I can't say I've heard anything while praying regarding this that I can specifically say that is from God.

Couple of thoughts that popped into my head

1) Maybe God's purpose was to get you to post it here to get people thinking.  Either about Eritrea or missions in general.  (And I know this may not be about missions, but that's where people's heads seem to be)

Ok I only had one non funny one.  The second is meant more  as humor and not quite on topic.

2) Paul Rodriguez has a line "I wonder if war is God's way of teaching us geography.".  Translating that.  I'm wondering if missions is really God's way of teaching us geography. 

I guess the concensus -- at least so far -- is "pray and wait"?

Doesn't God know I'm on a tight schedule? lol

Good thoughts, Norm...I'd have to agree that that seems to be at least part of what this has been about so far.

Oh, and Mike?  I'd take that "haunted" armoire off your hands, if you could figure out a way to get it to southern California for me. :)   I've got $35 I can contribute to the fund....sound good?  I'm not worried about carvings and junk on places that can't be seen easily anyways...my God is greater than he who inhabits this world, and my sanders and planers are greater than any etch or scratch.  :)

Ok, so we sent off an email on the armoire this a.m., really just out of curiosity -- you know, was it for real and all. But we got no response. I figure someone took it off their hands and the poster is not answering emails. I suppose it is also possible that it was all a hoax. It sure made for some interesting dialogue on MyChurch though.

Regarding "Eritrea", it is possible that God is prepping you. Does your heart ache for the people in Eritrea? Do you have any skills that would serve the Eritreans well? Do you see any open doors? If it were me, I would continue to pray and proceed slowly, letting God work in the situation. in the meantime, you and Eritrea are still both on my mind!

Still here, still praying, and thankfully, been able to minister to several guys at my workplace -- a blog on that later, for sure -- so I can reasonably say I've settled into the "pray and wait" category with this one.  There is work to be done where I'm at, but I know there's also work to be done elsewhere, so I'm remaining flexible and always with that thought of "wherever you want me, I'll go, Lord" in it's place in my mind.

A lot of what I've formed my opinion about this whole Eritrea thing has come from the situations and stuff at work, most of which I'll go into in that blog.  Getting frustrated at being the guy getting looked down upon for doing things the way they're supposed to be done has a way of eating away at a person's desire to be in a place...especially when it didn't seem like there were really many doors open for ministering to people either.  And since the Lord has never put me in a place where both Spirit and character were quenched, I was having some issue with it.

But a few weeks ago, it seemed almost as if a switch was flicked, and within a week I had more than a handful of people I normally didn't talk to much at work asking me God- and Bible-questions, and seemingly the doors of opportunity started swinging open.  I even enjoy being able to minister more in depth with one of the guys every day while being a blessing to his mom at the same time...ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  :)

Either tonight or tomorrow night I'll have to come right home and type out that blog, or else I'll end up just rambling on and on about it here.  And you guys know I can ramble. :)

Thanks for keeping me and the whole thing in prayer, and Norm, the Lord always provides paddles, and most of the time, even an outboard. :D

In His service, and yours,
jason