"Lead Me to the Cross, Where Your Blood Poured Out.."

This weekend I was out of town, and thus did not get my entry finished in time for a Monday blast.. lo siento about that. Hope you weren't pinning away at your desktop awaiting my post.. Never fear tho - now it is here: Enjoy :)


I want to start off with a Challenge/Game/Prize opportunity. If you've been reading my entries through out the summer - (or if you have just started to read them, good thing it's "open book" [as my dad always says] and you can go back and re-look at them)- you might notice that there is a common theme, something that is standard in the format of all my post. I'll tell you upfront: it doesn't have to do with the layout or the font. Nor is it my signature line. If you can find the common thread in each of my posts - and e-mail me with the answer - I'll make you some custom made shell jewelry or artwork (or if you are a boy, and would like to give it to your lady/girl/wife/daughter, that can be arraigned too) and bring it back for you when I come home/send it to you if you live far away :) here are some pictures of things I have made thus far - happy searching

{{ Top to Bottom: Earring samples, Full shot and Close up of a 6-Shell design, Shell-in-Shell link'd design, and Larger-Shell with floating beads design    }}

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So, recap of this past week

Lindsey got here on Monday, we tag-team terp'ed through out the week. 

Wednesday I met with Joe and Barbara again, then with the Deaf group from our Church.

Friday we (plus 3 others) drove to Philly, went to a Deaf-lead bible study..

Saturday morning Lindsey flew back home to Seattle *sad day!*

Sunday me (plus a few others- I'll explain who further on down) went to 2 different Deaf Churches, and then drove home.. 

Monday - I caught up on sleep, and started my week again! :)

Now, to expand :)

Having Lindsey here this past week was seriously a God Send! I needed to laugh, and be reminded of the wonders of interpreting and to be refreshed by life giving conversation - and Lindsey was God's answer to that need.. so So SO grateful for her! 

On Wednesday, she joined me as I went to meet with Joe and Barbara. I'm telling you, guys.. I get so pumped when I get to witness the Holy Spirit "come alive" in someone's life! I've never been "high" or tried any type of drugs, but I have to assume that the *HIGH* that comes from being involved in Adonai's work is better than any kind of drug that man can concoct. Joe is in that "ah-ha" season in his walk with our Lord. Each time we meet He is consistently seeing new and relevant truths as we are studying the book of John. He is a handy man by trade and uses construction tools like no one else can, but to be a part of equipping him to use these Spiritual Tools - there's not a thing that can compare - peeps, not a thing! After we went through the passage he had been studying, and had a FANtabUlous discussion about the Holy Spirit and His role in our lives; we started to talk about music..

I feel I need to preface this topic for all my hearies (yes, you - my dear hearing friends who are not involved in the Deaf community).. Music and Deaf people go together like Deep Fried Oreo's.. it's something that from the outsiders perspective seems like a crock, even lunacy - "who, in their right mind, deep fries an oreo?" .. "who, in their right mind, thinks deaf people can dance, or even enjoy music - they can't even hear it.." - right? BUT some crazy person thought deep frying an oreo would be good.. then someone tried it, and it caught on..  and it's DELICIOUS, lemme tell you.. but it's also not for everyone (as my friend said the other day "That's the worst thing I've ever had, tastes awful" - in my defense, it was cold.. deep fried COLD anything is gonna be awful, but I digress)..  Thus, when Music and Deaf people go together, it can be BEAUTIFUL! but it has to be learned.. Music unexplained to a Deaf person is like the cold fried oreo.. "blah", "undesirable", even "detestable".. So I attempt to right the wrong, at least make sure they try a "Hot Deep Fried Oreo" and give them the ability to decide if they like it or not.. 

Thus, on Wednesday, I brought up the topic of music, and we started to look at the song lyrics to "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" with Joe and Barbara. Now, you and I (native users of English) know that English is often a tricky language. It conjugates weirdly and often uses words in awkward structure. (point made?) Most [I hesitate to say many - then for you to think oh, "it's 1/2 and 1/2".. but I am not a 100% sure it's the majority of "most".. but I'll err on the side of "most"..]  all that internal thought process to say most Deaf people consider English to be their second language. So couple a "second language learner" with "Christian-ese" and most Praise and Worship songs sound like this (the English translation).. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIE6oCpyXmo

So, as Barbara, Joe and I disected the chorus of "Nothing but the Blood" - their eyes got wider and wider, as for the first time they understood the imagery of the song. Joe and Barbara are in their 50's.. they have been attending church for the better part of their lives.. and yet they've not ever understood this common hymn.. This burden's my heart greatly - as understanding is something I value highly (and take for granted often). And it's not that Joe and Barbara are "low functioning" or "not able to understand" - they both are capable of complex thought, and contribute to society. They have just not had it explained to them in their language before.. When I think about this, I get this image of Philip, meeting up with the eunuch in Acts chapter 8:
³⁰ .. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
I feel like Philip - lead by the Lord - to make music available to those "who don't understand it".. Many worship songs are full of doctrine that we tend to take at face value - but in the explanation of the song, I could see Joe making the connection of "Jesus paid for MY sins".. not just the sins of the world..*SO GREAT!* Joe said to me later, in the most innocent of comparisons.. "I wish you had been my mom. I wish my mom was like you, and had explained things to me, I wish I was your son." Breaks my heart to think that many parents of Deaf children don't ever communicate with them. I am grateful for an "Abba" that restores the years the locust have eaten.. It's a slow process, but it will be restored! Praise our Adonai! :)


To wrap up, I still need to mention my weekend trip to Philly and the "others" that I said I would explaine :D
Lindsey - of course, I've introduced. I met her this past April at a Christian conference in Iowa.. (Terp)
Kinna - student on Project, attends Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., but is from Washington State..  (Deaf)
Sarah - a hearing student on Project who was introduced to her first "Deaf person" (a.k.a Kinna) in June. She knew it would be an "ASL trip - no English" but she was up for the challenge, and seemed to have a good time :)
Mercy - a friend I met last summer briefly, RIT student who knows Auzy. She is involved in the Deaf Christian Club. She lives in Southern Jersey, so joined us for the weekend.. (Deaf)
Pepsi - a student at RIT, who I met 3 years ago at a Christian Deaf Family camp. We've been in contact off and on since. She's great fun, and offered to let us stay at her place!  (Deaf)
Mary - Pepsi's roommate. Student at RIT. (Deaf)
Ashley - a girl who graduated from the ASL Interpreting program at Woods with me. She now works in Washington D.C. and joined us Saturday and Sunday :)  (Terp)
Rich and Jess - a wonderful couple that I mentioned in my last post that God introduced me to last year. So great to continue to build a friendship with them! (Terps)


I think this post is getting long, so I won't go into details of the weekend - just know it refreshing and life giving! 


Soli Deo Gloria
:D

"Rid me of myself, I belong to you.. Oh, Lead me to the Cross.."