Tim and Shannon Bacus

4 days of taking it easy....

2010-02-11T20:11:00.003-06:00

While I was blog surfing (enter confession here: I surf blogs more than I write them - check my blog dates for validity!).

I'm always impressed by others' blogs. Creativity, insights, wisdom, advice...cooking tips, clothing tips...etc.

So as I was blog-surfing tonight someone had a song on their page that inspired me to write - or to dance uncontrollably at my husbands lack of consent! Tim made a few moves. But said, "I used to listen to this music in my dorm room...and would turn it down when anyone came in...I didn't want them to judge me."

This song inspires my four day weekend!! Enjoy!

Another confession....I started listening to this song too....and continued dancing uncontrollably...

Unanswered

2009-11-08T20:52:00.003-06:00

There are ways to avoid providing answers. Let's think about some possibilities:
- we have voicemail when we can't (or don't want to) pick up a ringing phone
- when we have tests done for medical purposes the answer always comes at a later time, rarely in the same visit
- your child tends to ask those "uncomfortable for you age" questions and so you assure him you'll talk about it later
- a friend notices a difference in your spirit and so she digs around a little bit to find a reason why, and you back away and give a false confidence that everything's fine

It's easy to get around giving an answer. You may be busy - and voicemail picks up. An answer may require time - and the test comes back negative. The timing is too uncomfortable - so the answer comes a couple years later. Or you may fear the truth - and continue deceiving yourself and others never giving an answer.

There's always a way around giving an answer.

If you've ever asked a question and not gotten an answer you know the irritating feeling it causes as the question continues to jostle around in your mind.

Sometimes I ask God something - and He doesn't seem to answer.

In all my theology, I would like to think I leave no room to hold the idea that God doesn't answer me. I know he hears me. I know he wants to work it out for my good. I know these things because scripture tells me they're true. But sometimes, he just doesn't answer.

At a conference I went to this weekend the speaker was an amazing Bible teacher and had many insights which I had never heard.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase or something similar to - "God answers all prayers, just not always the way you want". I think it's cliche - but it's helped to form my theology nonetheless...perhaps in an unhealthy way. This weekend however, at the conference I seemed to have up-rooted this cliche phrase and replaced it with something far more comforting and true. The Bible teacher who spoke gave many biblical insights I had never been exposed to before. Oh how I'm thankful for the words she spoke and the challenges from God's word she gave. Something I walked away with has to do with God giving answers.

If you'll remember with me - the story of John the Baptist's family in Luke 1. God had specific purposes for John's life, just like he has in all of ours. But for JB, God wanted him to be the forerunner of Christ, no pressure here. Remember with me that he was conceived by elderly parents, Zechariah and Elizabeth.

His dad, Z, was a priest and his mother, E had the identity of a barren woman. In the culture of that day, a woman's status was parallel to her ability to have children. The priests of the day were many in number, and so because of the amount of priests available, a priest would perhaps only get one day in their entire life to serve in the temple - that is to offer the communal prayers of the people to God on the altar. The priest would enter the temple and burn incense on the altar for the prayers of the people to be heard by God. But for E, she was most likely comfortable in the walls of her own home, where at least she was accepted and loved by Z.

As Z was heading in for his "once in a lifetime" prayer offering - he was met by an angel Gabriel who told him his wife would be pregnant and would give birth to a son and that Z should name him John. Of course, in Z's old age, and because this angel was crashing his once in a life time appearance in the temple, he couldn't believe it. He even asked the angel if he was sure? This is where it gets interesting because he and his wife had been praying for a family for decades. As Z emerged from the temple he was unable to speak and was making all kinds of signs to the crowd who were waiting outside for their blessing.

Imagine that - taking your once in a lifetime opportunity, going in to the temple to offer up a prayer on behalf of the community, being met by an angel who gives you the notice that your wife will bear a son, and losing your ability to speak- which would only be restored if you named your son John.

So for nine months or so Z & E communicated through signs. Talk about being unanswered - a good guessing game of charades! I don't know how they worked it out, but I imagine they had a few good laughs.

Can you imagine praying for decades (maybe this is a real life situation for you) for a child? And one day your husband goes to the temple and comes back without an ability to speak and makes all these crazy signs to you and you realize he's trying to tell you that you're pregnant. Remember - you're old. With gray hair. Wrinkles. Flabby skin. But you remembered that prayer you had been offering for all those years - to a God who promises to hear you - but hadn't answered you. Until now. Until in your old age you became pregnant with a baby boy who would go before the Messiah, making Jesus' ministry possible. God had smelled their prayers which were offered on the burning coals on the altar.

