GREENSide Update
  • reflecting a bit
    • Easter 2019: Four ‘D’ Words of The Passion Week
    • Spring 2019: ‘Kingdom of God’ Reflections a Week After
    • Early Winter 2018: Taking a Closer Look at The Advents
    • Late summer 2018: Impressions from the Incapacitated
    • Summer 2018... Confronting Fears
    • Happy New Year 2018 Wishes
    • Christmas 2017 - Reconstructing the Christmas Story
    • Fall 2017... Returning, Rest, Quietness & Trust
    • Summer 2017... Reflecting Pools Matter
    • Spring 2017... The Singularity of God's Kingdom Purposes
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... One Foot, Two Feet, Three
    • Fall 2016... Personal Confessions of Mistaken Political Thinking
    • Summer, 2016... Waiting and Listening
    • Resurrection Sunday, 2016
    • Winter 1st qtr, 2016... The Marrakesh Declaration
    • Christmas 2015 Greeting
    • End of Year, 2015... Are We To Care?
    • Spring 2015... What are you and I doing about it?
    • New Year's Day 2015... New Mercies Never End!
    • Christmas/New Year 2014/15... Holiday, Holiday, What have you done?
    • Fall 2014... On Kingdoms... Past, Present and Ethereal
    • Spring 2014... Didascalicon: Man, God and Greatness
    • Christmas 2013... Even in the Air and Space
    • Winter 2013/14... Callings
    • Christmas 2012... 'Jumping Beans' in old age
    • Spring 2012... New Beginnings
    • Fall 2011... People of Promise
  • a look behind
    • Spring 2019: ...Off the Starting Blocks
    • Early Winter 2018: Sabbatical Results and First Furlough Leg
    • Summer 2018... "Come and See"
    • Summer 2017... Making Full Circle
    • Spring 2017... Completing Pre-furlough Commitments
    • Fall 2016, JJ's New California Home!
    • Summer 2016... Accomplishing Significant Milestones
    • End of year, 2015: Building God's Kingdom Among the Middle East Unengaged Muslims
    • Summer 2015... Building Deeply in Small Ways
    • Christmas 2013 photos
    • Winter 2013/14... Up and Running!
    • Winter 2012... 'Global Impact 29', first steps
    • Fall 2011... A great school; A promising alliance
  • a look ahead
    • Spring 2019: Finishing Touches to a Special Furlough
    • Early Winter 2018: Expanding to New Beginnings
    • Summer 2018... Winding Around the Country
    • Summer 2017... Three Decades and Counting
    • Spring 2017... My Upcoming Two Greatest Decades
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... Our Upcoming Furlough, Part Two
    • Summer 2016... Our Upcoming Furlough, Part One
    • Early Winter 2016
    • Summer 2015... Looking to Remember the Middle East
    • Winter 2013/14... The West heads East
    • Winter 2012... Coming out, going deeper
    • Fall 2011... Getting and Giving 'Perspectives'
  • prayer
    • Spring 2019
    • Early Winter 2018
    • Late summer 2018
    • Summer 2018
    • Fall 2017
    • Spring, 2017
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016
    • Fall, 2016
    • End of year, 2015
    • Summer 2015
    • Why pray?
    • Winter 2013/14
    • Winter 2012
    • Fall 2011
  • finances
    • Spring 2019
    • Early Winter 2018
    • Summer 2018
    • Winter 4th qtr. 2016... Year-end giving
    • Fall, 2016
    • End of year, 2015
    • Summer 2015
    • Winter 2013/14
    • Winter 2012
    • Fall 2011
  • get involved
  • fun
  • more contemplation
  • in case you missed it
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                                                                                 Fall 2011
about... People of Promise
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
PictureInvesting in young 'People of Promise'
People of Promise. The world cries out for such as never before. Who and what are they? Where can they be found? Recently I've come across a few in some unlikely places...  

First, my thirteen-year-old-son JJ. He surprised me in countless innumerable ways this past summer - a summer that will long be remembered by us for our 108.5 mile trek down the John Muir Trail, a trail with some of the most magnificent country one can ever hope to come across in the United States of America - the California High Sierras. As you might imagine there were quite a number of 'voices' both before and during this monumental feat that kept us asking ourselves if we were up to the task. But People of Promise give those voices their rightful due... listening, acknowledging, evaluating and even contemplating them, but often quite necessarily they must be repudiated. Such voices will frequently create fear, but such fears must be taken captive and submitted to God if there can ever be any hope for advancement. Progress will naturally involve risk, but this is the stuff that makes life worthwhile.  I'm so proud of my son for measuring up to the JMT's mountainous challenge (no pun intended); he'll go far as a young Person of Promise in direct proportion to his learning to depend on God for his wisdom and strength. I wish I could share with each-and-every-one-of-you how he climbed snowy summits, gingerly eased down slippery slopes, carefully forded rivers and tip-toed around wild animals. Here's a great video for you to catch a glimpse...

Then there are the unsung Latin American workers of our organization who live and work in many different Is lamic contexts, striving to build and model the Kingdom of God in difficult conditions at great cost. I recently had the honor of interviewing many of these incredible ambassadors of the King in some strategic meetings in Europe. Let me say the reports of what God is doing in and through this generation of global cross-cultural workers are very encouraging and need to be heard.  Clic here for more global info or here for an insider glimpse of our local efforts from The GREENSide (email me for the password; see the upper-right-hand tab).
PictureJune 2011 building inauguration and anniversary
Finally, I close here with a short reflection related to the limited, yet gratifying efforts we offer young People of Promise each and every Friday morning (and more recently a whole week of substituting) at El Camino Academy where JJ studies. Lately we've been sharing missional themes with the kids from the Book of Acts, where we've all been struck once again just how much Peter exemplified a Person of Promise. As one is introduced to him in the gospel narratives it's a by-gone conclusion that he holds little promise for the future, yet Jesus Christ sees promise in him and invests his life in his and, well, the rest is history... powerful sermons, stunning acts of compassion and scriptural declarations as our designated verse above so aptly portrays. Who are the People of Promise around us?  Maybe you're one.  I hope I am.  May God grant us not only the ability to see and recognize one when they come around, but to do what we can to bring up many such for today and tomorrow's world. Join me in finding and investing in People of Promise. 

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First name: KR
Last name: G
Personal account #: 004527
Project account #: 024527
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