Perhaps the prayers I've been praying are still burning on the coals on the altar. Still unsanswered. They are still being burned before the LORD, an insence filling his nostrils. The faithful prayers of Z & E lead me to believe that even when God doesn't answer - my prayers are still burning before him (in a figurative way) on the altar. He hears my prayers and he won't fail to answer them.

I have several prayers smoldering on the coals of the altar. I refuse to give up on prayer. I will risk hope in a God who answered the prayer of an elderly couple - and who gave birth to the one who made the way of the Lord possible.

What are on the coals of the altar for you?

When Old things become New

2009-10-29T18:48:00.003-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that I am = emotional.

I've never denied the fact that I have emotion, and those of you that know me well, can assure those who don't (if you're even reading this) - that I know how to show my emotion. Sometimes I can express it well, sometimes it barrels out of me like a summer thunderstorm. Sometimes I can even catch my emotions before they come out of my being at all. But, always, they affect me. My being.

The past 2 days I've been reading the beginning books of the Old Testament, in particular Genesis and Exodus. Great books - full of adventure and love stories and promises. It's been really refreshing to read these old books. Reading the Old Testament is an old thing which is becoming new to me again (I tend to hang out in the NT). As a believer, I sometimes think I don't have to read the Bible in order to understand it...or at least for it to have impact on my life...but it's so good to settle down, outside of the busy-ness, and to throw off the idea of already understanding Scripture – diving into the ancient past.

It's energizing to me. The Old Testament. Full of the story line of creation, of the rise and fall of humans, of the promises made of God, those faithful servants who stood firm in their faith when the ground beneath them shook. Somehow, when I read the words, I think - "Perhaps I too could strive diligently to be obedient to the LORD in my life – even in waves of emotion".

As I finished the book of Genesis - on the note that Joseph (the dude whose brothers sold him into slavery and who later become Pharaoh's acting King) dies, and almost seamlessly I continued onto the book of Exodus where a new King comes into power in Egypt. A ruthless oppressive King. For 430 years the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt. I can't even imagine...we're talking several generations. Son after father, daughter after mother - continuing to live a life of slavery. For 400 years...

Moses, the adopted grandson of this oppressive Pharaoh, is instructed through a burning bush to be the pioneer in releasing his people. And how was he going to do it? - after all he wasn't good at speaking and who would listen to him anyway? He would have to approach Pharaoh time and time again until Pharaoh's heart broke. Until Pharaoh would admit to seeing the power of God at work. Only then would he allow the Israelites freedom to worship their God in the dessert.

The story unfolds as God displayed his power in the 10 plagues, in the Passover, and even in the Israelite's crossing of the Red Sea. The Israelites were spectators in this vast array of power and signs. Their freedom being unveiled after 400 years. This was all done on their behalf - God fulfilling his promise of bringing them out of bondage – making them a nation, giving them land, and blessing.

At the tail end of their exodus excursion though, the Israelites got an extra burst of emotion - perhaps it was doubt, perhaps it was fear. They were camped out by the sea (probably speculating as to how they were going to get around it) and looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Pharaoh had a change of heart and was bounding towards them with his 600 chariots with officers over each of them, ALL of Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops.

Scripture says, "They (Israelites) were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, 'Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

It struck me. I read it in a new light. Old things do become new again.

The Israelites were fearful and doubting, even though they had seen God's power and signs and miracles at work in their lives. Even though I see God's power and signs and miracles at work in my own life (nothing like having a heritage of slavery or millions of frogs flooding my house) I still well up with the emotions of fear and doubt.

"God, are you sure You ____________" Fill in the blank.
"God, I wish you would just _________" Fill in the blank.
"God, if You would only make __________ clear to me" Fill in the blank.

These are my modern day mirrored emotions of the Israelite's saying, "We should have just died in bondage to the Egyptians – why did we even follow you Moses?".

Fear and doubt are emotions which date back to creation - but most of the time they make themselves right at home in my heart and mind. I find comfort in Moses' response to the Israelite's fear and doubt. He said,
"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

As they made their way across the sea, with walls of rushing water on either side, being led by a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud, they turned only to see the sea engulf the Egyptians - not one of them survived. Moses wrote, "And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant."

I catch myself being controlled by my emotions and affected by the way I release them...yet, I must remember in my fear and doubt (even the Israelites had fear and doubt!) I have to remember that the LORD will fight for me, I need only to be still and that I can put my trust in Him.

Deuteronomy 10:21 - He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

I love when stories of Old teach me New things about living a faithful life now.

Shan

I Did It Again

2009-09-06T21:03:00.004-05:00

I love doing things over and over that I know I'm good at (and that's not a pious statement, it's just truth). I think it's because I'm terribly fearful of failure and doing something I know I'm good at means I am less likely to fail. This gives me a chance to make better something I think I'm already "good" at. Repetition is comfortable.

After spending the last couple of months in Africa with the temperature in our room reading 103 degrees F - the 70-80 degree weather in Illinois feels almost "chilly". It is good to be back to familiar things. One thing which is familiar is the changing of seasons. By returning in September we have been able to catch the tale end of Summer and the season's crisp transition to Fall. Fall has so many memories for me...it reminds me of the beginning of school, of seeing friends around camp fires, the smell of burning marshmallow's and the sounds of laughter shared over hot cider and things which steam. The greatest memory of fall is meeting my husband!

I want to tag Fall as my comfy season...never too hot and not too cool. It doesn't linger around, bringing my anticipation of Fall to null - and voiding its savory-ness. It's a comfy season for me because it comes at just the right time for relief of summer's heat and the sun's rays. Fall ushers the earth into her brilliant hibernation and rejuvenation of winter. Fall is teasing, staying long enough to get comfy and then it disappears until its reappearance the following year.

I mentioned that I love doing things I know I'm good at and Fall brings the weather just right for stew. Each Fall I retrieve an old recipe I've tucked into my mind from the year before: Harvest Stew. I am good at making Harvest Stew...and I did it again - I made it yesterday. I began making this stew in 2006 after modifying another friend's recipe. That means this is only the 3rd year I've made the stew - and some of you have been cooking for 30 years... but I make it several times throughout the season (and sometimes slip it into Spring's menu too). I love to make it over and over.

I love this stew partly because it reminds me of my friend Erin who introduced the recipe to me, partly because I've modified it, partly because it's so yummy, but mostly because it brings people together. When I make Harvest Stew...there's so much! The first batch of this season was small because I only had 2 chicken breasts - and I usually use 6 to 8. But each time I make Harvest Stew I love to share it. Fall is a time of Harvest and sharing the harvest. Doing this one thing I'm good at brings people together to celebrate the Fall season.

Making the stew this year reminds me of the Spiritual Harvest Jesus taught His disciples about in the book of John, the fourth chapter. Jesus said, this Spiritual Harvest will one day bring people together to celebrate. Just like my making Harvest Stew brings people together. We find Him here sharing with the Samaritan woman about a water which would quench all thirsts. Jesus taught over and over again not only because He was good at it, but also because that's what He was passionate about. When Jesus' disciples arrived and they realized he was talking with a Samaritan woman (a big no-no for Jews), scripture says they were "astonished" but they ignored the situation because they were focused on Jesus filling his stomach with something to eat. Jesus was too concerned to eat. He was concerned about what He was doing in the world. He was finishing the work God had sent Him to do - the work of the harvesting.

Fall is harvest time (both figuratively and literally). Jesus' teachings about the urgency of the harvest are so applicable in our everyday lives...many have gone before us and prepared the field...planted, fertilized, nurtured, etc. ...and the field has turned white, ready and prime for harvesting...This is what Jesus was so passionate about in his teaching - the harvest.
that's about where we find ourselves today on September 6th...on the brink of harvesting.

Thinking of all things harvested - corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomatoes - these are some of the ingredients of the Harvest Stew I love to make. As I was cooking I was thinking of the ingredients and how they came to be harvested...someone planted, fertilized, nurtured each individual ingredient. Putting all of these harvested items together reminded me of God's Kingdom and the work he's given us to do.

Three years ago when I started making this stew, I coined it "Harvest Stew"...because when the words of Jesus penetrate our hearts....a stewing happens within that compels us to be a part of the harvesting of all the peoples of the world and it makes a beautiful collection of people being sought by God and people seeking God.

I did it again, something I'm good at...making a delicious bowl of Harvest Stew. You too are good at something. God has created all of us with something we're really good at...and it's wonderful when we do it again and again, especially when it shares His Kingdom with others in the world. Harvest what you're good at and it may just bring people together for the Glory of the Lord. Do it because you're good at it, but also because you're passionate about it!

Do Not Worry

2009-07-20T07:58:00.002-05:00

This past Monday morning we woke up and began eating breakfast with a specific goal in mind to accomplish afterwards. My husband and I are goal oriented people and accomplishing tasks gives us a sense of purpose. It’s one of those quirky things we humans do to.

So, our goal for the day: We were going to the market to buy food to cook for the week. We had our minds made up – come heaven or high water! The first 2 weeks we were here our African hosts, Kwame & Suzie, were cooking every meal for us. We decided it was past time to begin this time consuming task ourselves. We discussed with them that we’d start cooking our own meals and manage for ourselves. We were very determined to get something to cook that we wanted to eat – something familiar – something not African.

As we were nearly finished eating our breakfast Kwame came in to tell us that Jean, a member of the church here in Niamey, was going to be at our house at 10:00 A.M. to take us to visit a lady who attends the church, but hadn’t been coming lately.

It was 9:45 A.M. My mind began altering plans and changing modes reluctantly. I thought to myself, “But we weren’t planning on doing a house visit today. Especially with a 15 minute notice!”. Our plan of going to the market to buy food, which we needed for lunch, was not going to happen. This is a big deal, it’s not like we can just whip through the drive-thru here to grab something to eat – sometimes it takes 2 hours just to prepare a simple meal – that’s if you already have the food at your house.

To be frank, I was mad. I had this overwhelming desire to be independent… and to go to the market… and buy my food… and cook it for my husband and myself… and......– but now, we were going to do a house visit instead. This meant we wouldn’t be going to the market or cooking for ourselves. So what were we supposed to eat for lunch? And who knew time we’d eat it for that matter.

Jean came to our house and we made our 10 minute walk to the ladies house. If you can believe it or not, when we got there, she was not home! Arriving to find the woman not even at her house when we had changed our plans added the cherry on top, if you will. 2 weeks of being dependent on someone else for every meal was being prolonged unnecessarily, and the hope of cooking what we wanted to eat evaporated into the mid-morning air like the smoke of a camp fire as it nearly burns itself out.

However, another woman from the church lived in the same compound and she invited us into her home. Her front room was about a 12 x 12 foot room. It consisted of four gray colored cement walls, an old army looking cot, four chairs, a rickety coffee table, a cabinet with some food in it, and on top sat a 10 inch TV which was meaninglessly playing some sort of African music videos no one was even watching. As we sat down she invited 2 friends to come inside. I knew what was going to happen. The whites had come in to her home so it was our responsibility to tell her friends about Jesus. At that moment, I realized what an ugly heart I have sometimes as I struggled silently in my own mind, frustrated that my plans for the day had been changed to come visit a woman who wasn’t even home, and now we were going to have to evangelize. To be completely honest, which you know I am most of the time, I simply didn’t want to do it. Oh, my ridiculous heart.

Tim began to talk with them, since I was silently refusing to. He started with the idea of where people come from and asked them their idea of what a good person is like. They chatted for a while about the topic and I decided that I in fact, did want to be a part of the conversation. I ended up sharing an illustration of marriage with the two women. How God pursues all people and draws them to himself – but a good person is not able to go to God on his own accord – there has to be someone in the middle. “So God had to send Jesus as a human baby who grew up in a family just like that baby", and I pointed to the baby one of the women was nursing. "Because by ourselves we can never be 'good enough' to get to God who offers us eternal life”. I said a lot more things that I don’t remember, but I know that God was using my mouth to share His deep desire to know these two women.

So picture this - here we were sitting in this woman’s house who we didn’t even come to visit, sharing the gospel with 2 women who had never heard of Jesus and the eternal life He came to the earth to bring. All the while I had been so pre-occupied with going to the market to buy food to cook and eat so that my little self could feel independent and accomplished.

God continues to till the soil of my life and heart and plant new seeds in me. Seeds of humility and service and a heart that gives.

In Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, he pleas with his disciples, “Do Not Worry”…you've probably heard it all before...God will take care of you - you shouldn't worry. But what was Jesus talking about - do not worry about what? “About your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. Wow – talk about a stomach punch.

This passage kept flashing in my mind all afternoon as I thought about how selfish I had tried to be with my time and my own desires…worrying about what we would even eat for lunch if we were going to do a house visit instead of buying food. When we got home our lunch was already being prepared – so why was I so worried about it beforehand? I remembered Jesus’ words to His disciples and they became real to me that day, “Shannon, don’t worry about what you’ll eat or drink or what you’ll fix for lunch– just follow where I’m leading and be a part of the restoration I’m doing on earth – and somehow you’ll find a way to fill your stomach – and I’ll give you a sense of accomplishment that’s for something eternal!”

What a privilege to share Jesus with these 2 ladies. Wherever you’re at in life and whomever you are serving - Jesus offers the same freedom he gave to His disciples long ago and to me on this altered Monday morning… “Do Not Worry”….

Bring it on!

2009-05-20T13:56:00.003-05:00

Sorry that we haven't posted in a while. We have been working hard and getting things done. Shannon is still working at Starbucks in Springfield and Sam's Sorrentos in Lincoln. I have been working at Domino's in Lincoln and on finishing up my undergrad degree. We have also been volunteering at Mt. Pulaski Christian Church in a variety of areas.

As far as getting ready for the survey trip is concerned we are doing well. We only need to buy domestic flights, travelers health insurance, and we are still waiting for the last 30% of our needed funds. But other than that, we are ready.

On top of that I have finished school. People have been asking me, "How do you feel now that you have graduated." Well, at first I was feeling like I do on my birthday. Feeling like nothing is different. I felt the same way before graduation as I did after graduation. No difference.

Then just yesterday it kind of hit me. The weight of it all. I am a college graduate in the area of Christian Ministry with an emphasis in cross-cultural missions. I have a heap of responsibility on my shoulders.

At graduation the Dean of Academics, Mark Scott, said all those in my degree of study moved our tassels from the left to the right, 'We confer upon you all the rights and responsibilities that come with this degree.' Boom! I have five years of education that I have the responsiblity to share with the church and with the world! I remember sitting in my classes the past five years thinking, "I know some people that need to hear this." Or, "I know some people that would love to be in my seat right now." Well, my job is to bring the class room in which I sat with me wherever I go. I need to reproduce all that I have learned in my future students, those that I teach.

I'm ready. Bring it on.

You can write the boy ones, and I'll write the girl ones

2009-02-22T19:53:00.000-06:00

So, upon the inception of this newly founded blog (welcome by the way!) Tim and I were discussing what the title of our first blog should be. We have had a few hundred "firsts" in our first 4 months of marriage. This time, not only did we have to agree on a URL name, but we also had to think of a catchy title. You are well familiar with the jokes or the witty lines well polished public speakers pull out of their mouths when they begin speaking as a way of grabbing their audiences' attention. That's kind of what a blog title is like to me. It's like conjuring up something that will grab anothers' attention and keep it long enough to convince them the next few lines are worth their 'reading time'.

This blog then is properly titled, "You can write the boy ones, and I'll write the girl ones", because Tim thought the title could be "The Constitution" - stating our main purposes and objectives of the blog. He also threw out the option of, "The victorious army has the right to collect booty", extracted from an ever enthralling book, Daily Life in Biblical Times by Oded Borowski. The last name is enough to get me hooked! But, as you can see, I didn't think those titles would be too "catchy" and they definitely aren't gender neutral enough to keep both sexes attention. I kindly, sweetly, and submissively replied, "You can write the boy ones, and I'll write the girl ones". Tim also reminded me, "You usually write the title of the blog, after you write the blog". Perhaps I just like doing things a little backwards, and if that's not it - maybe I just like to do it my way. Needless to say, you'll be hearing from both Tim and me - randomly, inconsistently, yet passionately and conversely.

We mainly want to invite you into our lives - to let you know what's happening here, when you aren't. Henri Nouwen, one of my favorite authors, in his book Here and Now describes what it's like to invite people into his life. He says that, "...through prayer we are able to make our inner room a place where we can welcome those people who search for God...and that when we receive people in our inner room the pictures on our walls (events, people, places we've experienced, met and gone in our short little lives) will allow those who enter our lives to have something to look at that tells them where they are and where they are invited to go". He says, "...Pictures are continuously hung on our inner walls. Some are words, gestures, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing. Some are faces: of Jesus and Mary, the faces of Mother Theresa, and other heroes of our life". These pictures are so important because they allow us to communicate to others and invite them into our lives.

This blog is our 21st century version of our inner room in which we will hang pictures of our life for you to see, share with you places we are going, and events which are happening. We welcome you in...to sit and laugh, or cry. To have a cup of coffee or two and eat a scone. To be challenged and involved and moved. We want to learn with you. We want you to be able to KNOW us, invest in us, and keep up with the Bacus-es.

We hope you'll keep looking for the "Girl ones" and the "Boy ones" as we post our blogs.

Deep peace to you,
Shan